2014 (where did the year go?!?) is almost over and the coming year of 2015 is fast approaching.
So let’s take a look ahead at the month of January 2015…
…and 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.
Advanced notice…
…in 2015 Chinese New Year falls in February on the 19th, when the “Year Of The Sheep” (or Goat, in some interpretations) commences.
Other events of note…
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 2 – Personal Trainer Awareness Day
January 4 – World Braille Day
January 4 – Trivia Day
January 4 – Blender Day (invented 1910)
January 6 – “Twelfth Night” (coming of the Epiphany and conclusion of the Twelve Days Of Christmas)
January 6 – Birthday of Sherlock Holmes
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas Day
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 14 – Orthodox New Year
January 18 – Thesaurus Day
January 19 – “Tin Can Day” (patent awarded in 1825 for canning process)
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 19 – Martin Luther King Day
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 2 – Day After New Year (Scotland)
January 6 – Epiphany
January 12 – “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 Australian Open Tennis, January 19 – February 1 in Melbourne…
…and in Soccer there is the Asian Cup (4-26 January).
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.
Some significant anniversaries in January 2015…
20 January 1265 – The first English parliament was convened in Westminster Hall, London by Simon de Montfort
10 January 1840 – The “Penny Post” was established throughout the UK
8 January 1935 – Elvis Presley was born
24 January 1965 – Death of Winston Churchill
6 January 1975 – Game show “Wheel of Fortune” first broadcast
31 January 1990 – First McDonald’s restaurant in the Soviet Union opened in Moscow
3 January 2000- The final “Peanuts” comic strip was published
Also…if it’s appropriate for your audience…remember there are many anniversaries of events from the American Civil War (150 years), World War 1 (100 years) and World War 2 (75 and 70 years).
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!