We all know October ends with the tricks and treats of Halloween. But you may not be as familiar with the other days of celebration scattered throughout the month. These other festive holidays provide promotional marketers with ample opportunities to connect with customers, reward employees, and improve brand recognition. Get to Know Your Customers Day, Boss Day, National Make a Difference Day, and (of course) Halloween are all potential marketing holidays.
October 15: Get to Know Your Customers Day
Get to Know Your Customers Day isn’t just celebrated in October. It’s celebrated every quarter on the third Thursday of January, April, July, and October. While it’s obvious these holidays were created with promotional campaigns in mind, that doesn't make them any less critical.
Get to Know Your Customers Day is a reminder to check in with your customers and clients. Use the day to reach out to your customers and ask for feedback on improving customer experience and service. Asking them to rate their satisfaction with your service, staff, and products through a quick survey helps you identify opportunities and pain points you might otherwise miss.
Limit the number of questions you ask to encourage participation and use simple “Agree/Disagree” ranking tools like the Likert scale to gauge responses. Online surveys can be promoted through emails and social media, and are more likely to be completed than mail-out surveys.
Reward your customers for filling out the survey with small but useful promotional items, such as pens, calendars, trucker hats, or travel bottles. These gifts show you value your customers’ time while increasing brand recognition. To encourage survey completion, combine it with a drawing for a high-value gift such as customized outerwear, Bluetooth speakers, or a high-quality travel mug.
October 16: Boss Day
National Boss’s Day, or simply Boss Day, is another high-opportunity holiday. It’s intended to strengthen the bond between employers and employees. Although called Boss Day, it’s not unusual for employers to recognize and reward their employees on October 16 with a range of branded gifts such as:
Boss Day also is an opportunity to reach out to your clients, who are also bosses. Depending on the message you want to send, this may include a small gift to commemorate how well clients treat their employees like a polo shirt or a more expensive gift to reinforce the relationship your company has with the client like a fleece jacket or travel wallet.
October 24: National Make a Difference Day
The fourth Saturday in October is National Make a Difference Day. This holiday encourages organizations to participate in community service. Celebrate the day by choosing a project or cause close to your employees’ hearts, and work towards making a difference. The possibilities are endless, ranging from park cleanups and recycling projects to fundraisers and food drives.
Whichever cause you choose, spread the word on social media and through your email list, so customers and employees know all the details. If your community service occurs in a public location, print a customized T-shirt to commemorate the event. Offer prizes and draws for participants, and follow up with sincere thanks for everyone’s contribution.
October 31: Halloween
Halloween, which is synonymous with October, is a festive holiday that marks the transition from late fall to early winter. It’s the time for jack-o-lanterns, employee costume contests, and pumpkin spice in practically everything.
Promotional marketing for Halloween should reflect the holiday’s spooky fun — with special discounts or public trick-or-treat events. Run an online pumpkin-carving or costume contest on social media with prizes for the winners (a cozy hoodie or sweatshirt make great prizes for October holidays).
Your business could also participate in Operation Gratitude, a non-profit that collects donated candy and other items to send to servicemen and women deployed overseas. Start a candy drive, and include small branded items in your donations to make life easier or more enjoyable during deployment (compact first aid kits, sunglasses, flashlights, and multitools are all possible donations members of the armed forces appreciate).
October marketing holidays provide plenty of opportunities to get your brand out in the public eye before the distractions of the winter holidays. Browse Triple Crown Products’ extensive collection of promotional clothing and gift ideas, or contact us for help choosing the right promotional items for your latest marketing campaign.