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…]

2022 is not yet over…we still have Christmas and the New Year to enjoy…

…but it’s not too soon to get started on putting together a marketing calendar for January 2023. So let’s take a look ahead at some of the events, anniversaries and other occasions that we can put to use for an event-driven marketing event or promotion.

Of course, the New Year itself is a great reason for a promotion. At this time, most people are making plans for the year ahead and often looking to make a “fresh start”.

“New Year Sales” are a staple pretty much around the world and no reason why you can’t make use of this.

Also…

…in 2023 Chinese New Year falls on January 22nd (the start of the “Year of the Rabbit”).

Back to January and other events of note… [Read more…]

Halloween has been and gone. Now that particular event has passed for another year…

…my local stores are now in full-on, 100% Christmas mode!

Not just Christmas promotions either…

…this year everyone seems to have jumped the gun on “Black Friday” and started well ahead of the supposed date on the day after Thanksgiving in the USA!

So…if you haven’t already started planning and preparing for your end-of-year and other holiday promotions…

…there’s no time to lose!

Below, I am republishing a special guest post that has proven very popular since it was originally published some years ago on the “Total Package” site (sadly no longer active).

It’s from Troy White…

…with some great marketing tips that can be applied for other seasonal events, not just Christmas.

Before that…as a starter and useful addition to the main piece…here’s an extract from a pretty much “evergreen” post by Ryan Deiss and the folks at DigitalMarketer… [Read more…]

Time to look ahead and consider what’s available to the smart direct response marketer to create…

…a marketing calendar for December 2022.

That is to say, occasions, events and anniversaries that we can use as the building block for marketing campaigns and promotions.

December of course means…

…CHRISTMAS…

…with the NEW YEAR not far behind as a marketing event.

New Year provides a great marketing opportunity for pretty much any business.

Even now in November, it’s not too early to run with the theme…

…”Make 2023 Your Best Year”…

…which can apply to businesses in health, relationships, personal finance and success in general.

In December, New Year’s resolutions will be on people’s mind…

…so this is an excellent time to promote any kind of personal development product…

…as well as business-oriented offerings.

Remember to plan and launch your New Year promotion well in advance and in good time for January 1.

With Christmas, keep in mind…

…any specific customs in your area.

For example, in Sweden the Yule season starts on December 13 with Santa Lucia Day.

It’s also the December Solstice on December 21 (at 21.48 UTC…check the time in your location).

Other significant events in December… [Read more…]