Applying Hallmark Christmas Movie Psychology To Your Brand

Depending on what side of Thanksgiving you fall on when it comes to Christmas decorations you may be saying it IS Christmas time or it’s ALMOST Christmas time. But no matter when your heart typically warms with tidings of good cheer, facts are facts and the Hallmark Movie channel has already been playing Christmas movies 24/7 since October.

Personally, I’ve never been much of a Hallmark Christmas movie fan (I’m more of a Four Christmases, or Daddy’s Home 2 kind of girl), but majority of people would disagree with me. In fact, it was reported in 2019 that over 85 million people watched at least one Hallmark Christmas Movie, promoting the Hallmark to be the most watched network for women during the holiday season.

Hallmark pumps out movies like crazy, taking just a couple of weeks to film a movie from beginning to end while most theatrical releases take a couple of years. So, how is it possible to find so much success while putting in a sliver of the amount of time Hollywood does?

The secret is in Hallmark’s proven story formula they use time and time again—predictability.

People LOVE things that are predicable. That’s why Hallmark Christmas movies feel like a cozy hug and cup of hot chocolate on a winter’s day. Our souls find absolute pure comfort in the predictability of knowing the exactly how the movie will end even when we’re only 5 minutes into it. It’s why we can indulge in a nap while we watch these movies without worry that we’ll miss something. They give us a comfortable place to land in times of stress and be our truest selves.

Maybe you’re like me and you’re not a Hallmark Christmas junkie. But how many times have you rewatched every episode of Friends? (My answer? The entire series at least a dozen times.) Or maybe The Office is your jam? The Office racked up 57 BILLION minutes of watch time during its tenure on Netflix, which is almost double the amount of time people spent watching the second ranked show (Grey’s Anatomy.)

The same psychology applies. When the world is chaotic, or we’ve had a hard day, or our minds are swirling with anxiety we turn to things we already know to bring us comfort. Things that are familiar. Things that are safe. Things that are predictable.

Now let me be clear—there is a difference between bring predictable and being boring. Boring means you’re not taking risks, your message is watered down, your business looks just like every other business out there. Being predictable is all about consistency.

Consistency means you reliably show up for your audience looking, sounding, and acting exactly how they thought you would. It means following best practices on your website, making sure the menu is easy to find and they can navigate the your website intuitively. It means making your policies and terms of service crystal clear and easy to find so there are no unexpected surprises.

We know that people purchase from businesses they know, like, and trust and consistency is paramount when it comes building trust. When you show up consistently and predictably for your audience you’re creating little trust deposits in their brains, like marshmallows in a mug of steaming hot cocoa.

So, how exactly do you show up consistently? There are so many ways to inject consistency into your business, but keeping your brand assets easily accessible and following your brand guidelines is the first step. And if consistency is something you struggle with in your business, don’t worry— We’ve got your back! Book a FREE intro call with us and see how we can help you build consistency in your business so you can start building trust with your audience and make more sales.

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