The now-traditional annual battle to decide which brand’s Christmas advert will be top of the tree is well and truly underway.

I shared my thoughts on two of this year’s big campaigns for Little Black Book’s round-up (you can read the full article here).

Some brands focus on the short-term, aiming to hit those end-of-year targets with a one-off execution that might engage, inspire or incentivise, while others continue a long-term strategy to drive affinity and loyalty (which is where the big money is) by inviting customers to be involved in something more.

Both approaches have their merits, and it’s a balancing act found in CRM year-round.

One brand pretty much nailing it with a campaign that’s going all-in on 2024 is Waitrose.

They’ve created a compelling story – split across two adverts to keep their customers wanting more – and paired it with a ‘whodunnit’ data-capture opportunity with a £200 gift card up for grabs. It’ll drive feet through the door this year and help inform later campaigns too.

I think they’ve missed a trick though – there’s no option to sign up for future comms, meaning no chance for Waitrose to turn a short-term win into long-term customer relationships.

And there’s where Boots have got it right.

Their Christmas campaign strategy has been to build up a story across the years, with each TV advert an evolution of the last. And, each year, they’re widening their audience to invite more and more people into their brand.

They pair this inclusive adoption of fairer representation with excellent opportunities to build long-term affinity – a relevant (and very generous) competition that also encourages customers to sign up for future journeys with the brand. Bravo Boots, because after all, customer value is for life, not just for Christmas.