Independence Day, or the July Fourth Holiday, is the first celebratory occasion of each summer, known for big entertainment events, grand exhibitions of history and arts, and spectacular fireworks displays. Coupled with seemingly endless outdoor barbecues and feast of all sizes and culinary specialties, marketing activities often have taken a bit of a back seat to the holiday celebrations in the past, but not anymore. Retailers are pulling out all the stops to gear up for this July 4th Holiday, making an concerted effort to fill the void between Springs marketing promotions and the much anticipated late summer and fall shopping seasons.
Opportunities to showcase retailers products are themselves taking on an entertainment and celebratory theme, all wrapped up in the red, white and blue and sparkling with messages of deep discounts and massive savings for those shoppers who are willing to take a few hours away from the festivities and find a bargain.
This year, Macy’s, the master of special event marketing, will continue to solidify their lead in entertainment advertising and marketing with “It begins with a spark”. The annual Macy’s fireworks display who will be scored by Usher, who will “curate” the score and the fireworks themselves. Macy’s believes Usher’s involvement will expand the audience for the show, which is broadcast nationally and won some 8 million viewers for NBC last year for the retail giant. Macy’s strives to make the shopping experience fun. “It’s not just about shopping – it’s about retail entertainment, says a spoke person, we are dedicated to creating special experiences for our customers by hosting a variety of events in our stores and communities.”
July is usually a great month of for car-shoppers and for this year major automakers are hopeful that it will once again prove to be the lucky month for them. Dealerships all across America are pitching the tents and polishing the inventory to capture the attention of buyers and lure them under the big top and into a great deal. July is one of the months in a year where car buyers are able to save a lot in purchasing vehicles since incentives and rebates are offered by automakers in an effort to reduce their inventory prior to the arrival of the new models in early fall.
But participants need not be mega stores and huge, hard-goods marketers to capitalize on the excitement of this Independence Day. Small and mid-sized businesses and local specialty shops can get in on the action with a well thought-out and well-planned strategy to link to the months most spectacular day, the most important thing is to participate and be part of the action. Coordinate promotional activities with area events, focusing on the food, entertainment and the colors of the Holiday. Be prepared to do something special for those customers and clients who support you throughout the year. If hosting an event is out of the question, participate in one of the local Fourth of July celebrations by becoming a sponsor or creating a tie-in with popular public celebrations.
Whatever the decision, promotion is the key to success, be sure to get your brand and message out across all media and collateral; whether print, digital or social, a well buttoned up message broadcast to your market will ensure that you are player and not benched on the sidelines.
According to Plunkett Research, surveys show, that in general, consumers are focused on increasing their savings and paying down debts and with persistently high unemployment levels and a difficult environment for job seekers, customers are reducing retail spending. Consumers will continue to be more conservative and when they do spend, they want to feel like they are buying merchandise that is fairly priced, if not a significant bargain.
Taylor your July Fourth marketing message to reflect the current economic environment and consumers concerns and expectations wrap it all up in red, white and blue and launch it with celebration. Lead with your best holiday effort, get involved don’t be left out.