Time to look ahead at the month of March 2016 at the events anniversaries and holidays that we can use to build a marketing calendar March 2016 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 Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere and the Autumn Equinox in the south.
And this year Easter falls early over 25-28 March.
Moving on to other events…
March 1 – World Civil Defence Day
March 2 – Dr Seuss Day (born 1904)
March 3 – World Book Day (UK)
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 3 – Anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell in 1847
March 4 – Salesperson Day
March 6 – Namesake Day
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 9 – Barbie Day
March 10 – Money Day! (anniversary of the first printing of paper money in USA in 1862)
March 11 – World Plumbing Day
March 12 – Genealogy Day
March 14 – Commonwealth Day (UK and Commonwealth countries)
March 14 – Pi Day
March 15 – World Consumer Rights Day
March 15 – World Contact day
March 15 – The “Ides of March”. Beware! (Julius Caesar assassinated in 44 B.C.)
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – World Sleep Day
March 19 – Client’s Day
March 20 – International Day Of Happiness
March 20 – March Equinox (occurs at 04.30 UT)
March 21 – World Poetry Day
March 21 – World Puppetry Day
March 21 – International Day of Forests
March 21 – International Day of Nowruz (Persian New Year)
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
March 22 – World Water Day
March 23 – World Meteorological Day
March 24 – Houdini Day (anniversary of the birth of the great escapologist in 1874)
March 25 – Good Friday
March 25 – Tolkien Reading Day
March 27 – Easter Sunday
March 27 – World Theatre Day
March 28 – Easter Monday
March 29 – Smoke And Mirrors Day
March 30 – Doctor’s Day
March 31 – Eiffel Tower Day (completed 1889)
Taking a look at individual countries…
In the USA…
March 1 – Town Meeting Day (Vermont)
March 2 – Read Across America Day
March 2 – Texas Independence Day (Texas)
March 7– Casimir Pulaski Day (Illinois)
March 13 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 17 – Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
March 20 – Palm Sunday
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 24 – Maundy Thursday
March 25 – Good Friday
March 25 – Maryland Day (Maryland)
March 26 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)
March 27 – Easter Sunday
March 28 – Seward’s Day (Alaska)
March 31 – César Chávez Day (California, Colorado, Texas)
Canada…
March 1 – St. David’s Day
March 13 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 14 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday observed on March 14 in Newfoundland and Labrador)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 20 – Palm Sunday
March 24 – Maundy Thursday
March 25 – Good Friday
March 27 – Easter Sunday
March 28 – Easter Monday
In the UK…
March 1 – St David’s Day (patron saint of Wales)
March 3 – World Book Day (an event to promote reading publishing and copyright)
March 6 – Mothering Sunday / Mother’s Day
March 14 – Commonwealth Day
March 16 – Budget Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday in Northern Ireland)
March 20 – Palm Sunday
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 24 – Maundy Thursday
March 25 – Good Friday
March 27 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 27 – Easter Sunday
March 28 – Easter Monday
Also in the UK…16 March is the day the government presents its “Budget” for the coming year. This is just ahead of the end of the financial year on 5 April. If you’re in the UK and in any kind of business related to money and finance, this is a topical event you can use in emails and other communication with your audience.
In Australia…
March 1- First day of autumn (already!)
March 5 – Mardi Gras parade (Sydney)
The Mardi Gras festival runs from Feb 19 – Mar 6, but the centrepiece parade is on March 5.
March 7 – Labour Day (WA)
March 14 – Commonwealth Day, Labour Day (VIC), Canberra Day (ACT), Adelaide Cup (SA), Eight Hours Day (TAS)
March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
March 20 – Autumn Equinox
March 20 – Palm Sunday
March 21 – Harmony Day
March 24 – Maundy Thursday
March 25 – Good Friday
March 27 – Easter Sunday
March 28 – Easter Monday
March 29 – EasterTuesday (TAS)
The Australian Grand Prix takes place over 17-20 March in Melbourne…
Finally for this month…
…on 29 March 1886, John Pemberton began advertising his “esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage”…
…known to you and I as Coca-Cola. It was originally devised as a headache and hangover remedy. That’s presumably why Pemberton approached Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta to sell the beverage on a trial basis.
It was there that carbonated water was added to the syrup to produce what we now know as Coca-Cola. However, it wasn’t initially a great success and Pemberton ended up selling two-thirds of his rights to Coca-Cola for the sum of $1,200.
The rest, as they say, is history!
Here’s to your success with your marketing calendar March 2016 and associated event-driven marketing promotions!