With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, it’s the perfect excuse to hurry and wrap up all of this week’s tasks early today, commit yourself to the extended weekend … and dive deep into your studies of occasion-based marketing, of course.
The National Retail Federation says 62% of American consumers plan on celebrating this particular holiday; if NRF’s counting is correct, that translates to 162 million Americans, or 20 times the population of Ireland! Those consumers will individually spend an average of $44.40 — up from $40.19 five years ago — which works out to $7.2 billion in total. (The top spending category is food and beverage, so save a well-deserved sláinte to “food” for pulling its weight here.)
(Photo Source: NRF)
From a marketing standpoint, adding some thoughtful green to a campaign’s color scheme isn’t just about convenience. As Promo points out, occasion-based marketing uses a couple “compelling marketing tactics” in creating urgency and FOMO, even raising awareness when a conversation is more significant.
“Occasion-based marketing allows you to meet your audience’s expectations, connect through emotions, show personality, and humanize your brand, all in a way that builds relationships and loyalty,” Promo’s Daisy Rogozinsky writes.
And holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day are just the most obvious examples of occasions worthy of directing your marketing attention. As Breaktime Media’s Chris O’Grady recently wrote for MediaPost, micro-occasions also “have the potential to make a huge impact for brands and advertisers.” And when that occasion-based shopping impact comes in the form of a 33% higher purchase value than everyday shopping, that’s significant.
“For micro-occasions, you need to think smaller,” O’Grady writes. “They aren’t always holidays or recognized events, but the small, yet significant moments throughout our daily lives like a morning cup of coffee, a workout routine, or an afternoon snack. Brands can strategically tap into these moments to connect with customers in a personal way and make their brand a part of these meaningful experiences.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, happy Pi Day today, and happy micro-occasion for all those other special marketable moments you can find.
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