Kristen Dunleavy — March 24, 2018 — March 24, 2018
OK, it’s the middle of March. We just got over creating messages for Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. We’re doing our last-minute prep for April Fool’s Day. And then we’re right on to another biggie: Mother’s Day, right?
Not so fast.
Yes, Mother’s Day (May 11) may be the next A-list holiday coming up on the calendar, but before it hits, we also have National Spinach Day (March 26), National Clams on the Half Shell Day (March 31), National Submarine Day (April 11), and nobody’s favorite – National Clean Up Your Room Day (May 10).
Yes, those are “real” B-list holidays, and if you are creative enough to be able to use them in your marketing, more power to you! However, we’ve come up with six somewhat more user-friendly, nevertheless still-obscure spring commemorations to celebrate – and leveraging them could pay off.
“Your obscure holiday email can stand out and hit a home run for your team,” writes Heidi Robbins at Business 2 Community. “It’s an opportunity to stand out, do something different and get noticed for it. It also keeps people engaged with your brand by mixing up your promotions and keeping your content fresh and relevant. Being unique and speaking with your brand voice allows these promotions to pack a punch and stand out from the crowd.”
So, why not have some fun with these obscure holidays?
Make up Your Own Holiday Day (March 26)
This one feels both liberating and terrifying. To make the most of this obscure holiday that’s all about yet-to-be created holidays, you must either unleash your creativity and come up with a new holiday that ties into your product or service or invent one that has absolutely no connection to your industry but is funny or weird (but not too weird). Or take the pressure off yourself and invite (and incentivize) your customers to create and celebrate their own holiday.
National High Five Day (April 19)
National High Five Day is one of those obscure holidays with a theme broad enough to be used by marketers of just about any product or service (unlike, say, National Pineapple Upside Cake Day, which just so happens to fall on the following day). It’s certainly an ideal peg for a customer-appreciation message. Why not send your customers a high five, in the form of an image, video or animated GIF that they can pass on to their family and friends?
Loyalty Day (May 1)
Like its better-known cousin, Memorial Day, this holiday is all about patriotism and American pride. And, also like Memorial Day, it’s an opportunity for a themed sale. Loyalty Day also presents an opportunity to thank customers for their patronage, and/or to highlight how you’ve shown your devotion to your them. Here’s an idea: Use a Loyalty Day message to unveil a program that rewards repeat business.
Eat What You Want Day (May 11)
What a wonderful day! If you market a restaurant, a supermarket, snacks, or anything even remotely food-related, this under-appreciated holiday should be of particular interest to you. It’s also an opportunity if you are pitching antacids, stretch pants or recliners. Come to think of it, you can probably find a way to tie it into anything you can relate to the impact food makes on our lives. Perhaps offer a discount that helps customers make the most of their new favorite holiday.
Don’t Fry Day (May 25)
This is one is a tad more serious than the other obscure holidays we are discussing. It was established by the National Council on Skin Cancer prevention “to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors.” That’s why, as you may have noticed, it falls on the Friday before Memorial Day – the holiday that traditionally kicks off the summer season. Don’t Fry Day is a natural hook for messages from dermatologists, sunscreen companies, and manufacturers of UV-blocking clothing – but it’s certainly not limited to them. How about using it in a “welcome to summer – be safe out there!” message for your customers?
Smile Power Day (June 15)
This feel-good holiday has the potential to put, um, a smile on the face of email marketers everywhere – especially those working with, say, cosmetic dentists, plastic surgeons, lip-gloss companies, etc. – since it provides an irresistible hook for a positive, health-related message that can help them sell their products or services. Of course, a creative type such as yourself can certainly figure out a way use Smile Power Day on behalf of any product or service. Or how about making it about you? Use it to let your customers know it’s your mission to put a “powerful smile” on their faces this day, and every day.
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