A festive email calendar for Indian D2C brands

When to send what from Navratri to New Year: a simple plan for teasers, launches, offers and last-chance emails that doesn’t wear out your list.

Plan the season, not single emails

Festive months are when your customers are most ready to buy — and when every other brand is in their inbox too. A plan written in advance beats a scramble the week before Diwali.

Diwali, Navratri and Dussehra move each year, so put this year’s dates in your calendar first, then work backwards from each one.

A simple rhythm for each festival

• Three to four weeks before: a story email. Your festive collection, how it was made, what to gift. No discount yet.
• Two weeks before: the gift guide. Collections by person (for her, for him, under a budget) so people can shop quickly.
• The offer: one clear discount with an end date, sent to everyone. Give your best customers early access a day before.
• Last chance: a short reminder on the final day of the offer, to people who haven’t bought yet.
• After the festival: a thank-you to people who bought, and a review request once their order arrives.

Don’t forget delivery dates

The most useful line in a festive email is often “Order by Thursday for delivery before Diwali”. Check with your courier, then say it in the subject or the first line.

Beyond Diwali

The same rhythm works for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Each has a ready-made template in Vikalp Omni in three styles — Editorial, Bold and Minimal.

Keep your list healthy

Sending more often in the festive season is normal, but every email should give a reason to open it: something new, something useful or a real offer. If a week has nothing new, skip it — a smaller number of good emails keeps people opening.

Set it up in Vikalp Omni: Send your first email campaign from a template · Show Shopify products, collections and discount codes in emails

More from the blog

• Abandoned cart messages that bring people back
• Subject lines and preheaders: the two lines that decide the open
• Review request emails: when to ask, and how to get more replies

Questions or ideas for an article? Write to support@vikalpomni.com.