On this Halloween 2023…I’m reposting a piece that I originally published w-a-a-a-y back in 2014. How things have changed in the world since then!

What’s somewhat terrifying however…

…is that many marketers appear not to have heeded these warnings.

Perhaps even more frightening is that many contemporary marketers seem completely unaware of the fundamental principles of marketing that these giants of the past talk about. 

The shocking result is that…

…far too many marketers are wasting far too much money on advertising that does not produce results.

So…to avoid that ghastly fate…read on for some marketing wisdom from beyond the grave…. [Read more…]

Here’s the regular look ahead…

…this time at the coming month of November 2023…

…for events, occasions and anniversaries to use for campaigns and promotions in your marketing calendar for November 2023.

FIRST…a reminder that the end of the year and CHRISTMAS is fast approaching!

This year, the first Sunday in Advent falls on December 3.

For pretty much all marketers, Christmas and the New Year is a time of peak opportunity to make sales…

…BUT there is a lot of competition of course. So, it’s important to be well prepared.

Before that…in the USA it’s…THANKSGIVING (this year on Thursday November 23).

(In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is a month earlier on Monday October 9).

“Black Friday” follows, which marks the start of the Christmas season shopping frenzy!

On a more somber note, November 11 is Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the USA).

Another occasion to note…

…”Singles Day” in China on November 11…which has become one of the world’s biggest online shopping days of the year.

There are also a number of religious holidays in November across a number of different faiths. For example, Diwali/Deepavali is celebrated on November 12 this year. So, check the details if it’s appropriate for your audience.

Here’s a more comprehensive list of events and occasions… [Read more…]

Here’s a look ahead at the month of October 2023 and some of the events, anniversaries and occasions that smart marketers can use as the basis for an event-driven promotion…

…to create your own marketing calendar for October 2023.

The most prominent occasion, beloved by many marketers, is “Halloween” on October 31. Given what’s already happened in 2023…

…Halloween might well provide some light relief!

The origins of Halloween seem to be a mixture of pagan festivals marking the end of summer…

…combined with the idea that at this time of the year the spirit-world comes close to our world…

…adopted by the Christian religion as the eve of “All Souls Day”.

Whatever, it’s the traditional occasion to acknowledge the afterlife and the supernatural.

So, an opportunity to use themes in your promotions like…

“It’s Scary What You Are Missing!”

“Now a spooktacular, very limited time, opportunity”

“Terrifyingly scary profits coming your way…”

…and so on.

The theme of FEAR (of loss, for example) can also be used…

…but don’t get too terrifying about it!

Apart from Halloween, October has plenty of different events and occasions… [Read more…]

Welcome to this month’s “Looking Ahead” feature for September 2023…

…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 23 at 06.50 UT (that’s 07.50 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 current emergency situation, those ideas might need to be modified.

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

In Germany, the famous Oktoberfest takes place. The 188th Oktoberfest starts on September 16 and runs through until October 3.

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 2023.

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” 46 years ago on 16 August, 1977.

Other events… [Read more…]