Seasonal Campaign

---
name: seasonal-campaign
description: Plans seasonal and holiday marketing campaigns with timelines, creative themes, and channel strategies. Use this skill when a user needs to plan a campaign around a holiday, seasonal event, back-to-school period, or any time-bound buying moment for their e-commerce or service business.
allowed-tools: Read Write Edit
---

# Seasonal Campaign

## When to Use This Skill

- User wants to plan a holiday or seasonal marketing campaign
- User needs a timeline for a time-bound promotional event
- User is preparing for Black Friday, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or similar
- User wants to capitalize on a seasonal buying moment
- User needs creative themes and messaging for a seasonal push
- User asks about campaign calendars for upcoming holidays

## Core Principle

SEASONAL CAMPAIGNS WORK BACKWARD FROM THE BUYING MOMENT — START WITH THE PURCHASE DATE AND REVERSE-ENGINEER EVERY DEADLINE.

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Define the Campaign Window

1. Identify the seasonal moment and its buying timeline:
   - **Impulse holidays** (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day): buyers purchase 1-7 days before
   - **Planning holidays** (Christmas, Back to School): buyers start 3-6 weeks early
   - **Event-driven** (Black Friday, Prime Day): buyers browse weeks before, purchase day-of
   - **Seasonal shifts** (Spring, Summer): gradual, no hard deadline

2. Set the campaign calendar:
   - **Teaser phase:** build anticipation (2-3 weeks before)
   - **Launch phase:** reveal the offer (1 week before to day-of)
   - **Urgency phase:** last chance, countdown (final 48-72 hours)
   - **Post-event phase:** follow-up, thank you, extended offer (1-3 days after)

### Phase 2: Develop the Creative Theme

3. Choose a campaign theme that connects the season to the brand:
   - The theme is NOT the holiday itself — it is the brand's angle on the holiday
   - Connect to an emotion or desire the season amplifies
   - Create a campaign name and tagline that work across all channels

4. Define the visual direction:
   - Color palette additions or seasonal shifts
   - Photography/graphic style adjustments
   - Typography or design element changes
   - Social media template modifications

### Phase 3: Plan the Channel Strategy

5. Map content to each channel with specific deliverables:

| Channel | Teaser Phase | Launch Phase | Urgency Phase | Post-Event |
|---------|-------------|--------------|---------------|------------|
| Email | Hint/save the date | Main offer reveal | Countdown/last call | Thank you + recap |
| Instagram | Story teasers, countdown sticker | Feed post + Stories + Reel | Story countdown, DM reminders | UGC reshare, results |
| Website | Banner update, landing page prep | Hero image swap, sale page live | Countdown timer, low stock badges | Sale ended page, next event teaser |
| Paid Ads | Awareness ads, retargeting warmup | Conversion ads with offer | Retargeting cart abandoners | Lookalike audiences from buyers |
| SMS | Opt-in for early access | Exclusive early link | Final 2 hours alert | Thank you, exclusive post-sale |

6. Write the key messages for each phase:
   - Teaser: curiosity-driven, no details
   - Launch: clear offer, simple CTA
   - Urgency: deadline + social proof + scarcity
   - Post-event: gratitude + bridge to next engagement

### Phase 4: Build the Timeline

7. Create a reverse-engineered timeline with hard deadlines:
   - Content creation deadlines
   - Design asset deadlines
   - Email sequence scheduling dates
   - Ad campaign launch dates
   - Inventory/fulfillment preparation
   - Website updates go-live dates

8. Identify dependencies and go/no-go gates:
   - Creative assets must be approved before ad scheduling
   - Inventory must be confirmed before sale page goes live
   - Email list must be segmented before first send
   - Landing page must be tested before paid traffic starts

### Phase 5: Set Success Metrics

9. Define measurable goals:
   - Revenue target for the campaign period
   - Email open/click rates by phase
   - Conversion rate on the sale/landing page
   - New customer vs. returning customer split
   - Average order value during campaign vs. baseline
   - Ad spend and ROAS target

## Example 1: Mother's Day Campaign for a Gift Box Company

**Input:** "I sell curated gift boxes. Mother's Day is coming up and I want to plan a full campaign."

**Output:**

# Mother's Day Campaign: "She Deserves the Pause"

**Campaign Window:** April 21 – May 12 (Mother's Day = May 11)
**Theme:** Giving mom permission to pause — not another obligation, but a moment of rest
**Tagline:** "Give her the one thing she never gives herself — a pause."

---

## Timeline

| Date | Phase | Action | Owner |
|------|-------|--------|-------|
| Apr 7 | Pre-work | Finalize gift box offerings (3 tiers: $45, $75, $120) | Product |
| Apr 10 | Pre-work | Photography complete — lifestyle shots of all 3 boxes | Creative |
| Apr 14 | Pre-work | Landing page built and tested | Web |
| Apr 14 | Pre-work | Email sequences written and scheduled | Marketing |
| Apr 16 | Pre-work | Ad creatives approved and uploaded | Ads |
| Apr 21 | Teaser | Instagram Story: "Something special is coming for the moms in your life" | Social |
| Apr 22 | Teaser | Email 1: "Mark your calendar — Mother's Day drops in 3 days" | Email |
| Apr 23 | Teaser | SMS to VIP list: "Want early access? Reply YES" | SMS |
| Apr 25 | Launch | Email 2: Full reveal with all 3 box tiers, hero images, CTA | Email |
| Apr 25 | Launch | Instagram carousel: each box tier with contents visible | Social |
| Apr 25 | Launch | Landing page goes live, site banner updated | Web |
| Apr 25 | Launch | Paid ads begin — conversion campaigns on IG and Facebook | Ads |
| May 1 | Mid-campaign | Email 3: Customer testimonial from last year + "Still deciding? Here's our bestseller" | Email |
| May 3 | Mid-campaign | Instagram Reel: unboxing video of the $75 box | Social |
| May 6 | Urgency | Email 4: "5 days left for guaranteed delivery by Mother's Day" | Email |
| May 8 | Urgency | SMS: "Last call — order by midnight for Mom's Day delivery" | SMS |
| May 8 | Urgency | Instagram Story: countdown sticker + "selling fast" | Social |
| May 9 | Urgency | Email 5: "Final hours — shipping cutoff is tonight at 11:59 PM" | Email |
| May 9 | Urgency | Retargeting ads to cart abandoners with urgency copy | Ads |
| May 10 | Last minute | Email 6: "Missed the cutoff? Send a digital gift card instantly" | Email |
| May 12 | Post-event | Email 7: "Thank you — here's what you gave this Mother's Day" (recap + UGC) | Email |
| May 14 | Post-event | Turn off ads, archive campaign landing page, record results | All |

---

## Key Messages

**Teaser email subject lines:**
- "Something special is coming for May 11"
- "The moms in your life will thank you"

**Launch email:**
> This Mother's Day, skip the flowers that die in 3 days.
>
> Give her The Pause Box — a curated collection of self-care essentials she'll actually use. Hand-poured candle, loose leaf tea, linen eye mask, and a handwritten note from you.
>
> Three sizes. One guarantee: she'll love it.
>
> [Shop The Pause Collection]

**Urgency email:**
> Orders placed after May 9 at 11:59 PM ET won't arrive by Mother's Day.
>
> 127 boxes shipped this week. The Luxe tier ($120) is down to 14 remaining.
>
> [Order Now — Guaranteed Delivery]

**Last-minute email:**
> Missed the shipping cutoff? We've got you.
>
> Send a digital gift card in 60 seconds. She chooses her own box, and it arrives whenever she wants it. Sometimes the best gift is letting her pick.
>
> [Send a Digital Gift Card — $45 / $75 / $120]

---

## Success Metrics
- Revenue target: $18,000 (250 boxes)
- Email open rate: 35%+ (campaign average)
- Landing page conversion: 4.5%
- Cart abandonment recovery: 12%
- ROAS on paid ads: 4:1 minimum

## Example 2: Black Friday Campaign for an Online Course Creator

**Input:** "I sell online courses and coaching. I want to do a Black Friday sale but I don't want to feel sleazy about it."

**Output:**

# Black Friday Campaign: "Invest in Yourself Friday"

**Campaign Window:** November 17 – December 2 (Black Friday = November 28)
**Theme:** This isn't a doorbuster — it's the one time per year the investment in yourself costs less
**Tagline:** "The best deal this Friday isn't a TV. It's you."

---

## Offer Structure
- **Flagship course** ("Scale to Six"): $497 → $297 (40% off)
- **Course bundle** (Scale to Six + Content Machine): $794 → $397 (50% off)
- **Coaching upgrade:** Add 2 coaching calls to any purchase for $150 (normally $400)
- **No flash sales, no hourly drops** — one clear offer, one clear window

---

## Timeline

| Date | Phase | Action |
|------|-------|--------|
| Nov 3 | Pre-work | Write all email copy (7 emails) |
| Nov 7 | Pre-work | Record 2-minute video explaining the offer and why |
| Nov 10 | Pre-work | Build sale landing page with countdown timer |
| Nov 14 | Pre-work | Schedule all emails, prep social content |
| Nov 17 | Teaser | Email 1: "I do this once a year. Here's why." (story-driven, no offer details) |
| Nov 19 | Teaser | Instagram post: "Something's coming November 28. Save the date." |
| Nov 21 | Teaser | Email 2: "What my students accomplished this year" (results, no pitch) |
| Nov 24 | Early access | Email 3: VIP early access link (subscribers only, 48 hours early) |
| Nov 24 | Early access | SMS to subscribers: "Your early access is live" |
| Nov 28 | Launch | Email 4: "Invest in Yourself Friday is live" — full offer, video embed, CTA |
| Nov 28 | Launch | Instagram: carousel with offer breakdown + student results |
| Nov 28 | Launch | Sale page goes live publicly |
| Nov 29 | Social proof | Email 5: "73 people enrolled yesterday — here's what they said" |
| Nov 30 | Urgency | Email 6: "48 hours left — then the price goes back up" |
| Dec 1 | Final push | Email 7: "Last call — midnight tonight" |
| Dec 1 | Final push | Instagram Stories: countdown, DM "DEAL" for direct link |
| Dec 2 | Close | Sale page converts to waitlist. Price returns to full. |
| Dec 3 | Post-event | Email 8: "Thank you — welcome to the community" (to buyers only) |

---

## Key Messages

**Teaser email (Nov 17):**
> I don't do sales. You know this about me.
>
> But once a year, I drop the price on my programs because I remember what it felt like to want to invest in myself and hesitate because of the cost.
>
> November 28. That's all I'll say for now.

**Launch email (Nov 28):**
> Today only happens once a year.
>
> "Scale to Six" is $297 (normally $497). The full bundle with "Content Machine" is $397 (normally $794). And if you want 1:1 coaching, you can add 2 calls for $150 instead of the usual $400.
>
> I'm not going to manufacture urgency. The sale ends December 1 at midnight. The price goes back up. That's it.
>
> 412 students have taken this course. Their average revenue increase in 90 days is $14,200. I'd love for you to be next.
>
> [Enroll Now — $297]

---

## Success Metrics
- Revenue target: $30,000 (100 enrollments across tiers)
- Email open rate: 40%+ for launch email
- Landing page conversion: 8%
- VIP early access conversion: 15%
- Refund rate: under 3%

## Recovery and Fallback

- If the user does not know their seasonal moment, suggest the next upcoming holiday within 6-8 weeks and plan for that
- If the user has no email list, focus the campaign on organic social + one paid ad funnel to a landing page
- If the user cannot offer discounts, position the campaign around exclusive bundles, bonus content, or limited-edition items instead
- If the timeline is too tight (less than 2 weeks), cut the teaser phase and go straight to launch + urgency
- After 3 failed attempts to define the offer, stop and say: "Let's start with your bestselling product and a simple percentage discount. We can get creative on the next campaign."

## Constraints

- **NEVER** include specific dates that will become outdated — use relative timing (e.g., "6 weeks before the holiday")
- **NEVER** plan more than 8 emails in a single campaign — audience fatigue kills conversion
- Every campaign must include a post-event phase — the sale ending is not the end
- Urgency must be REAL — actual shipping cutoffs, actual inventory limits, actual price increases
- Always include a "missed the deadline" fallback (gift cards, digital delivery, waitlist)
- Minimum campaign structure: teaser (2 touchpoints), launch (2), urgency (2), post-event (1)
- All timelines must work backward from the buying moment, not forward from today