Don’t be the brand that makes the news for insensitive marketing. Use these 5 tips to prevent garish and offensive promotion in the buildup to Veteran’s Day.
1. Consider what your audience is feeling/celebrating/honoring
Many holiday weekends are in honor of previous tragedies. For instance, leading into Veteran’s Day consider that your potential clients might have had family members who served overseas. Do they want to see marketing that is out of touch and over the top, or something subtle that honors the lives in service of our nation?
2. Be apolitical
Politics are a no-go topic for a reason. With certain holidays being more focused on touchy topics, it’s important to be neutral. We are all aware of the politics associated with the military, and so are other companies pushing Veterans Day campaigns. To avoid parting those on your left or right like the Red Sea, drive a general message that recognizes those who have served. Keep it patriotic and bipartisan.
3. Avoid bandwagon marketing if it does not relate to your company mission
The ultimate sign of disconnected marketing is offering a sale or discount purely because of a holiday weekend. For instance, think about how it might look to simultaneously post about honoring veterans alongside large bold text that reads 50% off or don’t miss this sale (if your products/services are completely unrelated to this holiday).
4. Thank the troops
Context-sensitive marketing only works if you remember the context of the holiday you are framing your marketing around. Posting online without honoring the meaning of Veteran’s Day could perhaps even do lasting damage to your brand.
5. Get personal
The best way to be considerate in your marketing is to be personal. If anyone in your company has had friends or family members who served tours, highlight them and their stories. Highlight employees who have also served tours. This adds a pure human dimension to your brand, removing the corporate aspect that many customers are turned off by during sensitive holidays.
If you utilize these tips, then you should be able to proactively participate in holiday marketing in a relevant way for your brand.
Related Posts
How to Use Instagram Stories to Your Advantage this Holiday Season
Every year, it seems the holidays are being celebrated earlier and earlier, which can put a lot of pressure on business owners and marketers. This time of year , must include a business strategy, social media plan, and what products and/or services you’d like to promote the most. It’s important to prepare your strategy early on, that way you can focus on promoting your business in a more personal way throughout the actual holidays! What do we mean by this? While everyone else is busy promoting their sales and purely focusing on their products and services, business owners often forget to provide that personal touch to their brand this time of year. We’ve included a few tips on how to implement your personality into your social media strategy!
The Importance of Gratitude
“Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” Steve Jobs, Founder and former CEO of Apple. That quote has inspired the KP Kreative approach to marketing for years.
Have the Leaves Changed for Your Marketing Yet?
Each season offers distinctive holidays, events, and activities, which means different behavior and preferences for your customers. Marketers need to pay close attention to this behavior in order to realize what strategies to focus on for which season. Here are some of our tips to help you change your marketing strategy along with the seasons.