Festive doesn’t have to mean full-on red and green: How to stay on-brand at Christmas

Every year, as December rolls around, I see small businesses switch up their colours, fonts and tone for Christmas and suddenly their brand feels completely unrecognisable.

It’s an easy trap to fall into. Between the seasonal pressure, the endless red-and-green templates on social media, and the constant “make it festive!” energy, businesses can end up posting content that looks nothing like the brand they’ve spent all year building.

But here’s the good news: Festive doesn’t mean abandoning your identity.

You don’t need snowflake fonts, neon red buttons, or a total colour-palette overhaul to show up for the season. In fact, the most professional thing you can do for your brand in December is to stay consistent and layer subtle festive touches on top of what you already have.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Add warmth through texture or photography

A festive feel doesn’t need to be loud.

Try adding:

• soft grain or film texture

• cosy candlelight

• warm lighting

• natural materials like wood or greenery

• subtle bokeh or blurred fairy lights

These elements add instant atmosphere without dragging your brand into generic Christmas template territory.

2. Bring in one complementary accent colour

Instead of defaulting to bright red and green, choose one seasonal shade that enhances your palette, not competes with it.

For example:

• a deeper, richer version of one of your existing brand colours

• a muted pine green

• a warm gold

• a wintery navy

• a subtle cranberry tone

  
  

The goal is harmony, not reinvention.

3. Keep your usual tone of voice

You don’t need to suddenly sound like Santa to be festive.

Stay true to how your brand communicates all year round. If your tone is friendly, keep it friendly. If it’s calm and expert, stay that way.

Just add a little nod to the season:

• a touch of warmth

• a sense of togetherness

• a hint of sparkle, but still you

  
  

Consistency in tone builds far more trust than a once-a-year voice switch.

4. Use your brand fonts (with small festive details)

This is a big one.

Switching to novelty Christmas typography instantly disconnects your brand from who you are the other eleven months of the year.

Stick to your usual fonts.

If you want a hint of personality, add:

• a handwritten note

• a doodle

• extra spacing

• a soft underline

• a tiny festive symbol in your brand colours

Small accents go a long way and they keep your brand looking polished.

The simplest rule: Stay recognisable

Festive doesn’t mean losing your identity.

In fact, the strongest brands make their Christmas content feel like an effortless extension of who they already are.

• Same palette

• Same tone

• Same fonts

• Same style

Just softened, warmed or sprinkled with seasonal touches.

Your audience should still recognise your brand immediately, even in December.

Final thought

You can absolutely celebrate the season and stay on-brand.

Your festive content can be thoughtful, warm and recognisable without feeling like you’ve jumped into a generic template library.

A little intention goes a long way.

If you’d like help creating festive content that fits your brand (or building a brand that works effortlessly across every season), I’d love to chat.