Inside this brief, our team highlights all the important dates, trends and products that we’ll be featuring and, more importantly, customers will be searching for this Holiday season.
The only thing better than knowing you’ve found the perfect gift for someone is getting to watch them open it—that shared joy is the inspiration behind our 2021 holiday campaign, A Season to Share. We’re focusing on togetherness, celebration, creativity and the unique gifts that Society6 provides for all of the unique people in our lives.
Holiday Season Insights
1 in 3 US online consumers start holiday shopping in (or before) October.
+60% of retailers start holiday marketing before November 1.
We saw a 57% increase in visits to artist shops from October to December of 2020 compared to the same time in 2019.
Community Team Tips
Start Early! If there’s one thing to know about this holiday season it’s this: customers are going to be shopping way earlier than usual. Take advantage of this now by uploading new designs and enabling your bestsellers on as many products as possible. Check out our tips for using the bulk-enable tool to make this quick and easy.
Share, Share, Share. Social Media is the best way to reach your customers this holiday season and there’s plenty of reasons to post. Consider letting your followers know about your new products, new designs and of course our holiday promos. Not sure where to start? Check out our artist webinar about promoting your shop on Social Media for more advice.
Promote Promotions. Remember that even during our large promos of the year, you’ll still earn 10% of the original price for most products (excludes products that allow you to set your own price). It’s a win-win!
Earn More With the Artist Affiliate Program. Holiday is the busiest season of the year. Make sure it is easy for customers to find your products by including your shop link in your Instagram bio. Make sure to include your affiliate link to earn an extra 10% on the sales you refer!
Help Customers Find Your Work. Review the titles of your designs to keep them as simple as possible and avoid hashtags. A short, but descriptive title is always best!
Authenticity is key! Only design for and promote the trends that feel relevant to you and your business.
Calendar of Key Events
This season is full of opportunities to promote your business. Below we’ve outlined the main events and product launches that we’ll be focusing on through marketing and promotions. We offer our best promotions during the holiday season and we’ll be sharing with you in advance so you can let you fans and followers know that now is the time to shop!
October
New Products! Crewneck Sweatshirts, Placemats, Socks & Puzzles
October 24: Holiday Promotions Begin
October 31: Halloween
Key Shopping Themes: Holiday starts now! This year the holiday season is starting earlier than even. Expect your customers to start looking for gifts as soon as mid-October.
November
New Products! Tablecloths, Table Runners & New Frame Styles
November 1: Día de los Muertos
November 4: Diwali
November 5: Holiday Catalog In-Home
November 21: Cyber Week Promotions Begin
November 25: Thanksgiving (US)
November 26: Black Friday
November 28 – December 6: Hanukkah
November 29: Cyber Monday
Key Shopping Themes: Customers will be looking for great deals on gifts in November. We run our best promos of the year during Cyber Week. Make sure to prep your shop by November 1st to make the most of our this high-traffic shopping period.
December
Mid-December: Shipping Deadline for Delivery by December 25
December 21: Winter Solstice
December 24: Christmas Eve
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26 – January 1: Kwanzaa
December 26: Boxing Day
December 31: New Year’s Eve
Key Shopping Themes: Last-minute shoppers will search for gifts and stocking stuffers with quick shipping timelines. Pay close attention to our shipping cut offs and keep up the momentum by promoting products that can ship quickly.
Note: Promo dates and product launches are tentative and subject to change.
Holiday Trend Report
Your roundup of trending themes that customers can’t get enough of. Whether you are an illustrator, pattern designer or photographer, we can’t wait to see how you interpret these trends in your own unique style.
“Colorful and calming designs that will bring an air of optimism and levity to any space are at the forefront of our favorite trends this season. We’re also still loving renditions of the year’s most popular trends that pay homage to styles from years past.”
– Jessica, Merchandising
Trending Themes
Cheerful & Bright: Festive scenes & bold hues keep the celebratory spirit of the season alive and make the perfect gift or backdrop for gatherings with loved ones.
Featured Art: Party 3 by Niege Borges
Bold & Dramatic: This luxe trend is a blend of rich jewel tones, moody florals and warm neutrals for an elevated feel.
Featured Art: Abstract Floral by artyguava
Organic Holiday: Nature-inspired motifs, airy & organic patterns and neutral tones will cozy up any space for gatherings, big or small.
Featured Art: in the garden by Madeline Martinez
Vintage Holiday: Colorful, kitschy and vintage-inspired designs are the perfect touch for wrapping paper, cards and other gift-giving accessories.
Featured Art: Christmas Feast by MsGonzalez
Gradients: Trippy patterns in unexpected colorways were big this year and those elements have taken on a new form: the gradient. Soothing textures and color palettes are just the thing to keep you calm and centered during the holiday season.
Featured Art: Candlelight by Galaxy Eyes
Top 10 Search Terms
These are the terms that customers are searching for again and again. Consider adding these as tags to relevant artwork or use as inspiration to create something new.
1. Matisse
2. Halloween
3. Howdy
4. Cat
5. Mushroom
6. Retro
7. Tiger
8. Music
9. Abstract
10. Beach
Pro Tip: When tagging your designs, focus on your intent for the design and be precise with the tags you add. When possible use single word tags. For more advice on optimizing your shop for SEO, checkout our webinar HERE.
Trending Search Terms
We took a deep dive into the numbers to bring you the biggest search-term movers this season.
Matisse
Halloween
Cat
Howdy
Mushroom
70s
Retro
Mid Century
Ghost
Trending Products
Each month we’ll be focusing on a key list of products that have high-demand from customers. What this means is that we’ll be marketing and running promotions with the goal of driving sales in these categories throughout the holiday season—helping you decide what to promote and when.
“This season is all about togetherness, whether that means hosting for family and friends or finding the perfect gift that’s 100% them. Tabletop and hosting essentials (think throw blankets, bedding and other cozy accents) are top of mind, as are small gift-able items like mugs, framed mini art prints and bags.”
– Jessica
High-Demand Product Insights
These ten products have been picking up in popularity recently and we expect to see continued interest during the Holiday season.
1. Shower Curtain
2. Posters
3. Throw Pillows
4. Wall Tapestries
5. Rugs
6. Backpacks
7. Bath Mats
8. Phone Cases
9. Wall Clocks
10. Yoga Mats
Monthly Product Trends
Each month we’ll be focusing on a few key categories with our on site promotions. Consider adding these categories to your shop, enabling new work on these products, and promoting these category sales.
October
Wrapping Paper
Stationery Cards
Phone Cases
Tapestries
Serving Trays
Cutting Boards
Wine Chillers
New Indoor Tabletop: Tablecloth, Placemats, Table Runners
Throw Pillows
Framed Prints
Credenzas
Coffee Tables
November
Throw Blankets
Wrapping Paper
Acrylic Boxes
Hoodies
Crewnecks
Socks
Tote Bags
Puzzles
Posters
Framed Mini Art Prints
Travel Mugs
Mugs
Welcome Mats
December
Canvas Prints
Floating Acrylic Prints
Comforters
Shower Curtains
Water Bottles
Yoga Mats
Tote Bags
Duffle Bags
Travel Mugs
Phone Cases
New & Coming Soon:
We’ve been working hard to launch all-new products ahead of the holiday shopping season that we know your customers will love. We’re adding crewnecks sweatshirts and socks to our apparel category. Puzzles are coming soon! Placemats, table runners and tablecloths are joining out tabletop category. Plus, we’re adding some new framing styles to expand one of our most popular products.
Crewneck Sweatshirts
Socks
Puzzles
Placemats
Tablecloths
Table Runners
New Framing Styles
Trending on Social
We all love a good neutral, “safe” and practical sofa. However, this season, we’re seeing more and more people rejuvenate their spaces with a statement making sofa. Color is being fully embraced reflecting our unique personalities and style at the place we spend time the most. Couch potatoes never looked so good. 😉
Photo by @animalcrackerstudio
Photo by @ashleyhosmer
Thank you for reading the Holiday 2021 Creative Brief. We’ve packed this brief with tips and tricks to help our artist community make the most of the holiday shopping season.
Keep an eye on the artist heads up newsletter or follow us on Instagram for news about upcoming promotions, more tips and product announcements throughout the season.
Wishing you all a very successful end of 2021!
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