Seen this ad at the movies a few times recently.  I confess it had me wondering what it was all about…

https://youtu.be/079qcLQkq1M

When I first saw this, my initial thoughts were that it was a trailer for some kind of “Villagers abducted by aliens” type of show. Or…perhaps creepy pagan ritual going on in remote village, something like that.

But no! It’s all about that nice Lloyds Bank…who presumably sponsor some sort of “Running of the horses” festival each year!

What this appears to be about is Lloyds wanting to make customers feel all warm and fuzzy about them, strengthen their relationship and…presumably…build trust.

So, this editorial from the 15 June 2018 issue of “MoneyWeek” may come as a bit of a shock… [Read more…]

Time for our regular look ahead…this time at the month of July 2018. Let’s take a look at the coming month for events, occasions, holidays and anniversaries that can form the basis for a marketing campaign or promotion and that you can use to create a marketing calendar for July 2018.

Two big themes or ideas.

First, now that 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 is approaching…

…we’re almost halfway through the year 2018!

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 June 2018.

Also…

…did you know that June is the biggest month for weddings in the USA? Likely to be the same in other northern hemisphere countries. South of the Equator, the months of January, February and March are the most popular.

If you’re in the northern hemisphere…

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

The Summer Solstice occurs at 10.07 UT on June 21.

There’s also Father’s Day (Sunday, June 17) in the USA, UK and Canada.

In the world of sports…

…the FIFA Soccer 2018 World Cup kicks off on June 14 (running through to the final on July 15).

Other events… [Read more…]

May 2018 is approaching…

…so time for smart marketers to plan ahead and look at some of the holidays, events and anniversaries in the coming month that can be used as part of an “event driven marketing” strategy. You can then use these ideas to put together your own Marketing Calendar May 2018.

Two 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 13.

“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 13 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…]

Here’s our regular look ahead at the coming month, April 2018…

…and the events, holidays and anniversaries that a smart marketer can use as the foundation for an event-driven campaign or marketing promotion.

This year Easter straddles March and April…

…with Easter Sunday falling on April 1.

The other prominent event of general interest this month is…

…”April Fool’s Day” (a day for practical jokes and spreading hoaxes) on the first of the month.

It’s also “Shakespeare Day” on April 23 which is also “English Language Day” and “World Book and Copyright Day”.

Other events of note… [Read more…]