How Express Built Its Holiday Campaign on What Actually Worked Last Spring
The clothing retailer's CMO reveals why doubling down on organic social engagement, not chasing trends, drove bigger brand metrics this season.
The 5-second version
- Express's spring campaign generated organic social engagement that CMO Joe Berean used as the blueprint for the holiday push.
- The retailer didn't start from scratch; it extended what customers were already doing and talking about into a larger seasonal campaign.
- Brands win by measuring what resonates on social, then building the next campaign around those signals instead of guessing.
Express's CMO Joe Berean didn't start from scratch when building the retailer's holiday campaign. He looked back at what the brand had done in spring, specifically, which posts and messages generated organic social engagement without paid promotion, and made that the foundation of 'Holiday, Hamlin Style.'
The strategy reflects a shift in how mature retail brands think about seasonal campaigns. Rather than reinvent the wheel every quarter or chase whatever trend is buzzing on social, Express extended what customers were already talking about and engaging with into a larger, seasonal play.
Why Organic Engagement Matters More Than You Think
Organic social engagement, the comments, shares, and saves that happen without paid promotion, is the clearest signal of what your audience actually cares about. When Express reviewed its spring results, those signals showed the brand what tone, format, and message moved customers to act. That's gold for campaign planning.
Most businesses chase the latest platform trend or follow a content calendar written months in advance without checking what's actually landing. Express did the opposite: it measured what worked, then doubled down on it.
The Metric Gains That Follow
Express saw measurable brand metric gains from the spring campaign, and the holiday campaign was designed to build on that momentum. By staying consistent with what worked, rather than pivoting to something new, the retailer reinforced the message and kept customers in a familiar conversation.
For retail and commerce businesses, this is a template: measure organic response to your social content, identify patterns, then use those patterns as the backbone of your next campaign. You don't need to be Express to do it. You need analytics, discipline, and willingness to let data override gut feeling.
Questions owners ask
How did Express know the holiday campaign would work if it was based on a spring campaign?
Express looked at actual organic engagement metrics from the spring campaign, what customers shared, commented on, and responded to without paid promotion, and treated those signals as proof of what resonates with their audience. They then applied those same principles and tone to a new holiday angle.
Do I need a big spring campaign to run a successful holiday campaign?
Not necessarily, but you do need to track what your audience engages with organically year-round. Any recent social content that generated real engagement, comments, shares, saves, is a signal you can build on for your next campaign.
What brand metrics improved for Express?
The article cites that Express saw metric gains from its spring campaign and built on those gains with the holiday campaign, but specific metrics aren't detailed. The takeaway is that organic social engagement is a leading indicator for broader brand performance.
Should I ignore paid social if organic is working?
No, organic engagement tells you what message resonates. Once you know what works, you can amplify it with paid reach. The lesson is to let organic performance inform what you pay to scale, rather than guessing at what to promote.
