Time to look ahead at the month of March 2017 at the events anniversaries and holidays that we can use to build a marketing calendar March 2017 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 10.28 UT).
Moving on to other events…
March 1 – World Civil Defence Day
March 2 – Dr Seuss Day (born 1904)
March 2 – World Book Day (UK)
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 3 – Anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell in 1847
March 3 – National Salesperson Day
March 4 – Grammar Day
March 5 – Namesake Day
March 7 – Unique Names 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 13 – Napping Day
March 13 – Commonwealth Day (UK and Commonwealth countries)
March 14 – Crowdfunding Day
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 16 – Freedom Of Information Day
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 10.28 UT)
March 20 – World Storytelling Day
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 – Tolkien Reading Day
March 26 – International Whisky Day
March 27 – World Theatre Day
March 29 – Smoke And Mirrors Day
March 30 – Doctor’s Day (also “Pencil Day”)
March 31 – Eiffel Tower Day (completed 1889)
March 31 – World Backup Day
Taking a look at individual countries…
In the USA…
March 1 – Ash Wednesday
March 2 – Read Across America Day
March 2 – Texas Independence Day (Texas)
March 3 – Employee Appreciation Day
March 6– Casimir Pulaski Day (Illinois)
March 7 – Town Meeting Day (Vermont)
March 12 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 17 – Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 25 – Maryland Day (Maryland)
March 26 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)
March 27 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day observed (Hawaii)
March 28 – Seward’s Day (Alaska)
March 31 – César Chávez Day (California, Colorado, Texas)
Canada…
March 1 – Ash Wednesday
March 1 – St. David’s Day
March 12 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 13 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday observed on March 20 in Newfoundland and Labrador)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
In the UK…
March 1 – St David’s Day (patron saint of Wales)
March 1 – Ash Wednesday
March 2 – World Book Day (an event to promote reading publishing and copyright)
March 12 – Holi (first major Hindu festival of the year)
March 13 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday in Northern Ireland)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 26 – Mothering Sunday / Mother’s Day
March 26 – Daylight Savings Time starts
Also in the UK…8 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.
NOTE (21 May 2017): Tuesday 21 March 2017 was “National Fragrance Day”, part of a week long celebration of fragrance (www.FragranceFoundation.org.uk).
In Australia…
March 1- First day of autumn (already!)
March 4 – Mardi Gras parade (Sydney)
The Mardi Gras festival runs from Feb 17 – Mar 5, but the centrepiece parade is on March 5.
March 6 – Labour Day (WA)
March 13 – 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
The Australian Grand Prix takes place over 23-26 March in Melbourne…
Some anniversaries of note this month…
March 4 (1957) – The S&P 500 stock market index was introduced
March 7 (1917) – The world’s first Jazz record released; Livery Stable Blues by the Original Dixieland Jass Band (the spelling of jass was changed to jazz later that year)
March 8 (1817) – The New York Stock Exchange was founded
March 8-12 (1917) – Russian Revolution, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on March 15 (known as the “February Revolution” as Russia was still using the Julian calendar where the dates were 23-27 February)
March 12 (1987) – The musical Les Miserables opened on Broadway
March 25 (1937) – The Washington Daily News became the first newspaper in the USA to feature a perfumed advertisement (!)
March 25 (1957) -The Treaty of Rome was signed to create the European Economic Community (the forerunner of the EU)
March 27 (1952) – Sun Records founded by Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee
March 30 (1867) – The USA purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million. Alaska became a US State in 1959
There are also anniversaries in a number of major conflicts…World War 1 (100 years), World War 2 (75 years ), the Korean War (65 years) and the Vietnam War (50 years).
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 2017 and associated event-driven marketing promotions!