Drayton Bird is…in my view…one of the greatest marketers and copywriters of recent times. The video above shows some highlights of a presentation he gave in New Zealand billed as “Drayton Bird’s Last Hurrah”.

In a short 6 minutes, you’ll find a to-the-point primer on what marketing is really all about and what really works in marketing. Following is a summary of the points Drayton makes…

[Read more…]

Welcome to this month’s “Looking Ahead” feature…taking a look at the events, occasions and anniversaries in the month of May 2022 that smart marketers can use as the reason for a marketing promotion.

In May 2022…

…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 8.

“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…]

Welcome to our regular look at the month ahead, April 2022…

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

Easter is the main holiday and this year falls between the 15th (Good Friday)…

…and the 18th (Easter Monday).

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…]

Time to look ahead at the month of March 2022 at the events, anniversaries and holidays that we can use to build a marketing calendar for campaigns, product launches or promotions.

The main occasion of general interest is St Patrick’s Day on March 17. Plenty of scope for ideas based around luck, good fortune and finding that elusive “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow.

There is also the change of season with the March Equinox (March 20 at 15.33 UT). Daylight Savings Time changes this month as well in many countries.

In the UK it’s “Mother’s Day” on Sunday, March 27…

…and Easter is approaching. This year it falls on April 15 – 18.

Moving on to other events… [Read more…]

Let’s take a look at the coming month of February 2022 for the various holidays, events and anniversaries that smart marketers can use as the basis for a promotion or campaign and to create a marketing calendar for February 2022.

This month sees Chinese New Year on February 1 (the “Year of the Tiger”). Celebrations run to February 11…and then follows the Lantern Festival on February 15.

Valentine’s Day (February 14) is the standout occasion for the month pretty much everywhere. Remember also “Groundhog Day” (February 2), now part of the popular consciousness thanks to the classic Bill Murray movie.

In Sports…the 2022 Winter Olympics takes place in Beijing from February 4-20. The US Super Bowl 56 is on February 13.

Looking at other events… [Read more…]