Time to look ahead at the month of March 2018 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 16.15 UT). Daylight Savings Time changes this month as well in many countries.
Also, Easter starts at the end of the month with Good Friday falling on March 30.
Also, this year the Oscars are a little later than usual. The 90th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday 4 March
Moving on to other events…
March 1 – World Book Day (first Thursday in March)
March 1 – World Civil Defence Day
March 2 – Dr Seuss Day (born 1904)
March 2 – Salesperson Day (first Friday in March)
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 3 – Anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell in 1847
March 4 – Grammar Day
March 4 – Namesake Day (first Sunday in March)
March 6 – Dentist’s Day
March 6 – Unique Names Day
March 7 – No Smoking Day (UK)
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 10 – Genealogy Day
March 11 – World Plumbing Day
March 12 – World Glaucoma Day
March 12 – Napping Day
March 12 – 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 15 – World Speech Day
March 16 – World Sleep Day
March 16 – Freedom Of Information Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 19 – Client’s Day
March 20 – International Day Of Happiness
March 20 – March Equinox (occurs at 16.15 UT)
March 20 – World Storytelling Day
March 20 – World Oral Health Day
March 20 – World Sparrow 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 25 – Neighbour Day
March 26 – International Purple Day (epilepsy awareness)
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 2 – Read Across America Day
March 2 – Texas Independence Day (Texas)
March 2 – Employee Appreciation Day
March 5– Casimir Pulaski Day (Illinois)
March 6 – Town Meeting Day (Vermont)
March 11 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 16 – Evacuation Day observed (Massachusetts)
March 17 – Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 25 – Palm Sunday
March 25 – Maryland Day (Maryland)
March 26 – Maryland Day observed (Maryland)
March 26 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)
March 26 – Seward’s Day (Alaska)
March 29 – Maundy Thursday
March 30 – Good Friday
March 31 – César Chávez Day (California, Colorado, Texas)
Canada…
March 11 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 12 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday observed on March 19 in Newfoundland and Labrador)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 25 – Palm Sunday
March 29 – Maundy Thursday
March 30 – Good Friday
In the UK…
March 1 – St David’s Day (patron saint of Wales)
March 1 – World Book Day (an event to promote reading publishing and copyright)
March 2 – Holi (first major Hindu festival of the year)
Match 11 – Mothering Sunday / Mother’s Day
March 12 – Commonwealth Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (holiday in Northern Ireland)
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 21 – Fragrance Day
March 25 – Palm Sunday
March 25 – Daylight Savings Time starts
March 29 – Maundy Thursday
March 30 – Good Friday
In Australia…
March 1- First day of autumn (already!)
March 3 – Mardi Gras parade (Sydney)
The Mardi Gras festival runs from Feb 16 – Mar 4, but the centrepiece parade is on March 3.
March 5 – Labour Day (WA)
March 12 – Commonwealth Day, Labour Day (VIC), Canberra Day (ACT), Adelaide Cup (SA)
March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
March 21 – Autumn Equinox
March 21 – Harmony Day
March 25 – Palm Sunday
March 30 – Good Friday
The Australian Grand Prix takes place over 22-25 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 2018 and associated event-driven marketing promotions!