Articles: holidays

Festive materials share one awkward feature: they are all needed at the same moment. Cards, small gifts and signage for the company party tend to land on one person, exactly when the year is at its busiest. These articles look at the season from the planning side.

The end of the year in stages

It goes most calmly when the work is split into steps, starting with the list of recipients. Then the format - a card, a gift or both - and only then the wording and the posting. December is the busiest month for the post, so it pays to have everything ready earlier than feels necessary. It also helps to agree up front who gathers the addresses and who approves the wording, because that is where plans usually stall.

• List and split - clients, partners and staff each need a different tone.
• One theme - a single idea running through the card, the packaging and the party signage.
• A discreet logo - a card is a greeting first; the company mark only needs to appear once.
• Something with the gift - a disc of carols or quiet music with a sleeve in your own colours.
• A few spares - ordering slightly more cards beats hunting for them at the last minute.

More than December

A company calendar does not end with Christmas. Easter is a good moment to get in touch when inboxes are calmer, and a spring card allows far more freedom with colour than a winter one. The same way of working suits both occasions. Whatever the date, one printed piece sent in good time does more than three sent in a hurry.

If you are still shaping a plan, start by listing everything that has to leave the office before the holidays. The list is usually shorter than it felt, and part of it can be prepared straight away.