With 80 hours of original programming, including 24 holiday films this year, Hallmark has become a major force in Christmas entertainment.
With a Hallmark Christmas Cruise and Hallmark Christmas Experience festival in Kansas City, the brand has now branched out into the experiences sector.
Significant increases in viewership are driven by holiday content: Hallmark leverages its cozy, feel-good appeal to command 1.2% of linear TV and streaming in November, up from 1% in October.
Hallmark’s Super Bowl is the holiday season.
From mid-October to Christmas, Hallmark offers 80 hours of original holiday-themed programming this year alone. This includes 24 movies with titles like “Christmas at the Catnip Cafe” and “The Snow Must Go On,” two unscripted series, two scripted series, and a holiday special.
With a Hallmark Christmas Cruise and the Hallmark Christmas Experience festival in Kansas City, Missouri, where it is headquartered, the company has now expanded into the experiences sector.
In reference to Hallmark’s business experiences, Anjali Bal, an associate professor of marketing at Babson College, stated, “I think that’s one of the most brilliant business decisions they’ve made, and they’re expanding there because they have to.” “It enables a direct relationship between the customer and the brand that a film cannot.”
Although it may appear to be a significant departure from Hallmark’s beginnings as a greeting card firm, officials claim that the festive sentiments created by the brand’s cards, ornaments, and gift wrapping influence the kind of material they create.
Additionally, the abundance of content has made Hallmark a Christmas powerhouse, enabling rivals like Lifetime and Netflix to create holiday romantic comedies that are similar to Hallmark films.
Hallmark’s chief brand officer, Darren Abbott, is unconcerned.
“Everyone else is attempting to do this for a reason, and that is because customers are seeking this,” he stated.
He stated that enjoying holidays and Christmas is the foundation of Hallmark’s tradition, “and no other business or brand has that.”
Countdown to Christmas
Hallmark was established in 1910 by an 18-year-old businessman who sold postcards. Over time, the company expanded its brand to include retail locations, Christmas ornaments, and cards.
In 1951, the family-run company entered the entertainment industry with the Hallmark Hall of Fame television show. In addition to a subscription streaming service, Studio City-based Hallmark Media currently runs three cable networks, including the Hallmark Channel, which made its debut in 2001.
In 2009, Hallmark doubled down on the season by launching “Countdown to Christmas,” a 24-hour-a-day programming block devoted exclusively to holiday content, a tradition that has persisted for 16 years, even though the business has been airing holiday movies nearly since the beginning of its cable channel.
Each year, Hallmark creates over 100 films, both holiday and non-holiday.
Although executives admit that the holiday season is a major source of entertainment revenue, Hallmark, a privately held corporation, does not reveal its financial information.
According to observers, Hallmark is diversifying its company beyond cards and retail goods by entering the entertainment industry, which will help it remain relevant across generations.
According to marketing expert Bal, “their television stations and experiences business allows them to stay true to their origin while staying culturally relevant.”
Audiences are growing more and more interested in Hallmark’s light, romantic cuisine and holiday programming.
According to Nielsen’s U.S. television data, holiday features—both new and classic films—usually account for more than a third of all movie viewing time in December. Although it reached 42% in December 2021, that figure has been largely stable over the past three years.
The months preceding the holidays also see an increase in Hallmark’s television viewership. According to Nielsen data, Hallmark held 1% of all linear TV and streaming viewers in October, and that number increased slightly to 1.2% in November. A&E, the company that owns Lifetime, was steady at 0.9% throughout that same period.
Feel-good films from Hallmark usually appeal to viewers across. They always have happy endings (and at least one kiss), when family strife, financial hardships, and romantic misunderstandings are all overcome. The actors and storylines of the films are becoming more diverse after years of criticism, but experts say there is still opportunity for improvement.
Kit Hughes, an associate professor of film and media studies at Colorado State University, who viewed every single Hallmark movie released in 2022 for study on how small business owners are portrayed, said, “These films are designed to be highly appealing to broad audiences.” “The consensus films are good.”
Hallmark has increasingly resorted to commercial collaborations, such as those with the NFL, in order to expand its audience and the kinds of stories it delivers.
This year, the studio created a film about Buffalo Bills supporters, following last year’s film about a romance involving the Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, Hallmark and Walt Disney Co. have partnered to broadcast a Christmas film at Walt Disney World in 2019. Abbott refers to Lacey Chabert, who plays the lead in the movie, as Hallmark’s “Queen of Christmas.”
Meeting Hallmark stars on cruise ships
Although Hallmark’s entry into the cruise industry may seem strange, it is part of a long-standing trend for entertainment organizations to create real-world encounters with their customers, whether it be on a stage, in a theme park, or on a ship. Disney runs its own fleet of cruise ships that showcase the company’s iconic characters as part of its enormous tourist industry.
Last year, Norwegian Cruise Lines hosted Hallmark’s first “Hallmark Christmas Cruise.” Even before a planned TV marketing effort, the first Miami to Bahamas cruise sold out. According to Abbott, Hallmark had to add a second cruise after accumulating a 70,000-person wait list.
In order to meet demand, Hallmark had to reserve a larger ship for this year’s trip, which took place from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico. Attendees engaged in a variety of Christmas activities during the November cruise, including cookie decorating and ornament-making classes. They also interacted with Hallmark celebrities in a number of on-stage games.
An unscripted Hallmark program centered on the experiences of multiple guests and their interactions with Hallmark actors was even inspired by the cruises.
Although several are not well-known, they have devoted fan bases and have appeared in numerous Hallmark holiday films over the years.
Despite not being a “cruise person,” Abbott boarded the cruise last year and expressed his fascination with the way the celebs interacted with the visitors.
“These experiences sort of hit on that at the right time and the right place, and we’re a bit of a respite from what’s going on in the world right now,” he remarked.
