2015 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 January 2016. 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.
January is also “Brainteaser”, “Get Organized” and “Creativity” month.
Advance notice…
…in 2016 Chinese New Year falls in February on the 8th, when the “Year Of The Monkey” starts.
Other events of note…
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 1 – Copyright Law Day
January 2 – Motivation and Inspiration Day
January 4 – World Braille Day
January 4 – Trivia Day
January 4 – Blender Day (invented 1910)
January 5 – Bird Day
January 6 – “Twelfth Night” (coming of the Epiphany and conclusion of the Twelve Days Of Christmas)
January 6 – Birthday of Sherlock Holmes
January 8 – Elvis Presley’s Birthday
January 10 – Peculiar People Day
January 11 – International “Thank You Day”
January 11 – Milk Day
January 13 – Skeptics Day
January 16 – Nothing Day
January 17 – World Religion Day
January 17 – Cable Car Day
January 18 – Thesaurus Day
January 18 – Winnie The Pooh Day (anniversary of the birth of A.A. Milne)
January 19 – “Tin Can Day” (patent awarded in 1825 for canning process)
January 25 – Opposite Day
January 26 – International Customs Day
January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 28 – Data Privacy Day
January 29 – Freethinkers Day (anniversary of birth of Thomas Paine)
January 31 – Backward Day
Turning to events in individual countries…
In the USA…
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas Day
January 13 – Stephen Foster (known as the “Father of American Music”) Memorial Day
January 14 – Orthodox New Year
January 15 – Lee-Jackson Day (Virginia)
January 17 – World Religion Day
January 18 – Martin Luther King Day
January 18 – Idaho Human Rights Day (Idaho),
January 18 – Civil Rights Day (Arizona, New Hampshire)
January 29 – Kansas Day
Canada…
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 2 – Day After New Year (Quebec)
The UK…
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 4 – Day After New Year Holiday (Scotland)
January 6 – Epiphany
January 11 – “Plough Monday” (traditionally the first day of the Agricultural Year)
January 25 – Burns’ Night (Scotland)
Australia…
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 26 – Australia Day
In Australia, it’s the middle of summer and very much an extended holiday season.
For sports fans there’s the Hopman Cup, January 3-9 in Perth…
…and the Australian Open Tennis, January 18 – 31 in Melbourne.
There’s the annual Sydney Festival for most of January.
Traditionally, Australia Day marks the end of the summer holiday period so “Back to work” can be used as a theme after that. It’s also “Back To School” at the end of the month…
…with the start of the academic year.
Finally for this month…
…on January 5 in 1855, the inventor of the safety razor, King Camp Gillette was born…
…and on January 27 in 1880, Thomas Edison received US Patent 223,898 for his electric lightbulb.
Hope these suggestion in this post give you some “bright” ideas for event-driven marketing!