With the summer winding down, many companies enjoy taking advantage of the fall season to play into various autumn marketing trends. A new season means new products and services or even specials for companies. Companies want to attract consumers in fresh and up-to-date ways. Knowing the do’s and don’ts of fall marketing can help elevate your company’s brand to the next level.
Fall Marketing Trends We Love:
Giving thanks. This marketing tactic has been around for many years, but is tried and true as it continues to attract consumers throughout the fall. With Thanksgiving being in November, fall is the season to show thanks and appreciation for all we have. Likewise, it’s a great opportunity for your business to show its thanks to the community and consumers. Show appreciation for your customers and partners. One way to do this is to run a “thank you” promotion. The promotion can be centered around Thanksgiving, or could be done earlier and used as a lead-up to the holiday. Giving thanks is a great way to promote customer loyalty because you’re showing your customers how much you value them.
Playing into Halloween fun. Halloween is the perfect fall holiday to try fun and satirical marketing plans to entertain their audience. With so many traditions surrounding Halloween, it’s easy for companies to play up these ideas in a fun and satirical way. By giving these well-known traditions a new twist, you’re sure to keep your audience engaged, and even attract more.
Stay up to date on fall pop culture. The end of summer marks a new season for pop culture in the United States. That could be football, new television shows, movies, or other events. So keeping up to date on what’s going on is a must for you consumers. The most important thing to remember when utilizing pop culture in your marketing is to do your customer research first. This way, you’ll know which types of pop culture your audience engages with and cares about. If they’re into sports, playing up the World Series or the start of football season could be a huge win. And if they’re care more about media and entertainment, incorporating new shows or movies could be the right pick for you.
Fall Trends to Avoid:
While there are many great things about fall marketing, there are also some ideas that are overdone and maybe even unrelated to your company.
Too much Black Friday. There’s no hiding the excitement of Black Friday – both for consumers and companies. However, it’s very easy for companies to go from excited to over-the-top with Black Friday marketing. By only marketing to Black Friday, you risk getting lost in a sea of companies that are doing the exact same thing. Having other strong marketing campaigns centered around fall can set you apart from competitors. It will also encourage customers to search out your deals by the time Black Friday comes around. In creating a separate fall campaign from the average Black Friday one, you are able to attract earlier holiday shoppers, while building brand visibility and awareness,
Throwing leaves. You’ve seen this image in marketing everywhere. The classic guy or girl dressed in fall clothes throwing up a pile of leaves with fall foliage in the background. These stock images are found everywhere, and companies often use them and pair it with a message that is totally unrelated to their brand. If this standard fall image does not match with your company’s message or brand, what’s the point? A company’s marketing should always be attempting to share its brand, and attract consumers who are interested in the same style. Just because it fits the autumn theme doesn’t mean it fits your company’s theme. If that’s the case, you’re not helping yourself out much.
Takeaway:
Fall is a fun time in the marketing world. New products in a new season allows for innovative marketing campaigns that incorporate some of the thing consumers love about autumn. Figure out the balance between no fall and fall overload. Then your company can take major advantage with these fall marketing trends.
