Pumpkin spice up your brand: an intro to seasonal marketing campaigns

Here at ROI Media Works, we not only work in marketing, we love it, too. That’s why we’re going to bring you a list of the best seasonal marketing campaigns we’ve seen every month. In this edition of Pumpkin Spice Up Your Brand, we’re going to give you a taste of what seasonal marketing is all about.

What signals the start of fall? Perhaps it is the breeze taking on a bit of a cooler feel. Or maybe the changing colour of the leaves is the telltale sign. For many, however, the signal is found in their coffee cups.

This is inspired by Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, the iconic beverage released by the chain as summer draws to a close. This seasonal release was applauded to the tune of roughly $100 million in revenue in 2015, as calculated by Forbes.

With all due credit to Starbucks’ baristas, it’s actually the marketing department of the coffee juggernauts who we are going to focus on. This is, arguably, the leading example of seasonal marketing. Seasonal marketing, broadly speaking, refers to basing marketing content off of a specific time of year or event. Only offering pumpkin-flavoured refreshments in the fall is just the tip of the iceberg. Back-to-school specials at the end of summer are another calendar-based example, but seasonal marketing campaigns can dive into events too. Campaigns playing into the Academy Awards or Super Bowl ads are other examples.

There are several reasons why seasonal marketing campaigns are effective. The first is that it allows business to connect on a more personal level with their audience. These are events that are happening in your customers lives, too. So, aligning your product, service or brand with that, adds the human element.

Alongside that, seasonal marketing campaigns afford your company the opportunity to present those products or services in a creative way. Companies who incorporated the Canada 150 celebrations into their branding this summer are a prime example. Seasonal marketing campaigns can help expand brand potential.

The timing is usually pretty good, too. As Emma Derbyshire writes for HubSpot, “for many brands, seasonal opportunities are huge and often the most commercially critical times of the financial year.” Aligning seasonal marketing campaigns with important fiscal times is a way to boost marketing exploits. Be sure to consult both your fiscal and seasonal calendar.

There’s lots of great examples out there already. That’s why we’re bringing you some of the best examples from around the globe every month. So, grab a PSL and stay tuned for September when we will bring you our first list of excellent seasonal marketing campaigns.

Inspired by what you read and want to create a seasonal marketing campaign for yourself? We can help! Drop us a line at hello@roimediaworks.com.