Q1 seasonal playbook
January reset marketing
Six plays on one page, in order. Pick one January job, then turn December buyers, gift recipients, and Veganuary first-timers into second orders at public price. Friday 1 January 2027 is the reset day.
One page to print or save as PDF. Fields for every play on this hub.
Pick your industry
Key for
Pick one January job
Veganuary acquisition, a wellness program start, or gift-card redemption. One job only.
Friday 1 January 2027 is the reset day. After New Year's Eve marketing and Christmas marketing, January is for second orders, not a second Black Friday. Pick one job and publish proof at public price.
The play
- Name one January job: Veganuary acquisition, a wellness program start, or gift-card redemption. Not all three in one hero.
- Publish one proof URL with dates, eligibility, and public price on crawlable HTML.
- Mirror the same terms in support macros and redemption flows.
- Dining: Veganuary starter menu at public price, or gift-card redemption steered to weekday covers. Product and DTC: starter bundle at the sum of public prices. Fashion: no January sale; run a care or repair month instead. Startups: carry the Q1 sentence from End-of-year marketing into January proof.
- Travel: publish 2027 dated departures with public prices for planners browsing in January.
Example
A vegan restaurant chooses gift-card redemption steered to Tuesday through Thursday covers and posts expiry terms on the card PDP. A DTC brand runs one Veganuary starter bundle at the sum of PDP prices with recipe proof on the page. A fashion brand launches a care and repair month page with public workshop dates instead of a January markdown.
What good looks like
- One job named in the weekly standup, not three equal heroes.
- Proof URL is linkable from email and onsite without a code.
- Terms match checkout and support on the first call.
One January job named and published. If acquisition is the job, run a Veganuary starter for first-timers next.
Write your one January job in a single line before any January creative ships.
One page to print or save as PDF. Fields for every play on this hub.
Key for
Veganuary for first-timers
A beginner starter offer at public price with menu or recipe proof. Check brand-use terms before using the Veganuary name or logo in ads.
Veganuary brings curious first-timers. Serve them with a named starter at public price and proof they can read before they book or buy. Do not invent Veganuary participation stats or imply a partnership you do not have.
The play
- Publish one beginner starter at public price: starter menu, bundle, or entry session.
- Add menu, recipe, or ingredient proof on crawlable HTML, not a vague lifestyle post.
- Check Veganuary brand-use terms before using its name or logo in paid or organic ads.
- Do not use honey or other non-vegan ingredients in vegan example dishes or copy.
- Product and DTC: bundle at the sum of public prices, not a hidden discount code.
Example
A restaurant lists three starter plates with allergen notes and a link to the full menu. A plant-based pantry brand sells a starter kit with recipes on the PDP. A studio sells a first-timer class pack with the schedule named and no outcome promises.
What good looks like
- Starter price matches checkout without a code.
- Ad and email copy avoids invented Veganuary facts.
- Proof URL is the same link support sends.
Veganuary starter live and claim-safe. Steer gift-card redemption into a second visit next.
Open your starter offer page and confirm recipe or menu proof is in HTML.
Key for
Redeem gift cards into a second visit
Redemption prompts with expiry terms stated plainly. Rules vary by market.
December stored value is useless if recipients forget it exists. January is the month to prompt redemption with plain expiry language. Laws on expiry and breakage vary by market; quote your terms, not a generic template.
The play
- Send one redemption prompt to unused balances with expiry date, balance check path, and eligible use.
- Steer dates you want: weekday covers, off-peak nights, or program start dates from Play 1.
- Separate gift-card URL from event pages so assistants do not mash stored value with dated SKUs.
- Hospitality: voucher redemption steered to off-peak nights with named inclusions.
Example
A restaurant emails card holders with a link to book Tuesday through Thursday tables at menu price. A hotel prompts voucher holders to book January midweek stays with inclusions listed on the package page. A wellness brand routes voucher redemption into named program places with start dates on HTML.
What good looks like
- Expiry terms visible before the guest clicks book.
- Redemption path works on mobile without a phone call.
- Support macros match the email line for balance and dates.
Redemption prompt sent with plain terms. If wellness is your job, keep program copy free of outcome claims next.
Draft the redemption email with expiry language support can quote verbatim.
Key for
New Year wellness without outcome claims
No detox or weight-loss promises. Describe the program, not the result.
January wellness traffic is sensitive to overclaim. Name start dates and what happens in the room or on the mat. Do not promise detox, weight loss, or before-and-after outcomes.
The play
- Publish named January program start dates with schedule, duration, and public price.
- Describe sessions, meals, or classes included, not results guests will feel.
- Remove banned lines: detox, cleanse, weight loss, and similar outcome language from site, email, and ads.
- Wellness: gift-voucher redemption into program places with the same plain terms as Play 3.
Example
A retreat lists January and February start dates with daily schedule bullets and no transformation adjectives. A gym sells a named January class pack with the calendar in HTML. A spa describes appointment lengths and products used without health outcome claims.
What good looks like
- Program page is crawlable with dates and price.
- Email subject lines avoid banned wellness hype.
- Staff brief matches the public schedule description.
Program copy scoped to delivery, not outcomes. Win back December one-time buyers at public price next.
Read January program copy aloud and delete any line that promises a body outcome.
One page to print or save as PDF. Fields for every play on this hub.
Key for
Win back December's one-time buyers
Gift buyers and recipients reorder at public price, with no code.
December created one-time buyers and gift recipients. January is when you invite them back at public price before they forget you. No panic code required.
The play
- Segment December one-time buyers: gift purchasers, recipients, and single-order guests.
- Send one reorder path per segment at public price using the gift-recipient and gift-buyer patterns.
- Follow the win-back campaign pattern without inventing urgency stats.
- Product and DTC: gift-recipient reorder flow at public price. Fashion: turn gift returns into exchanges for keepers. Travel: convert NYE waitlists into named spring departures with frozen-rate terms stated plainly.
Example
A skincare brand emails gift recipients a QR to the full-size PDP at list price. A restaurant invites December party guests to book January tables at menu price. A tour operator emails NYE waitlist signups with two named spring departure URLs and public prices.
What good looks like
- Recipient and buyer emails use different links and copy.
- Reorder price matches PDP or menu without a hidden code.
- Win-back send logged with segment size, not invented open-rate goals.
Win-back paths live at public price. Close January with one quiet rhythm that loops back to End-of-year marketing next.
List the December segment you will email for reorder and confirm the link has no code.
A quiet-month rhythm
One format and one Monday number, looping back to the End-of-year marketing plays.
January is quieter than December. That is a feature. Run one repeatable format and one number every Monday so the team does not invent a new initiative each week.
The play
- Pick one format: house email, onsite prompt, founder post, or ops huddle notes.
- Pick one Monday number: covers, orders, bookings, waitlist signups, or stuck pipeline count.
- Report yes or no: did last week move the number, without a deck of vanity metrics.
- Loop back to End-of-year marketing for the 90-day sentence, kill list, and Monday checks that outlive January.
- Startups: use January proof in one slide for next year retail range reviews, not a new manifesto.
Example
A restaurant reports Tuesday through Thursday covers every Monday in Slack. A DTC brand sends one post-purchase tip email all month and tracks reorder clicks. A founder reruns the End-of-year Monday yes-or-no on pipeline alongside January win-back sends.
What good looks like
- One format on the calendar, not five experiments.
- Monday number visible to the team without a spreadsheet hunt.
- Link to End-of-year plays bookmarked for February planning.
Quiet-month rhythm set. Keep January proof claim-safe, and reopen End-of-year marketing when you need the wider Q1 plan.
Pick your one Monday number and put it on the calendar invite for January standups.
Your niche
One or two angles per vertical. Each line names the play it changes.
Dining
Product and DTC
Wellness
Hospitality
Travel
Fashion
Startups
January trying to do every channel at once?
We help you pick one January job with public proof and terms your team can repeat without a scatter of promos.
Want January scoped to your niche?
Book a call with fisagency to pick one January job, one redemption path, and a quiet-month rhythm you can defend under EmpCo.