June 8, 2015
11 reasons to increase your Summer marketing activity
In business to consumer (B2C) marketing, the users of your services have more time to absorb your message when not at work surely? But are they at home? Does that matter?
According to an article in the Telegraph published in February 2015, the staycation is an increasingly favoured event these days. Visit England reported that between 2008 and 2013, there was an increase in people staying within the UK (within reasonable driving distance of their permanent residence) by 16%. In 2013, there were 29.6 million one to three day ‘holidays’ taken in the UK. 2014 was quoted by Travelodge’s Chief executive, Peter Gowers, as being the “year of the staycation”. 2016 sees little change with the UK forecast to experience increased home-based holiday makers.
What does this mean in a marketing context?
Holiday periods are historically a period when marketing volumes just drop off the scale but is this sensible? Given the changes in an individual’s holiday plans surely now is the time to consider a fresh look at ‘holiday period’ marketing. Parents are at home for between 4 and 10 weeks during the summer vacation alone. If you are marketing seasonal items, clothing or any catalogue driven item for example, then mailing in the summer months is a huge advantage: Stephen Thomas details here the success his clients experienced from their summer marketing activity.
1 – Historically a quiet time for printers and the marketing services industry, so they will be more inclined to provide favourable pricing.
2 – Land dates for direct mail can be ‘postponed/delayed’ by distribution companies, so that you ‘mail’ the items up to 1 month in advance but they are not released until a pre-agreed date.
3 – A landing date that bucks the trend of your competitors or historical market, may create an uptake, as the ‘available offers’ are fewer.
4 – The preconception that people do not respond, as they are ‘not there’ is statistically an increasingly a misconception.
5 – Even Christmas shopping is now spread out over the year more and more with people spreading the cost out. If the only time you made an effort with those you loved was once a year, you would likely be alone at Christmas. So why then do brands and retailers disproportionately show the love at Christmas and then revert to the “same old” for the rest of the year? Read more
6 – Recipients have more time to absorb your message and make purchase decisions, when relaxed and away from work.
7 – Royal Mail often offer a discounted mail service through the month of July Watch out for this.
8 – A cross media campaign can be sent out over the summer as a teaser to a mail piece created to land at the end of the summer holidays.
9 – Avoid the seasonal crush – don’t be constricted by the current retail trend around Christmas, Valentines, Halloween etc.
10 – Promote your ‘Summer Sizzling Sale’ to off load the surplus Summer season stock.
11 – We think that people are more creative in the Summer, particularly in the evenings. Avoid SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Winter time ‘blues’ affects 1:20 people so summer time will see people more engaged.
If consumers are overseas or on a short staycation, then it is now time to use email marketing in conjunction with a mail piece in a cross media campaign. What does the typical consumer with a smart phone now do when they are sitting in the pub garden waiting for their drinks? Check their phone, check their emails. When is a consumer most likely to absorb your brand message, but during their relaxed state of mind, whilst their partner gets the drinks, or whilst the kids are busy in the park and their carer sits on the sidelines with one eye on the kids and one eye on the screen.
So when it goes quiet in the marketing office or any office, that can only mean one thing – the consumer audience is where it should be – at home – or near home – waiting for your marketing piece to arrive. The marketing year should not be seen as quite so seasonal any more. Isn’t it time you tested a new approach. Wouldn’t it be great to get ahead of the game?
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