Unwrapping Holiday Branding: A Case Study in Meg Thee Stallion v Mariah Carey's Seasonal Success

Ho, ho, ho hotties. 

It’s the holidays and when it comes to seasonal marketing, we’ve got two boss ladies of branding vying for the top spot. In one corner, Queen Christmas herself, Mariah Carey has been single-handedly carrying the December holiday on her back for the last three decades (guess that’s why her feet hurt). The challenger, newcomer Meg the Stallion, is creeping up on the spooky season with Halloween-themed campaigns that hit hard. 

So when it comes to holiday campaigns, which queen reigns supreme? And what lessons can digital marketing pros take away from the festivities?

Round 1: Fine Tune Your Festive “Alter Ego” 

Mariah Carey was once at the top of pop, but as the years go by, she’s leaned into the success of her Christmas hit and simplified her brand and her strategy. She’s perfected the art of “niche down”. Most marketers take this directive as an invitation to target a specific audience but Mariah is proof that your outreach doesn't have to put an identity at heart. You can lean into events, holidays, or even products that fit your brand. 

Meg’s love of Halloween has become an annual event, and as a short-time initiative has become one (very intentional) part of the larger brand. She’s taken her previous success and found an opportunity to fine-tune her holiday identity. “Hottieween “has become something her fans look forward to every October. Every year, she leans more into the campaign, combining things that have proven successful in the past (the pumpkin head gets us every time) with new events and elements that up the ante year after year. 

TLDR: Create a strategy that puts your brand at the center of the content, but that boosts your authentic love of seasonal events. Your branding should feel like a visual holiday vibe check for your audience.

Round 2: Tease the Season with a Countdown Campaign

Holiday marketing revolves around a specific date, so countdowns to generate anticipation work really well. Mariah works her way up to Christmas every year, teasing her signature jingle in different mediums and on social media to let us know she’s ramping up the rollout. Last year she emphasized the transition from Hallow’s Eve to Christmas season with defrost visuals, a unique spin on the season, and the countdown campaign. She’s used clocks as a catalyst several times and has made her annual appearance on our feed a certified cultural moment. 

Admittedly, the whistle-tone wonder takes this round as Meg doesn’t do much build-up to October. Her 30-day campaign strategy is airtight. She enters October with a big-headed bang on the first of the month and goes hard until the hotties get home safe on Oct 31, leaving space for Mariah’s magic to take center stage. 

TLDR: Build a countdown campaign to get the people going. Everyone knows what it means, and it’s provocative.

Round 3:  Killem’ with Collabs 🎉

Holidays are all about community so it's the best time of the year to team up with like-minded brands, creators, or influencers. Everyone loves a good theme, so a fun-filled holiday collab can give your audience something fresh to engage with while crossposting content can help expand your reach. This year, Queen Carey rolled out a line of Christmas-themed merch with Amazon, that includes ornaments, tree skirts, and snowglobes. Additionally, her transitional season social media post had a conspicuous Kay jeweler placement, teasing things to come. She’s also appeared appropriately iced out in recent interviews, so both her and Kay’s bright new line of bling are getting some shine, off a single track that’s turning 30 this year. 

Meg is still a rookie in this department, at least when it comes to holiday campaigns specifically. As a fresh face on the scene, she hasn’t built the rapport for her Halloweentime themes to the point of a brand partnership, but we’re sure she’s not far. Instead, she uses the seasonal momentum to promote other initiatives that deserve some dedicated attention. This year, October was notably busy for the rap queen, with albums, concerts, and music videos dropping in like candy in a bucket. 

TLDR: Collab, collab, collab. From Christmastime to Halloween, every queen loves a theme. 

Winner: Mariah Carey Takes the Crown for Holiday Branding

Mariah and Meg both show us that the holidays are about creating signature content that keeps fans coming back. Pick a holiday that makes sense for your vibe and your tribe, so that you can make every holiday season memorable.

Happy Holidays Queen!
The Team at TCQ