What we as Marketers can learn from Easter
As Easter approaches, row upon row of Cadburys eggs and Lindt bunnies fill the supermarket aisles, families stock up their fridges with the necessaries for Sunday’s feast and excitement starts to mount as a long weekend is in sight. These are at least a few of the signs that the Easter holiday is upon us in the UK.
For many, this long weekend means quality family time, for others a spiritual occasion for thanks, whilst to some it is a great excuse for a weekend of indulgence. For Marketers, Easter needs to mean all of these things; Marketers need to take in to account the vast array of meanings that this holiday has for different people - and then make sure that they market those meanings in the best possible way.
In the lead up to the Easter weekend, these are several key points that every marketer needs to take in to account;
Local Context matters
Whilst in the UK, the chocolate egg is our favourite chocolate shape at this time of year, for France it is the chocolate hen. What this shows, is that understanding your local market and aiming your campaign towards their preferences is key to a successful campaign. For marketing to cut through the noise, it has to be culturally appropriate and aligned to specific cultural tastes. As we pointed out earlier, Easter means different things to different cultures and different people. Being sensitive to these different meanings will get your campaign seen above the others and gain more attention from a wider audience.
2. Know your target audience.
As well as different cultures and local preferences, you need to know exactly who your campaign is targeting. The general idea is that Chocolate Eggs are marketed towards children and their competition to get as many eggs as possible in all shapes and sizes on the day. That is why we see bright colours, character themed eggs and cute bunny faces attracting children to certain products. Really the target audience are the ones doing the buying; the adults. This means that marketing at Easter means targeting all ages. Children aren’t the only ones eating eggs either, think about the more elaborate eggs such as Green and Blacks or Lindt, perfect for the chocolate-loving other half. Knowing your audience and giving them a clear message is essential.
3. Think outside of the box
We all know Easter means Chocolate eggs, and whilst this is a favourite that will definitely keep on giving, it also means that your Easter eggs are in competition with a thousand others on the market. Think about the vast number of confectionary brands that use chocolate as their marketing tool during the Easter holiday. Although this is a theme that we have come to know and love, marketers should never be scared to think outside of the box and be creative with their Easter products. It is the role of the marketer to bring consumers knew and exciting products to try, the last thing any campaign wants to do is get lost in the crowd. Bring your Easter campaigns to life with new ideas that work with the holiday - don’t feel confined to the chocolate box.
Easter shows us that there is a lot to think about when it comes to seasonal Marketing, and marketers need to understand the importance of marketing different meanings to different people. It is not just Easter, but the vast array of occasions throughout the calendar year that take thought, time and effort to market successfully.
Need help planning your social media calendar? GEMMEDIA can plan your strategy for you, so you're always in line with your consumers thoughts.
