Time to look ahead at the month of March 2024 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 03.06 UT). Daylight Savings Time changes this month as well in many countries.
In the UK it’s “Mother’s Day” on Sunday, March 10…
…and Easter is approaching. This year it falls on March 29 – April 1.
Moving on to other events…
March 1 – Salesperson Day (first Friday in March)
March 2 – Dr Seuss Day (born 1904)
March 3 – Namesake Day (first Sunday in March)
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 3 – World Hearing Day
March 3 – Anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell in 1847 (NOTE: “Alexander Graham Bell Day” is on March 7, the anniversary of the day, in 1876, when the patent was granted for Bell’s machine that would eventually become the telephone)
March 4 – Grammar Day
March 6 – Dentist’s Day
March 7 – World Book Day (first Thursday in March)
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 11 – Commonwealth Day (UK and Commonwealth countries)
March 14 – Professional Speakers Day
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 15 – World Speech Day
March 15 – World Sleep Day
March 16 – Freedom Of Information Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – Global Recycling Day
March 19 – International Client’s Day
March 20 – International Day Of Happiness
March 20 – March Equinox (occurs at 03.06 UT)
March 20 – World Storytelling Day
March 21 – World Poetry Day
March 21 – World Puppetry Day
March 21 – International Day of Forests
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 Purple Day (epilepsy awareness)
March 27 – World Theatre Day
March 29 – Good Friday
March 29 – Smoke And Mirrors Day
March 30 – Easter Saturday
March 30 – International Day of Zero Waste
March 30 – Doctor’s Day
March 31 – Easter Sunday
March 31 – Eiffel Tower Day (completed 1889)
March 31 – World Backup Day
Taking a look at individual countries…
In the USA…
March 1 – Read Across America Day
March 2 – Texas Independence Day (Texas)
March 4– Casimir Pulaski Day (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana)
March 5 – Town Meeting Day (Vermont)
March 10 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 17 – Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
March 18 – Evacuation Day observed (Massachusetts)
March 25 – Maryland Day (Maryland)
March 25 – Seward’s Day (Alaska)
March 26 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)
March 29 – Good Friday
March 29 – State Holiday (Georgia)
March 29 – National Vietnam War Veterans Day
March 30 – Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day (Wyoming)
March 30 – Vietnam Veterans Day (Delaware)
March 30 – Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day (West Virginia)
March 31 – César Chávez Day (some states)
In sports, Major League Baseball Opening Day is on March 28.
Canada…
March 10 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 11 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – St. Patrick’s Day holiday (Newfoundland and Labrador)
March 28 – Maundy Thursday
March 29 – Good Friday
March 30 – Easter Saturday
March 31 – Easter Sunday
In the UK…
March 1 – St David’s Day (patron saint of Wales)
March 7 – World Book Day
March 10 – Mothering Sunday / Mother’s Day
March 11 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday in Northern Ireland)
March 28 – Maundy Thursday
March 29 – Good Friday
March 30 – Easter Saturday
March 31 – Easter Sunday
March 31 – Daylight Savings Time starts
This year’s Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities takes place on Saturday 30 March.
In Australia…
March 1- First day of autumn
March 4 – Labour Day (WA)
March 11 – Commonwealth Day, Labour Day (VIC), Canberra Day (ACT), Adelaide Cup (SA)
March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
March 21 – Harmony Day
March 28 – Maundy Thursday
March 29 – Good Friday
March 30 – Easter Saturday
March 31 – Easter Sunday
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 for March 2024 and associated event-driven marketing promotions!