Peak shopping seasons present a dual challenge and opportunity for brands: a surge in consumer attention alongside a flood of competing messages. To truly stand out and drive measurable growth, marketers must strategically engage their audience across all touchpoints with timely, relevant, and engaging content. This article delves into how strategic full-funnel planning can boost visibility and conversions when it counts most, drawing insights from Tinuiti's award-winning seasonal campaign for Italian coffee brand, illy.

Effective campaigns aren't spontaneous; they are meticulously crafted well in advance. Whether anticipating a new season, a major holiday, or a significant cultural event, brands that plan proactively can execute with precision, ensuring they connect with the right audience precisely when their interest is highest. This foresight is crucial for cutting through the noise and capturing consumer attention during critical retail windows.

The power of precise timing and a comprehensive strategy was vividly demonstrated by Tinuiti, a leading independent full-funnel marketing agency. In late 2024, Tinuiti developed a seasonal strategy for illy, the renowned Italian premium espresso company, which resulted in remarkable growth. Their full-funnel approach leveraged Amazon’s advertising solutions to reach consumers across various digital media channels, from streaming TV and movies to podcasts.

This highly successful campaign led to an impressive 34.9% year-over-year revenue growth for illy, earning Tinuiti and illy the prestigious Amazon Ads Partner Award for Seasonal Strategy. The Amazon Ads Partner Awards recognize agencies and partners who excel at driving advertiser success, particularly those delivering impactful three-phase campaigns during major shopping events like Prime Day, Black Friday, and the broader holiday season. Tinuiti's success with illy offers a valuable blueprint for other brands seeking similar results.

Case Study: illy's Q4 2024 Success

Despite illy's strong brand recognition and ubiquitous presence on grocery store shelves, marked by its signature red logo and sleek silver tins, the company faced challenges at the start of 2024. It held a minimal share in a highly competitive coffee market and experienced declining brand consideration. A strategic shift was clearly needed.

Tinuiti stepped in, identifying crucial gaps in illy's existing marketing efforts. They devised a sophisticated three-phase strategy designed to engage shoppers at every stage of their purchasing journey. Upper-funnel awareness was rebuilt through placements on Streaming TV and Prime Video, while Amazon DSP and Sponsored Ads were utilized for targeted remarketing, effectively converting high-intent audiences.

The campaign delivered significant measurable lift. illy saw a 42.8% increase in new-to-brand orders, a substantial 34.9% revenue jump from Q3 to Q4, and a 28% higher click-through rate on ads that proudly featured the '#1 Best Seller' badge. This surge culminated in illy achieving the #1 Best Seller position on Amazon.com in the ground coffee category for the first time during Q4 2024, a campaign that strategically launched on International Coffee Day (October 1) to build momentum for the holiday shopping peak.

These achievements were further bolstered by an earlier test run in Q2 2024, which recorded a 21% increase in illy's brand consideration. Collectively, these results solidified illy's market position ahead of the critical holiday season and underscored the efficacy of Tinuiti's comprehensive full-funnel seasonal strategy.

Key Takeaways: 4 Tactics for Seasonal Marketing Success

By building a full-funnel strategy with Amazon Ads, Tinuiti successfully captured peak demand, boosted visibility, and drove increased conversion and new-to-brand growth. The result is a blueprint for seasonal success that other brands can follow. Here are four essential lessons from their award-winning campaign:

  1. Maintain an Always-On Media Intelligence Engine: Jordan Lampi, a commerce strategist at Tinuiti who worked on the illy campaign, advises, "Dedicate a portion of your budget to year-round testing across channels. Use these ongoing campaigns to isolate and validate high-impact variables (creative, audiences, bids) to refine and de-risk your critical peak season strategy."
  2. Architect the Full-Funnel Customer Experience: Lampi emphasizes the critical role of each creative element in the customer journey. "Design targeted, stage-specific messaging and creative (awareness, consideration, conversion) that aligns precisely with the customer's buying intent." He also suggests, "Maximize reach and efficiency by rigorously testing diverse ad formats and inventory pools beyond traditional conversion tactics," while regularly monitoring effectiveness.
  3. Establish Data Benchmarks: Karie Casper, a commerce senior strategist at Tinuiti, highlights the importance of setting realistic expectations and timelines. "Benchmarks should rely on historical data to define clear and measurable KPIs. This proactive data-grounding ensures that post-event performance is not just measured but contextualized against clear goals, leading to unambiguous insights and reporting."
  4. Mandate Cross-Functional Strategic Alignment: Joe O'Connor, senior innovation and growth director at Tinuiti, stresses the need for seamless collaboration. "Drive frequent and transparent communication across all contributing teams (Media, Creative, Operations). Ensure crystal-clear alignment on shared objectives, the overarching campaign strategy, and the critical operational handoffs necessary for flawless execution."

Why Peak Season Matters Most

The period from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day represents the most concentrated revenue window in retail. In 2024, this holiday season alone generated an astounding $994.1 billion in retail sales, accounting for nearly 19% of annual revenue compressed into just two months. This statistic underscores the immense importance of effectively engaging audiences with promotional messaging across digital media during retail's peak season.

Brands must plan well in advance to connect with shoppers in this compressed window of intense retail activity. Whether announcing limited-edition rollouts or introducing new festive flavors, engaging with customers across their preferred channels is vital for standing out. By adopting Tinuiti's protocols for year-round testing, architecting full-funnel customer experiences, and implementing data-driven campaigns across digital channels, brands can build their own highly successful seasonal strategies and drive measurable lift when it matters most.

Reference: National Retail Federation | NRF Says Holiday Season Was a Notable Success as 'Consumers Came Out to Spend' | January 16, 2025