Marketing With the Seasons

When talking about seasonal marketing there are two strategies to consider, the short term and the long term. The short term encompasses events such as Halloween, where brands cover their marketing with Halloween themed products for a couple of weeks in the run up to the day. This also relates to specific days, such as black Friday and cyber Monday, which see flash sales to encourage major spending for just one day. The long term will take a brand across longer periods of time such as the summer holidays, or the Christmas break and should work within the seasons.

Why seasonal marketing works;

Seasonal marketing creates long running campaigns, which can enhance the impact of a short-term campaign. It also creates the sense of a ‘event’, a period of time with special offers and promotions that has an end-point, encouraging consumers to act on the offer before its too late, yet running over the period of a month or two rather than a week or day.

It also gives brands aesthetic ideas and themes to work to and use to their advantage, making it easier to build a consistent and engaging campaign that moves with the season and appeals to the consumer situation at the time. This season brands can create an autumnal themed email template using oranges and browns to appeal to the current consumer mood.

How to transform your seasonal marketing strategy;

When it comes to seasonal marketing, businesses need to find the right balance between originality and consistency. Consumers love new ideas and aesthetics, if something is too familiar it is likely to put them off, yet we are creatures of habit who dislike too much change. For example, you will need to keep up with promotional offers and discounts that are a regular occurrence at this time of year whilst adding an original message.

People are most attracted to brands that emanate current trends and engage with their personal situations and needs. You can use the knowledge that during autumn, children are heading back to school and people are starting to knuckle down for the colder weather. Seasons also allow you to play on peoples emotions and deliver to campaign in a way that appeals to these. Summer tends to be a time when consumers are more relaxed and people spend more time outdoors, or exploring new places, whilst winter is a time for family, friends and sharing, as well as the little luxuries that make winter that bit more bearable.

Timing is everything, this means planning for specific days and special promotions within your seasonal calendar, or being on top of the weather on a day-to-day basis to appeal to individuals’ immediate needs. It is a constant job that requires time, effort and insight but done right, will bring in more customers, drive revenue and build a reputable and engaging brand image.