Welcome to this month’s “Looking Ahead” feature for September 2024…

…where we take a look at the events, occasions, anniversaries and holidays that we can use as the foundation for event-driven marketing promotions in the coming month.

It’s a time of a change of seasons. The September Equinox falls on September 22 at 12.44 UT (that’s 13.44 UK BST time…check for your particular location).

It’s Autumn in the north and Spring in the south…

…and these can be used as broad themes for a promotion.

Tied in with these, in the northern hemisphere it’s normally “Back to School” or “Back to Work” and the start of the run-in to the end of the year.

In the southern hemisphere, “Spring Time” or “Spring Cleaning” can be used as a theme.

In Germany, the famous Oktoberfest takes place. The 189th Oktoberfest starts on September 21 and runs through until October 6.

Looking at some specific occasions… [Read more…]

Welcome to this month’s “Looking Ahead” feature…reviewing the holidays, occasions and events you can use to put together a marketing calendar for the month of August 2024.

There are no major holidays this month. In the northern hemisphere it’s the dog days of summer. In the south it’s the last blast of winter. These “seasonal” themes are available to you if there’s nothing else that’s suitable.

August is also a “Back To School” month for many northern hemisphere countries.

It’s also “Elvis Week”, August 9-17. Elvis Presley moved on to the “great gig in the sky” 47 years ago on 16 August, 1977.

Other events… [Read more…]

Time for our regular look ahead…this time at the month of July 2024…at the events, occasions, holidays and anniversaries that can form the basis for a marketing promotion.

This year…July is a BIG month in sports.

Probably the BIGGEST event is the 33rd Olympic Games taking place in Paris. It starts on 26th July and runs to the 11th August.

The EURO 2024 Soccer Championships conclude on 14th July.

The annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships take place from 1st July to 14th July.

Away from sports…two big ideas stand out.

The first is…we are in the second half of the year. July 1 is sometimes referred to as “Second Half Of The Year Day”.

As with any milestones like this, it’s an opportunity to give people a bit of a jolt and get them to review their goals and plans for the year.

Of course, if they are off-track a little you might well be able to help them get back on track!

Secondly…

…it’s Summer (in the northern hemisphere)…

…but the depths of Winter if you’re in the southern hemisphere.

In the USA July 4 is the great national occasion…“Independence Day”. This theme of independence is very much a universal ideal and so can be used pretty much in any country. The idea of “personal independence” can be the basis for a promotion in many different markets. It’s worth keeping in mind that one of the primary reasons people go into business for themselves is the desire for freedom and independence.

Taking a look at some specific occasions… [Read more…]

With the month of June approaching…

…we’re almost halfway through 2024!

That in itself can be used as the basis for a marketing promotion…

…along with the other holidays and events that fall in the coming month…

…to create your own marketing calendar for June 2024.

If you’re in the northern hemisphere…

…the broad theme can be thought of as “Summer”.

In the southern hemisphere…it’s wintertime.

The June Solstice occurs at 20.51 UT on June 20 (in the UK that’s 21.51 BST on June 20).

There’s also Father’s Day (Sunday, June 16) in the USA, UK and Canada.

Other events… [Read more…]

Welcome to this month’s “Looking Ahead” feature…taking a look at the events, occasions and anniversaries in the month of May 2024 that smart marketers can use as the reason for a marketing promotion.

In May 2024…

…notable occasions are…

…firstly “May Day” (May 1, of course)…

…and then in most places (apart from the UK) “Mother’s Day”, which this year falls on Sunday May 12.

“May Day” (May 1) is an occasion widely observed in the northern hemisphere and originally was a pagan festival linked to Spring and fertility.

Wikipedia has more about May Day traditions…

…including in the UK the May Pole, the May Queen and Morris Dancing.

Like many originally pagan festivals, May Day has been co-opted by the Church and in many Catholic countries May is a month honouring the Virgin Mary.

In the modern era, May Day has also come to be known as “International Workers’ Day” and associated with the labour movement.

Also in May…

…we have “Be A Millionaire Day” on May 20! This is a day to think and dream about what it would be like to be a millionaire.

It’s understood that the term “millionaire” was first used in the English language by Lord Byron in a letter written in 1816. At the time, there were only a handful of millionaires. Today it’s reckoned there are more than 50 million millionaires scattered around the globe. The origins of “Be a Millionaire Day” are not clear, but the day honours the desire to enjoy the freedom and power associated with being financially secure.

Here’s a more detailed list of events… [Read more…]