Warm weather, longer days, and the smell of sunscreen in the air - summer is here, and it's time to make the most of it! As businesses gear up for the peak season, savvy marketers are tapping into the power of summer marketing to drive sales and engage customers.
In this article, we'll explore 6 special summer marketing ideas to help you stand out and make a splash this season.
What Is Summer Marketing?
Summer marketing is a popular type of seasonal marketing, which refers to promotional efforts to capitalize on consumers' seasonal activities and preferences. Given that US consumers spent about $214.1 billion last summer, eCommerce merchants should be more fierce in summer marketing campaigns this year to achieve as highest sales as possible.
During this period, people spend more leisure time outdoors with family and friends. They're also more open to new experiences to complement their summer fun. Effective summer marketing campaigns tap into these positive summer vibes and desires. Whether hosting an event, launching exclusive products, or getting social - the goals are driving brand awareness and sales as customers soak up the sun.
One of the most successful summer marketing campaigns recently is Leh Berry’s “Beat the Heat” campaign. It was a refreshing success. Its eye-catching designs and vibrant colors captured the essence of summer sale, while the slogan “Beat the Heat” resonated with customers seeking refreshing beverages. Leh Berry cleverly bundled their fruit juices with complementary items like reusable straws and ice cube trays, enticing customers to make additional purchases. Leveraging social media advertising, they targeted existing contacts with their summer sale bundle deals.
Image source: ContactPigeon
Why run Summer Marketing campaigns?
There are clear benefits to dedicating some portion of your annual marketing budget to summer sale ideas.
Capitalizing on Increased Consumer Spending
Summer is synonymous with vacations, outdoor activities, and social gatherings, all contributing to an average consumer spending of $2,830 per person. From travel expenses and outdoor gear to summer fashion and home decor, people are more inclined to open their wallets in the summer.
By strategically aligning their marketing efforts with this uptick in spending, businesses can seize the opportunity to boost sales and maximize revenue.
Leverage Positive Associations and Emotions
95% of purchase decisions are determined by subconscious factors, with the most significant factor being emotion. Meanwhile, summer evokes feelings of joy, relaxation, and adventure - associations that businesses can leverage to create compelling marketing campaigns.
By tapping into these positive emotions, brands can forge deeper connections with their audience and cultivate a sense of excitement and anticipation around their products or services.
Image source: Medium
Whether through vibrant imagery, catchy slogans, or themed promotions, summer marketing campaigns allow businesses to tap into the collective consciousness of consumers and position their brand as synonymous with the season's spirit.
Engage Customers in a Seasonally Relevant Manner
One of the key objectives of summer marketing campaigns is to engage customers in a way that feels timely and relevant to the season. Whether it's through themed promotions, seasonal product offerings, or experiential marketing activations, businesses have the opportunity to tailor their messaging and activities to align with the interests and priorities of their target audience during the summer sale months.
Given that brands with good customer engagement were 41% more likely to report their conversion rates as “much higher” compared to the market average. By speaking directly to the experiences and aspirations of consumers at this time of year, brands can increase relevance, resonance, and engagement and ultimately boost sales with their marketing efforts.
Image source: mci
6 Best Summer Marketing Ideas
1. Create A Buzz Around Summer Sale
To kickstart your summer sale, creating a buzz is essential. Here's how you can do it:
Deliver Summer Sale Content in Advance: Start building anticipation for your summer sale ideas by sharing summer-themed content in advance via social media and your website blog. Whether it's sharing summer fashion tips, highlighting popular summer sale activities, or showcasing sneak peeks of sale items, get your audience excited about what's to come.
Image source: Socital
Send Summer Emails Throughout the Season: Keep the momentum going by sending out summer-themed emails throughout the season. From announcing the start of your summer sale ideas to highlighting special promotions and exclusive offers, use email marketing to stay top-of-mind with your audience and drive traffic to your store.
Image source: Hustler Marketing
Everlane, a giant US clothing retailer, launched its very first summer sale campaign in 2020 via email marketing. In which, Everlane sent customers an email with the slogan “Our summer sale is officially on” and a “Shop Now” button. This is quite simple but effective. Once they click the button, customers will be navigated to countless attractive summer sale deals.
Image source: Really Good Emails
2. Design A Summer Online Style
Along with summer promotion ideas, it's a good idea to refresh your overall online style for the summer sale season. Customers enjoy seeing a theme carried throughout a business's digital presence.
Refresh Your Social Media Presence: Give your social media profiles a summer makeover by updating your profile pictures, cover photos, and posts with vibrant, seasonal imagery. Incorporate elements like beach scenes, palm trees, refreshing drinks, and bright colors to evoke the feeling of summer and create an inviting atmosphere for your followers.
Image source: Freepik
Design a Summer-Themed Online Store: Transform your online store into a summer sale paradise by incorporating elements of the season into your website design. Choose a color palette that reflects the warmth and vibrancy of summer, and use summer-themed graphics, banners, and backgrounds to create a cohesive and visually appealing experience for visitors. Highlight your summer products front and center, and create themed collections or categories to make it easy for customers to shop for their favorite summer sale essentials.
Image source: Freepik
🌟 Expert tip: When it comes to designing high-converting summer-themed pages for your online store, Foxify Smart Page Builder is your secret weapon. This powerful tool offers a wide range of features and customization options that make it easy to create stunning, professional-looking pages that capture the essence of summer sales. From a one-click editor, 90+ high-converting templates, to built-in upsell and cross-sell extensions, Foxify Smart Page Builder empowers you to bring your summer sale ideas to life with ease.
3. Create Branded Summer Games
Summer is all about fun and games, so why not bring a little playful spirit to your marketing strategy? Given that businesses have seen increases of up to 30% in customer engagement and 15-50% in conversion rates through gamification, let’s utilize its power and create branded summer games to win your audience:
Develop Interactive Games on Your Website: Add some excitement to your website by developing interactive games that tie into your brand or products. Whether it's a summer-themed memory match, a virtual scavenger hunt, or a beach-themed trivia quiz, interactive games are a fun way to capture your audience's attention and keep them coming back for more.
Image source: mambo
Organize Summer Contests: Whether it's a photo contest showcasing the best summer vacation snapshots or a recipe contest for the most creative summer-themed dish, contests are a great way to generate buzz, foster community, and reward your loyal customers.
Bio-Oil had an excellent summer marketing idea of creating an online puzzle as an easy way to educate customers about the importance of skin care during summer. Moreover, if customers win the puzzle, they will receive a 20% discount code in their next order, encouraging them to buy more!
Image source: easypromos
4. Create Summer Products
In addition to summer online style and games, businesses can re-design best-selling products or create new products tailored to the summer sale season.
Re-design Old Products with a New Summer-Themed Look: Give your existing products a summer makeover by re-designing them with fresh, vibrant summer-themed packaging or designs. Whether it's adding tropical patterns, beach-inspired colors, or fruity scents, updating your product aesthetics can boost the shopping experience and create a sense of novelty that resonates with shoppers during the sunny months.
Create New Products or Sub-Products Tailored to Customers' Preferences in Summer: Dive into your customers' summer wishlist and develop new products or sub-products that cater to their specific needs and preferences during the summer months. Whether it's lightweight clothing for hot weather, refreshing skincare products for sun-kissed skin, or outdoor accessories for backyard barbecues and beach days, creating summer-specific products can help you meet the demands of the season and stand out in a crowded market.
If you are looking for summer products to launch this summer, take these 45 summer product ideas to sell in 2024.
5. Launch Summer Promotion Program
Promotions are a key way to engage customers during the summer sale season. Let’s heat up your summer sales with irresistible summer promotion ideas that keep your customers coming back for more!
Summer Exclusive/ Limited Discount: Give your customers a reason to celebrate summer by offering exclusive or limited-time discounts on select products. Whether it's a percentage off, a buy-one-get-one deal, or free shipping on summer essentials, these irresistible savings will ignite the season’s spirit and encourage more purchases.
Summer Product Bundles: Create summer package deals by combining your top products. Imagine a sizzling BBQ set that includes all the essential grilling utensils and flavorful sauces, or a sun-soaked beach kit with protective sunscreen, plush towels, and fun beach activities. These thoughtfully assembled bundles provide a one-stop solution for customers looking to gather all their summer necessities for an unforgettable season.
🌟 Expert tip: Make the most of your summer promotion ideas with FoxKit, an all-in-one sales-boost tool that offers a range of features including upsell, cross-sell, and more. Use FoxKit to create dynamic product recommendations, upsell complementary items, and cross-sell related products, maximizing the value of every transaction and boosting your bottom line.
6. Host Your Own Summer Event
Getting involved in the community is a great way to welcome summer. Here’s how you can create a memorable summer experience for customers and boost summer sales at the same time:
Participate in Local Fairs: Immerse yourself in the vibrant local culture by joining in on the summer festivities, including fairs, festivals, and markets. Establish a presence with a booth or stand to display your offerings, seizing the chance to engage directly with prospective clients. By distributing samples, providing special promotions, or conducting live demos, you can increase your brand's visibility, attract new leads, and strengthen your bond with the local community.
Image source: flickr
Organize Your Own Events: Take the reins and organize your own summer sale events, such as pop-up shops, outdoor markets, or community gatherings. Choose a location that aligns with your brand aesthetic and target audience, whether it's a beachfront location, a park pavilion, or a trendy urban space. Create a buzz around your event by promoting it on social media, partnering with local influencers or businesses, and offering incentives like giveaways, live entertainment, or special promotions. By hosting your own events, you can create unique, immersive brand experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees and drive engagement and loyalty.
At the beginning of summer 2022, Starbucks collaborated with Pepsi to launch its very first energy drink named “Baya”. These 2 brands decided to organize a series of LGBT-themed free-tasting events at many campuses around the US to market the product. Their summer sale attracted tons of people because it not only brought energy to students but also showed support for inclusion and diversity. As a result, US sales of this energy drink reached $128.7 million at the end of year 2022.
Image source: ATN Talent Site
It’s Time to Start Your Summer Sale
As the temperature rises and the days get longer, now is the perfect time to kickstart your summer marketing campaigns. Whether you're launching a sizzling summer sale, refreshing your online presence, or hosting your own summer event, these special marketing ideas will help you make a splash this season. So dust off your flip-flops, fire up the barbecue, and get ready to bask in the sunshine of summer success!
