March Marketing Planner 2020

March 11, 2020

The holidays, the Super Bowl, and cold winter weather are in the rear-view mirror now, and it’s time to think about spring and summer. Here are the promotional products to start marketing right now for the month of May.

Kentucky Derby

$165.6 million was wagered on the 2019 Kentucky Derby, and that number goes up each year. The same should be expected in 2020 after what happened at the Derby in 2019.

For those who aren’t familiar, the Kentucky Derby is the annual horse race in Louisville, Kentucky that caps off the two-week long Kentucky Derby Festival. Last year, the racehorse Maximum Security appeared to win the race but was disqualified after further review. It caused quite the stir and raised awareness of the race, which should lead to more viewership for 2020.

Parties all over the country will be tuned in to see what happens this year. They’ll be wearing big hats, fancy blazers, and sipping Mint Juleps. The rising popularity of the Kentucky Derby is an opportunity for you. From a product standpoint, we feel compelled to start with the hats.

A quick look at social media in May 2019 shows athletes, influencers, and race fans alike posting pictures of their stylish blazers and Kentucky Derby hats.

The #kentuckyderby tag on Instagram brings up hundreds of images of those eye-catching flat brims and fancy headdresses.

There are endless creative potentials for you to use hats to drive sales.

What else do people do at the Derby? Well, they drink Mint Juleps, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. The folks lining the infield at Churchill Downs aren’t the only ones sipping the sweet Mint Juleps either, there will be parties around the country featuring the famous beverage. That spells opportunity for custom drinkware for that Kentucky Derby party your client is throwing. Here are a few ideas to spark your imagination. The S&S Activewear 2020 guide offers some stylish looks, and Mega Cap 2020 has a brimmed hat selection people will be begging for come race time.

Cinco de Mayo

Time to bust out the sombreros, pinatas, guacamole, and tequila. Speaking of guac, did you know that Cinco de Mayo drives avocado sales in the US more than any other day except the Super Bowl? Beacon’s 3-in-1 avocado tool may be exactly what your avocado-eating clients may need.

This unique holiday gives America a chance to have some fun and celebrate another culture.

You can prepare customers for the celebrations with sombreros, maracas, shot glasses, pinatas, and mixing bowls for all that guacamole and salsa. Check out WOWLine 2020 & J Charles for logo’d shot glasses and maracas, and see Totally Bamboo for bowls.

Mother’s Day

Mind-blowing fact of the day: Mother’s Day is the third largest retail holiday in the United States. Few days garner more attention and social media shout outs than the day that celebrates moms. With more than 85 million moms in the US and more than $200 billion being spent to spoil them, there is more than enough opportunity for promotional products.

Help your clients create an amazing Mother’s Day experience for all the moms on their payroll. This is a chance for your clients to win over the women in their company with thoughtful gifts.

Go beyond the typical cards and jewels and think about massage tools, relaxing candles, bath bombs, potted plants, wine glasses, or sweet treats. Consider items that will help those moms relax and enjoy their special day.

Nurse’s Day

Nurse’s day isn’t just for nurses. It’s a day for all people to recognize the role nurses play in keeping us healthy. The kind-hearted people who make us feel welcome in a place that can feel frightening deserve the recognition this day brings.

Most people don’t know anything about nursing day, though. It’s one of those sneaky holidays that glides past us on the calendar with little-to-no recognition. Let’s make this year different.

If you have clients in the medical industry, this is a no brainer. Provide these businesses clear solutions on how they can reward the hard-working nurses that keep patients coming back to their practice.

Water bottles, lanyards, stress balls, pens, and apparel are just a few items that pop immediately to mind.

Memorial Day

Three things are significant about Memorial Day:

It’s a celebration of the courageous men and women who have died serving in the US military. Above all else, let your country and the families of those people know how important they are this day.
For most of the working world, it’s a day off from the “grind” to be with people we care about.
It’s the day people kick it into high gear with summer activities. Swimming pools opened, grills light up for barbecuing, and volleyball nets are raised for heated competition.

Memorial day is an opportunity to sell the summer items that have been sitting dormant during the long winter months.

Give people a memorable Memorial Day with umbrellas, beach balls, frisbees, coolers, grill tools, lawn chairs, cup holders, or a grand old flag to hoist from the front porch.