Fun for all: Halloween promotions that engage and entertain
In a few weeks, the air will smell of spices and sweets once again as cities across the country mark Halloween. And while October 31 is the acknowledged day, Halloween is really more of a season of fright-filled yet fun shenanigans that kids and adults alike enjoy. Costumes, parties, food, and practical jokes are the order of the day, giving companies a chance to market themselves in unusual yet delightful ways. By getting in on the action, your brand not only gains visibility; it also becomes an entity that customers see as accessible, relatable, and in touch. There’s plenty of time for your business to organize something special, and here are some tips and ideas to help you get your marketing potions bubbling.
Take cues from pop culture
It’s the easiest way to create instant relatability AND give your sales a boo-st. What are the trendiest scary movies or shows lately? Adapt the theme or concept in your stores, campaigns, and activities. Get your decorative items and tokens to match. For inspiration, take a look at the video that Svedka Vodka created which parodies the slew of curse-centered horror movies. Another example is the Topshop X Stranger Things collection and store experience. Customers lined up at the flagship store to get their hands on the fashion as well as catch the first two episodes of the show’s new season. Another cool inspiration is the zombie-proof mobile home idea by Comfort Insurance. It played on the current fascination for zombies by presenting a unique solution.
If you can’t beat them, join them
Costumes – do something with them. Most people never get a chance to wear outrageous outfits and Halloween is that one day in the year when no one will blink an eye if they do. All people need is a good excuse to bust out their scariest, zaniest attire. Offer a gift or a reward of some sort for anyone who comes to your store or office in a costume that follows your theme. How about nifty little gadgets or sweet Halloween-themed treats? Try online engagement, too. How about a discount or a special gift for those who order online, like a funny and cute magnet, decal, or sticker or a paper mask? Have a look at how Chipotle does it.
Give them a spooktacular experience
You can be the brand that gives them a celebration they can’t forget, like what telco company GiffGaff did through a pop-up salon where people can get ghoulish makeovers for their Halloween shindigs.There’s also the prankvertising route, like what MGM did to promote the Carrie movie remake in 2013. They spooked some coffee shop customers by enacting a Carrie-like scene and got a viral video out of it.Or you can give employees scary, matching
uniforms to wear for an unnerving store experience and a great photo-opp for your social media page later!
It’s the season for irreverent content
Scares and laughter are a match made in heaven (or in this case, hell), and the season is ripe for promotional efforts that combine both. For example, Burger King’s #ScaryClownNight ad encouraged people to come to get a free whopper by dressing up as a scary clown. It was like a trailer for a horror movie but also threw in a tongue-in-cheek joke related to Burger King’s top competitor.
Take a calculated risk and have fun with it. This is the season where businesses can go all out on the unexpected. If you can’t do it for Halloween, when else?
We would love to share what we know with your and help your business go further. Let’s have a chat and take it from there. Happy Halloween!