The Fourth of July affects Americans, whether they are patriotic or not. The Fourth of July is celebrated in honor of America’s independence from Great Britain back in 1776. Marketers use this national holiday to the best of their advantage. Due to the high volume of attention and patriotic pride for this particular holiday, it marks perfect timing for brands to reach out to their consumers. Since it’s a national holiday, almost any brand can participate in this marketing opportunity. It can vary from those Corona and limes you are enjoying during your Hamptons getaway, to the new patio set you purchased during Fortunoff Backyard store’s latest sale… The question remains is how do advertisers get your attention in today’s very noisy atmosphere?
After analyzing the past few years, it is clear what industries the advertisers are after. Areas of prime interest during the 4th include; food, retail, tech, fireworks, and gasoline – just to name a few. According to Prosper Insights & Analytics, people will be spending about $7.1 billion on food alone. Food is a vital piece of July 4th celebrations, if not the center of the holiday. Most people are stocking up on cold beverages and the perfect items to grill all day, to not come up short during their festivities, which leads to overspending and overbuying. Grocery stores send advertisements alongside the local paper a week or two leading up to the day so people can plan ahead. The retail industry partakes in the Fourth of July madness by bombarding subscription customers with endless emails. I’m sure you know exactly what I am talking about.
Sales and discounts from brands are expected by consumers each year. Therefore, brands are always wanting to improve any tactics used to attract a high-volume crowd. Most brands flock to the use of social media. Brands should create a catchy phrase and incorporate a hashtag to attach to any posts. This is the best time for companies to let loose and be more creative in order to engage with the customers in a wittier manner. Another thing advertisers need to take advantage of are the colors red, white, and blue. It’s just common sense. With all this being said, companies and brands should not be too overly promotional, instead, they should inspire their audiences to partake in the festivities. That way customers don’t disregard any emails, Instagram posts, or tweets. This would be an example of “pull-power”.
Fourth of July campaigns are best reached through email, believe it or not. Consistent email blasting builds the hype and awareness to the actual launch of any sales and promotions. According to the LA Times, the Average Order Value (AOV) reached was 17% higher than average on orders obtained through social media. Promotional emails are effective, but you don’t want to bombard a consumer to feel overwhelmed. A relationship has to be set on other social media platforms too.
Examples of companies that have been successful in their July 4th advertising have been Home Depot, Budweiser, Walmart, and Macy’s. These are considered to be some of the giants within their industry. Retail and eCommerce businesses have a higher advantage with running their Fourth of July campaigns. That is because it gives an incentive for the company to further enhance themselves in the future. Opposed to businesses that offer some sort of service, which can take a longer period to build a genuine relationship with the consumer. This can be done through a brand’s different social media platforms. The different banter established on the different sites needs to be emphasized and stretched to keep up to date. Advertising and marketing are not what it once used to be, so it is vital to leverage your brand on these outlets.
The Fourth of July is a holiday that compliments these spectacular sales and promotions with fireworks and hot dogs. The feeling established through a customer’s journey through your brand should give off the same feeling this holiday represents: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness!
Interested in learning more about what advertising strategies your company should implement? Contact us at DCW Media and we can help!
