The Power of Gifting in Holiday Marketing The holiday season is built on connection, generosity, and joy - which also happen to be the most powerful drivers of modern marketing. When done right, your holiday campaign shouldn’t just promote products; it should tell stories that make people feel something.
That’s where creator gifting comes in. Instead of focusing solely on discounts or traditional ads, gifting campaigns let you showcase your brand through authentic, relatable moments. Whether it’s an influencer unwrapping your product under twinkling lights or sharing it as the perfect gift for someone they love, these stories create emotional connections that audiences actually remember.
As competition heats up, gifting is your way to stand out from the noise and build campaigns that feel genuine, generous, and human.
Why It’s Strategically Smart Holiday shopping season is crowded. Every brand is running ads, dropping discounts, and sending “last chance” emails. Gifting cuts through that chaos by focusing on storytelling, not shouting.
Here’s why it works:
It creates authentic content. Real people showing real joy builds credibility and emotional resonance.It drives early awareness. Sending gifts early gives creators time to post before the peak season rush.It fuels your marketing library. The content generated from gifting campaigns can be reused across ads, eDMs, and organic socials for months.It humanises your brand. Seeing your products as part of meaningful moments - not just sales - builds stronger long-term loyalty.And if you’re using #gifted, you can run these campaigns easily, connecting with vetted creators who genuinely align with your brand and are ready to share your story.
How to Use Gifting in Your Holiday Campaigns There are three creative approaches to gifting that work beautifully in holiday storytelling - and the best brands weave them together for a robust, multi-angle campaign.
1. Holiday Product Showcase Run a gifting campaign featuring your key holiday products and get the content now.
Tip: Use your Completed Content Gallery to source this content easily and, if you’re on the Pro Plan , use your licensing rights to repurpose it into targeted ad campaigns across different audience segments.
2. Gift Someone You Love This is where gifting really shines. Run a campaign that focuses on creators giving your product as a gift to someone special. A friend, family member, child, or even a pet.
Encourage creators to focus on the experience - the wrapping, the reveal, the emotion - not just the product itself. That’s what resonates.
3. Gift Yourself Not every campaign needs to be about others. The holidays can also be a time for self-reflection and self-care.
Best Practice: Run All Three The smartest brands layer their messaging. By combining these three approaches - product, giving, and self-gifting - you create a well-rounded campaign that tells a story.
The result? A marketing narrative that captures everyone in your target audience - the gifters, the receivers, and the self-care shoppers in between.
Other Strategic Touchpoints To get the most out of your holiday gifting campaign:
Start early. Send gifts in October or early November so content is ready to roll when peak shopping hits.Plan your content flow. Use early creator posts as teasers, then amplify top-performing content through ads as the season progresses.Repurpose everything. Don’t let great UGC disappear after one post - turn it into carousels, reels, or testimonials across your channels.Lean into emotion. Holidays are about connection - highlight warmth, laughter, and gratitude over product specs or price.Wrapping It Up Holiday marketing is about more than just selling - it’s about storytelling. Creator gifting gives you the chance to show your products in their most powerful form: being loved, shared, and enjoyed.
With #gifted, running these campaigns is easy. You’ll connect with creators who genuinely align with your brand, gather content that converts, and build a story your audience wants to be part of.
Start gifting early, start gifting smart -and make this holiday season your most meaningful one yet.
