Last September, we shared three unique marketing ideas and a “Making Last-Minute Promotions Work” blog. You read and shared them, and told us you liked the inspiration, so we decided to give you three new seasonal marketing tips.
1. Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day, September 19, 2013 — Avast, ye mateys! What an interesting international holiday to celebrate with a sales event! If you’re like many businesses, Labor Day weekend may have been a good sales period for you, but that doesn’t mean the rest of September has to be a bust. Invite customers to your store or website and communicate all of your promotions, offers and marketing messages in Pirate speak. Buy eye patches for store staff, or even rent a talking parrot for the day. We’re planning for ye old “TLAPD” on the 123Print Facebook page. Make sure to keep an eye (the one without the patch) on our updates fer ye chance to save some doubloons on future marketing promotions.
2. Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October — Incorporating a promotion based on a charity should be done with sincerity. If there’s a cause you believe in or that fits with the values of your company or organization, encourage others to support it by making it part of your marketing plan. The NFL does a great job of promoting Breast Cancer Awareness and so can you. Sponsor a team that’s raising money for cancer at a charity walk. Accept donations at your store or on your website. Donate a portion of your profits for the month. And show your solidarity by wearing pink and/or adding pink to your website. The charity and your customers will appreciate your efforts, and it will say a lot about your brand.
3. National Sandwich Day, November 3, 2013 — Help your customers ease into the feeding frenzy that can be the holidays with a National Sandwich Day event. Perhaps you could coordinate your efforts with a local sandwich shop and cross-promote each other’s activates. At the least, offer a local shop recognition in your marketing pieces and they may give you discounted sandwiches for an open house or coupons you can distribute to customers. You won’t know until you ask, and the worst they can say is, “no,” so try to form a partnership and save yourself some cash. Send out the postcards announcing this early November sale and get on people’s radar before Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Have you tried any unique fall promotions or capitalized on any interesting national or international holidays? What marketing tactics did you use? Share your mini case study in the comments below.
I’ve found this to be a great way to attract customers you wouldn’t normally attract from overall marketing efforts. This is a form of “Niche Marketing” and a great way to make your business fun. It’s worked for many of my clients in the past by allowing them to target those that hold interests in these types of days. Great article Rhonda. Thanks a bunch! 🙂