1. “New Year – New Version” product bundles
The “New Year, New You” campaign consistently gains strong traction at the beginning of the year. Brands can combine their core offerings into limited-time promotional bundles, aligned with specific objectives such as conversions, consultation sign-ups, or add-to-cart actions. In addition, running flash sales on New Year’s Eve or the first days of the year—paired with countdown timers—helps amplify urgency and significantly boost conversion rates.
These value-driven promotions not only stimulate purchasing behavior but also foster emotional connection—helping customers feel that they are investing in a better start for the new year.
2. Launch subscription or membership packages
The start of the year is an ideal moment to introduce subscription services or membership programs, especially for customers seeking stability after a busy holiday season.
Registrations can be accelerated through incentives such as early access, member-only privileges, or long-term discounts. This strategy not only drives new membership acquisition but also serves as a foundation for building long-term customer relationships while increasing customer lifetime value (CLV).
3. Loyalty and VIP customer promotions
The New Year is the perfect time to reward loyal customers. Common approaches include:
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Exclusive offers for VIP customers when visiting landing pages or physical locations during Tet
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Early access to new product launches
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Limited-edition gifts for loyal customer segments
Recognizing and personalizing experiences for existing customers helps strengthen emotional engagement and reinforce long-term brand trust.
4. Limited-edition new year products or services
Limited-edition New Year offerings are one of the most effective ways to activate FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), driving engagement and boosting sales. To maximize campaign performance, brands should clearly highlight three strategic elements:
- What makes this edition different: Emphasize its uniqueness and New Year theme, such as zodiac symbolism, cultural highlights, or exclusive designs available only during the festive season.
- Value aligned with customers’ New Year goals: Position the product as part of a personal commitment to new beginnings, resolutions, or as a meaningful New Year gift—so it is not only “beautiful” but also emotionally significant.
- Time or quantity scarcity: Clear messaging around limited availability or sales windows encourages faster decision-making to avoid “missing out.”
Real-world case study 2024: During Tet 2024, Coca-Cola Vietnam launched a limited-edition packaging series featuring golden dragon motifs, blending traditional Tet symbolism with the message “Together Makes Tet Magical.” The campaign successfully connected consumers’ emotions with cultural values and the optimism of a fresh start. These packages were distributed exclusively during Tet, creating a strong sense of exclusivity and collectibility among customers (Source: Vietnamnews).
5. Social media challenges aligned with New Year goals
Social media challenges are a powerful tool to position brands as part of customers’ personal transformation journeys at the start of the year. When designed around the desire for a “fresh start,” challenges activate positive motivation, encourage user-generated content (UGC), increase brand awareness, and drive organic reach through compelling branded hashtags.
To maximize effectiveness, brands should:
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Define a clear objective – Is the challenge aimed at habit change, performance improvement, or personal storytelling?
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Connect with New Year psychology – Stories about “starting over” or “breaking limits” tend to resonate more strongly.
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Encourage sharing via branded hashtags – Short, memorable hashtags tied to the challenge goal help amplify reach.
Real-world case study 2024: A standout example in Vietnam is Red Bull’s “Húc tới đi” campaign in 2024. Beyond delivering an energetic New Year message, the brand activated a social media challenge encouraging users to create content using CapCut templates inspired by the campaign spirit. The challenge attracted thousands of participants creating and sharing videos across social platforms, significantly amplifying brand visibility within the online community.
6. Behavior-based personalized email and SMS campaigns
The beginning of the year is an ideal time to reconnect with customers through personalized messaging. Brands should:
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Segment customers based on previous-year behavior
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Recommend products aligned with individual New Year goals
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Personalize content using purchase history and engagement data
This approach helps improve open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and overall conversion performance.
7. New Year mini games and lucky draws to drive traffic & capture leads quickly
At the start of the year, consumers are highly receptive to “good luck” activities, making them more willing to participate in lucky draws and reward-based interactions. Brands can leverage this mindset by launching New Year mini games as a fast and effective tool for driving traffic and collecting customer data.
Popular formats include:
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New Year lucky spin wheels
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Online lucky money draws
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Fortune predictions or lucky number selections
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Simple quizzes to unlock promotions
Mini games should be hosted on dedicated landing pages, integrated with lead capture forms, tracking pixels, and clear pathways to core promotions. Beyond engagement, this approach enables brands to rapidly grow their New Year lead pool, create a fun and accessible touchpoint, and nurture remarketing audiences for future marketing campaigns.
8. “New Year Good Fortune” referral programs
The New Year is a time when customers are more inclined to share positive experiences with friends and family—making it an ideal psychological foundation for launching referral reward programs.
Effective implementation strategies include:
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Existing customers invite new users via referral links or codes, allowing both parties to receive rewards
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Tiered incentives, where more referrals unlock higher-value rewards
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Short campaign duration tied specifically to the New Year “good fortune” period
This model is especially suitable for education, services, fintech, ecommerce, SaaS, real estate, fitness, and more. Referral campaigns help brands acquire new customers at lower cost by leveraging social trust and word-of-mouth, rather than relying solely on paid advertising.
How to execute effective New Year marketing campaigns
#1. Plan early and test strategies: Early preparation enables brands to stay proactive with content, channels, and timing. A/B testing emails, landing pages, and social posts helps identify the most effective approaches.
#2. Align campaigns with customer goals and resolutions: Messages centered on self-improvement, health, finance, and performance consistently resonate strongly at the beginning of the year.
#3. Optimize mobile and omnichannel experiences: Ensure seamless journeys across websites, social media, email, and SMS to maximize conversion opportunities.
#4. Combine Pixel tracking with retargeting ads for landing pages: Ensure customers can revisit landing pages through multiple touchpoints, with behavior-based personalized messaging—while avoiding ad fatigue caused by overexposure.
#5. Monitor performance and optimize quickly: Continuously track CTR, conversions, and engagement metrics to make timely adjustments.
Currently, SmartAds provides a Tracking Code (Pixel) feature that enables brands to collect visitor data from landing pages across multiple marketing campaigns. When the SmartAds Pixel is embedded in the tag of a website or landing page, all campaign-driven user behavior is recorded and stored. This data becomes the core input for retargeting advertising, allowing brands to re-engage high-intent audiences effectively. Create a SmartAds account to experience this feature here.
