As quickly as 2012 ended, 2013 began. Here at Matter, we have already hit the grounded running putting together 2013 plans, messaging, pitch angles, etc. As with all PR folks, we must be on top of our game to ensure we get the results we aim for with each account in 2013. For some clients, aligning PR efforts with national holidays can make planning a bit easier.
A recent article from PRDaily outlines “20 holidays PR and marketing pro should plan for.” Not only does it call out the major holidays but it also includes a suggested time to launch any PR/marketing efforts. In my opinion, some of the best include:
Saturday, February 2: Groundhog Day. This holiday helps to shake off the cobwebs from the winter freeze and get excited for a new season.
When to market: the week of.
Idea: Get your customers excited by offering conditional deals. For example, you could propose a winter offer if the groundhog goes back in its burrow, or a new product release or update if the groundhog says spring is here.
Thursday, February 14: Valentine’s Day. Ah, Valentine’s Day. The holiday of love and appreciation. Perfect for retailers to market products that are romantic and sweet; you can transform your own offerings to make customers swoon.
When to start marketing: mid-January.
Idea: Add a swipe of red to your company logo and offer “companion” deals: When customers refer others to your business, they get 50 percent off their purchase.
Sunday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the celebration of the Irish in America. Although its roots are religious, the holiday is celebrated by all manner of people (even the non-Irish). Characteristic colors are green and the holiday is associated with good luck—and maybe a few beers.
When to start: March 1.
Idea: Create a “lucky” campaign in which winners are randomly selected to receive a prize.
Sunday, September 22: First day of fall. September is the precursor to a very busy three months containing the busiest holidays of the year, so use this date as a benchmark to ramp up and start planning for all of the holidays to come.
Of course these are just a few examples of dates to keep in mind when building your PR program. They may not be applicable to every client but it’s a good starting point when putting together 2013 plans.
What dates/events are you keeping top of mind in 2013?