Pumpkins, Spices, and Seasonal Marketing
October 8th, 2010 | Small Business | No Comments »Ah yes, fall is finally here. I just love when the seasons change. The temperature has dropped and as the leaves begin to change colors, the air seems to have a new, crisp smell to it. I pull out my coziest sweaters and decorate my door with an autumnal wreath, but it doesn’t really feel like fall until I have a Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte in my hands. Okay, so I’ll admit it, I am incredibly susceptible to seasonal products. Come December, I won’t rest until I have the Edy’s brand pink, Limited Edition, Peppermint Ice Cream piled in a bowl in front of me. The sad thing is, I don’t necessarily even enjoy the seasonal products as much as I enjoy the idea of them. In fact, every time I take my first sip of my Pumpkin Spice Latte in the fall, I remember that I do not like the flavor.
So how did Starbucks convince me that their Pumpkin Spice Latte is an integral part of fall? Well, the drink makes me think of pumpkin patches and hayrides and pumpkin pie, and ultimately it reminds me of celebrating the holidays with my family as a child. I associate their product with precious memories.
You don’t have to be a multi-billion dollar business, like Starbucks, to take advantage of seasonal marketing techniques. So, how can small online businesses utilize seasonal marketing techniques to increase sales? Here are a few ideas:
- Change the website appearance to reflect the holiday/season. This could mean changing the color scheme or adding an image or phrase.
- Create special limited-time offers for certain seasons or holidays.
- Make it easy for website visitors to donate to a charity that is related to the season/holiday.
Have you made seasonal changes to your website that have benefited your business? What worked for you?
