A Marketing Guide to Surviving Summer

Top tips and inspiration for making it through the silly season…
Its summertime and the living’s easy. Vacations and holidays cause sales to slow to a trickle. So much so that they call it the ‘silly season’ and companies go to the extremes to secure their sales.
Does this mean pack it in and just forget the summer months as a time to push sales? These companies don’t think so. Here is a compilation of this summer’s best marketing plans…
Jeep’s “Call of Summer”

Jeep is taking the summer and running with it. Summer doesn’t mean back down! Summer means buy! Why? Because its summer and you need a Jeep. (I want a Jeep… It worked!)
Shark Week on Discovery Channel

Nothing encourages people to stay inside their air conditioned houses quite like Shark Week. This summer’s infested water phenomenon kicks off the 27th annual Shark Week. 27 years! That’s amazing! I’m not sure what Rob Lowe has to do with sharks, but I don’t care! It’s Shark Week!
Summer’s Eve

This feminine hygiene product company knock the ball out of the park with their summer advertising campaign.
Chevy Summer Drive Born Free Commercial

Nothing says American summer like Kid Rock singing liberating lyrics, playing baseball, and driving Chevrolets. Mostly nothing says it because it’s incredibly cheesy and over the top. But I guess that’s how Chevy drivers ride!
Samsung: “Every Day is Day One”

Salt, waves, and sand are the best combination for any summer getaway. Samsung embodies the spirit of youth and adventure in their latest commercial. One peek at this advert and you will be itching to grab your board and hit some waves.
Of course, we don’t all have budgets like Samsung and Chevy. However, dimes are just one of the components of a marketing campaign that survives summer. Here are a few more tips…
Be fun!
Seventy percent of American families are planning a vacation this summer, if you can target them when they are already spending vacation budgeted money your sales will skyrocket.
Get mobile!
Everyone is on the go all summer long, be sure that your sites and promotions are too. Families looking to save will search for the best deals from their phones. Make sure that’s you!
Give it away!
Be sure to run at least two summer sweepstakes. Sweepstakes are easy to implement and help build your email base. Give your business something to talk about and then promote, promote, promote!
Give credit where credit is due!
Sending out small amounts ‘fun money’ in the form of $5 or $10 promotional credits will give customers a reason to stop in. In the lazy days of summer everyone is always looking for a little push.
Get creative!
Find a way to offer fun and of the wall ways to guerilla market. Inexpensive and fun sales tactics can create a buzz for your business and help you stay connected locally.