Seasonal Competition Ideas for the New Year: How Brands Can Start Strong in 2026

As the Christmas rush fades and the calendar resets, many businesses assume that consumer engagement naturally dips. But for brands using The Competition Platform, January is one of the richest times of year for smart, seasonal competitions. With people setting resolutions, returning to routines, and looking for inspiration, this period offers multiple built-in opportunities to grab attention, grow your audience, and drive conversions.

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From New Year’s Day through to the end of winter, here are the most impactful holidays and seasonal moments — and the competition ideas that can help your brand successfully welcome the new year.

🎉 1. New Year’s Day (1 January)

The whole world wakes up with the mindset of reinvention. It’s the perfect time to position competitions around renewal, motivation and big goals.

Perfect for:

• ‘New Year, New You’ prizes – Bundle products or services into an all-in-one reset package — e.g. fitness gear, planners, beauty boxes, home organisation kits.
• Subscription prizes – Invite users to spend the rest of the year with your brand and, by this time next year, they will be loyal customers.
• Hangover recovery prizes – Help the post-party headaches and inevitable hangxiety with a hangover remedy or wellness bundle that will ease customers into the new year.

🍾 2. Dry January

Just because people put the drinks down and reset their relationship with alcohol, that doesn’t mean food and drinks brands have to miss out

Perfect for:

• Alcohol-free prizes – Encourage better habits and help customers commit to a healthier lifestyle, either with alcohol free cocktails, wines and beers or smoothies, juices and flavoured waters.
• Night-in and treat prizes – Show your customers that a night-in can be just as fun as hitting the bar with a DVD bundle, weighted blanket or candle set for relaxing and resetting.
• Breathalyser gadget prize – Help customers understand their limits and drink responsibly with a breathalyser gadget to alert them of high alcohol consumption.

🥗 3. Veganuary

The 31-day vegan challenge that gives people a taste of plant-based eating – a change that requires one or two new products to help the transition.

Perfect for:

• Meat-free or plant-based prizes – From meatless burgers to plant-based snacks, this is the opportunity to get your ethical food brand seen by those making the change.
• Cutlery and dining ware prizes – Get customers’ tables looking as clean as their diets with a giveaway of a ceramic dinner set or some sparkling glassware.
• Kitchen appliance prizes – All the best vegan recipes need a slow cooker or an air fryer, meals that are crispy, quick and cruelty-free.

🏴 4. Burns Night (25 January)

A cultural date in the UK calendar, famous for haggis, tartan and ceildh – a particularly significant moment for Scottish brands.

Perfect for:

• Burns Night Food or Drinks Prize – Hampers with whisky, oatcakes, Scottish shortbread or haggis-related foodie prizes, bring Burns Night to your customers.
• Poetry Prize – Pay homage to the Scottish poet who brings Burns Night to life every year with a poetry collection giveaway or writing class prize.
• Scottish Escape Prize – Offer a hotel stay in the Highlands, best paired with a traditional Scottish meal all included in the prize value.

❄️ 5. Coldest day of the year (Late January – Early February)

January isn’t just about resolutions — it’s when people look after themselves after weeks of indulging. Wellness content performs extremely well during this period.

Perfect for:

• Winter wellness prize – Vitamins, skincare, teas, gym passes or smart water bottles will all help to not only ensure your body can make it through the winter, but your mind too.
• Heater gadget prizes – This is the peak buying season for electrical heaters, hot water bottles and radiators, stand out with a competition.
• ‘Stay Cosy’ bundle prize – Prizes include blankets, pyjamas, heaters, hot chocolate kits — perfect for comfort-themed brands.

💌 6. Valentine’s Day (14^th February)

Even before February, people are already searching for gifts. A Valentine’s pre-launch competition helps you get customers buying early.

Perfect for:

• Jewellery and chocolate prizes – The most popular presents on Valentine’s Day will make the best competitions with thousands of entries.
• ‘Galentine’s’ prizes – Female-first brands that want to share the love might offer clothes, candles, fragrances or flowers.
• Couples’ date night prizes – Offer restaurant vouchers, cinema tickets, spa days or weekend stays, entrants will be looking for high-quality recommendations for the big day.

🌟 Why Seasonal Competitions Work So Well in January

January is uniquely powerful because:

✔ People want change

Competitions aligned with self-improvement resonate perfectly.

✔ Engagement is higher than you think

With more time indoors, people spend more time on social media.

✔ Audiences are primed for value

After Christmas spending, competitions feel like guilt-free fun.

✔ Brands can tell a seasonal story

From wellness to winter warmth, the opportunities are endless. For brands that want to run a competition with The Competition Platform, this is a golden period to attract new entrants, grow email lists and convert engagement into sales.

The New Year is not a quiet season — it’s primed and ready for creative, emotionally resonant competitions. Whether your brand is focused on lifestyle, wellbeing, fashion, food, travel or home, January offers a holiday or seasonal moment you can build a compelling campaign around.

To get your 2026 marketing starting off with a bang, talk to our dedicated content team via email at content@dmri.co.uk or via phone at 0114 399 0828. It’s now or next year, set up a seasonal competition today.