Spring, summer, winter and fall are more than just seasons, they're opportunities for businesses to thrive.
With each season comes unique holidays, events and activities, which cause consumers to behave differently.
Professionals must pay close attention to this behavior in order to realize what strategies are worth focusing in on; for example, promoting seasonal products that are used during that time of year or promoting a holiday sale because consumers have the day off.
More often than not, if the budget allows, a business will choose to do both, but these are the main options worth weighing. Every season holds a large amount of holiday and weather opportunities. The most beneficial season isn't the same for every business.
While this ultimately depends on the type of business, creative marketers can make every season work, even if it's a small amount. Being that there are numerous opportunities in each season, it's easy for marketers to research and decide on the ones that align best with the business.
While the obvious ones might come to mind right away, there are databases to refer to for the not so obvious ones, such as National Day Calendar. With relevant hashtags and ideas with how to celebrate, you'll be making the most of the holiday or event.
Below are multiple examples of seasonal opportunities that have the power to connect you and your audience if played out correctly.
A list such as this has the ability to become extremely long. Eventually, you should create your own relevant list, but these are some of the main holidays, events and themes to get you thinking.
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Spring
Many view springtime as a fresh start, and so should marketers. It's advised to "spring clean" and refine the marketing strategy every so often, so why not do it in the spring? Get rid of the old tactics that no longer work and bring in some new and innovative ones. After all, there are a great deal of holidays, events and themes that are relevant to this time of year.
Holidays
- Saint Patrick's Day
- Easter
- April Fools' Day
- Earth Day
- Mother's Day
- Cinco de Mayo
- Teacher's Day
- Memorial Day
- Father's Day
Events and Themes
- Spring Weather
- Spring Cleaning
- Spring Sports
- Green Initiatives
- Bright Color Schemes
For spring's holidays, events and themes, implement some of these strategies or use them as inspiration to create your own ideas:
- An Easter Social Media Game: Post a photo of jellybeans in a jar and have followers guess how many jelly beans are in the jar for a chance to win a prize of your choice. Creating engagement through a fun social media game is simple but very beneficial!
- April Fools' Day: Create a prank ad. This is a creative way to get your brand involved in this holiday. For example, Windex created a prank ad claiming they added actual sparkles to the product to make windows literally sparkle. This is just one of the many examples, and your brand should get in on that!
- Teacher's Day: This one seems to be growing, and it definitely should. Offer a free or discounted product to the hard-working teachers on this day. Not only will your brand be showing it cares about individuals that make a difference, it'll be getting into the conversation surrounding Teacher's Day.
Summer
While not as holiday heavy as the spring, the summer holds numerous marketing opportunities. Marketers can give thanks to the weather, and the many things that are top-of-mind when the summertime arrives, such as the sunshine and outdoors. Brands can also use the summer weather in an opposite way for marketing ways to beat the heat. Summer weather is loaded with opportunity.
Another idea is to market outdoors, such as at summer events, because that's where people will be. If available, don't forget to utilize the outside of your storefront. Advertise sales with fun chalk designs on the sidewalk or by setting up a tent outside to display your products or services to those walking by. Last but not least, don't forget to take advantage of those forgotten national days, such as national s'mores day.
Whether you sell products that can help make this summery treat better or you just want to connect with your audience by letting them know about this fun day, you're on the right track. National holidays, such as s'mores day, occur more than you may know. Be on the lookout for them. They're unique and fun to utilize.
Holidays
- Flag Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
Events and Themes
- Summer Weather
- Barbecuing
- Vacations
- School's Out
- Shark Week
For summer's holidays, events and themes, implement some of these strategies or use them as inspiration to create your own ideas:
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- Independence Day: Strategic color grouping with the colors of Independence Day, red, white and blue, can have more impact than you think. The goal is to relate your products or services to the holiday, and this is one of the easiest ones to do. Be sure to take photos and share with social media followers.
- Shark Week: This one may be unexpected, but social media and advertisements prove it's effective. No matter what kind of products or services your brand offers, there is a way to make them relevant to Shark Week. Whether it's incorporating the ocean, a fin, or the whole shark, a creative mind will get it done. For even more exposure, create a hashtag to go along with it.
Fall
While the fall isn't exactly the start of the new year, people tend to treat it that way. This is because the enjoyment of summer is coming to a close, and for those still in their school years, a new school year is beginning. After utilizing the summer for what it's known for, utilize the fall in the same way. The changes in the weather, the color of the leaves and the activities that many take part in during this time of year.
Holidays
- Columbus Day
- Halloween
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving
- Black Friday
- Cyber Monday
Events and Themes
- Back to School
- Fall Activities - Pumpkin Picking, Haunted Houses
- Football
For fall's holidays, events and themes, implement some of these strategies or use them as inspiration to create your own ideas:
- Columbus Day: Since Columbus Day celebrates the discovery of America, use this day to celebrate your brand's discovery. Tell the story of how it began or how a special product of yours was founded.
- Halloween: Host an event. While many people plan on staying home to greet trick-or-treaters, they can afford to get out of the house for a little. Hosting a fun Halloween event with promotions and of course, candy. You can create your own ideas for a party or offer a discount to anyone who comes in wearing a costume.
Winter
We're all familiar with the heavy marketing that comes with the holiday season, but doing so uniquely will help you to stand out. Chances are, these efforts began in the fall. Depending on what your business has to offer, you can use these holidays, events and themes to not only create a new marketing twist but honor the holidays celebrated by your audience.
Along with marketing what your business has to offer, feel free to share what you're doing to celebrate. Post relevant holiday blogs, like this secret santa one, recipe ideas and more. The holiday season is the perfect time to make an effort to form a true connection beyond products and services.
Holidays
- Hanukkah
- Christmas
- New Year's Eve/Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Valentine's Day
- Presidents Day
- Chinese New Year
Events and Themes
- Super Bowl
- Snow
- Staying Warm
- Online Shopping
For winter's holidays, events and themes, implement some of these strategies or use them as inspiration to create your own ideas:
- Valentine's Day: Create a product combination with two that make great valentines. By this, I mean pairing two products together and selling them for a discounted price when they're purchased together. This has the potential to attract customers and makes for a unique marketing idea.
- Super Bowl: The Super Bowl is a part of American culture, but the ads are mighty expensive! If you still want in on Super Bowl marketing, you can use the score to your advantage. Promote the fact that you'll be having a sale depending on how many points the winning team wins by. For example, a five percent discount for every two points. This is just an example, and it's up to your company's capabilities, but it's a way to get involved in the Super Bowl, while keeping it exciting even after it's over.
This isn't just a list of holidays, events and themes that are relevant for each season, it's a list to inspire your marketing strategies. Whether you create season-related content (such as social media posts, blogs, and infographics), create a packaging to celebrate the season or a specific time of the season, host a themed contest, or promote a sale for relevant products and/or services, this list should be in mind.
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Creative minds can come up with endless strategy ideas with just this one list we have here. Mark your calendars because these strategies are time sensitive. Starting too early can cause the campaign to be forgotten about, but starting too late can be just as negative.
Other than the seasonal opportunities, be on the lookout for awareness days as well. As mentioned above, taking a look at a national calendar can help you stay on track of the days. There are specific days that might be a perfect fit for your business, ones that you didn't know even existed. Add them to your list and connect with others celebrating that same day, it's obvious they have a connection with it as well.