One of the worst things a small business can do is limit its marketing opportunities to major holidays. While this may seem like an effective strategy for reaching out to consumers due to associations with popular celebrations, almost every company uses those days for promotional purposes. While it’s never a good idea to skip a major holiday entirely, advertising on smaller ones can build brand awareness as well.
If you want to advertise your business and stand apart from your competitors, distributing promotional marketing products on lesser known holidays may be an effective strategy. There’s a greater chance that you can generate consumer interest and increase awareness by avoiding heavy competition on popular holidays. Here are three of December’s celebratory days that aren’t as heralded as their famous counterparts.
National Cocoa Day
While the first official day of winter isn’t until December 21, cold weather doesn’t adhere to a schedule. When the temperature drops people turn to warm beverages to avoid the chills that become so commonplace during winter months. In that spirit, December 12 is National Cocoa Day. Traditionally, hot chocolate is one of the more popular drinks during a cold season, especially around the holidays.
Distributing promotional mugs before the 12th can increase your company’s advertising presence as well as help customers stay warm. When the gift recipients fill up their cups on National Cocoa Day they’ll see your logo and be reminded of your business. Keep in mind that people don’t drink hot beverages solely on the holiday – cocoa, coffee and tea are popular year round. As long as consumers have your mug, they’ll have advertisements right in their hands.
Winter solstice
While not an official holiday, the winter solstice is celebrated around the world. It’s the first official day of winter and has the fewest daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. The solstice can be a fun day depending on how businesses choose to celebrate the seasonal change.
There is one holiday celebrated on the solstice – National Flashlight Day. Giving away promotional flashlights acknowledges the spirit of the day. Because the first day of winter has the shortest amount of daytime, distributing small lights can be a fun way to advertise while recognizing the solstice.
Owners don’t have to limit themselves to one giveaway, however, and can develop their own promotional strategies for the winter solstice. Some restaurants hold special events to attract large crowds who want to celebrate winter’s arrival. Doing something unique on a day that not every business acknowledges may be smart if companies want to increase traffic in their establishments and draw increased amounts of consumers.
National Chocolate Day
Only a week after the winter solstice is National Chocolate Day. December 28 is a day to celebrate one of the most popular treats available. There’s no denying how well-loved chocolate is. Celebrating a day dedicated to the confectionery delights can help small business owners advertise while giving consumers some of their favorite snacks.
You can’t give everyone a full-sized candy bar without breaking your marketing budget, but small tins of sweets are budget-friendly alternatives. Even though the sweets won’t last long once customers start eating them, they’ll likely hold onto the durable boxes. They can repurpose the promotional items to hold small household items, so your logos will constantly be displayed in patrons’ homes.
You may want to consider having some non-chocolate candies on hand, as well. Some consumers have severe allergies and must avoid certain foods, but they should still be able to participate in the giveaway.
Celebrating one of these days can help a small business stand apart during a busy season. When many companies are only focusing their advertisements on major holidays, doing something different can attract more consumers.