2020’s marketing plan for ecommerce and retailers - holiday edition

Nowadays as soon as you’re done learning about one trend, there’s another one popping up!

So to combat these changes, entrepreneurs need to be systematic and right on the money with their promotions!

To that end, it’s great to have a set structure in place to advance your promotional calendar.
Here are all the templates you need in your preferred format so you can stay ahead of the competition.

• PDF
• Google Slides
• Google Sheets
• Powerpoint

Systematic Planning =Follow Through = Better Execution = Result!

Build your marketing plan
We’ve all been there, doing things at the last minute; but it won’t give you the desired outcome. You have no other option than to play ball.

So take charge! Enter the playing field guns a'blazin🔥 (Metaphorically of course!)

Focus on products trending on your website and make sure they are added to your big sales during the year.
If Red Santa hats start trending two weeks before Black Friday, include them in your Black Friday program.

It will make an impact!

Start planning your offers well ahead of time.

What do you think is the first impression your new customer sees of you?

This is what many retailers think their first impression looks like --

This is what it actually looks like --

Do you see any info about that gorgeous 50% SALE in the copy?
No.
It’s a skipped step, and sadly one of the most vital ones!
This is a big mistakes many companies make today.

They spend a lot of money on amazing prices and offers, but they don't show it on their storefront in Google.

How will new customers land on your page if the offers are not promoted immediately when they are searching for your store?
You HAVE TO have all your offers on the landing page, and you can do that using Google Ads.

• That's why our Google Ads specialists and senior developers have set out to solve this for you. We have created a tool that identifies the best Ad copies, schedules your offers pronto and allows you to be the star of your marketing team!
  
  Here are all the marketing calendar templates that you need to stay a step ahead --
  
  

Q1
Kick start the year well ahead of the game!

January
New Year’s Day – January 1st

Market: Global
Happy New Year Y’all =)

This is the first week of a brand New Year! Build your marketing campaigns around New Year’s resolutions, bucket lists, or 30-day challenges.

Eastern Orthodox Christmas – January 7th
Market: Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Egypt, Bulgaria

Keep your Christmas offers running till January so you can cater to this market!

Chinese New Year – January 25th
Market: Chinese community, loads of people around the world that follow the Chinese zodiac

Chinese New Year is a festival that begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ends on the full moon fifteen days later. 2019 is the year of the pig. Figure out how can you use that in your campaigns.

Grammy Awards – 27th January
Market: Global target, especially all Spotify users who can't stop playing their favorite tune

February

Super Bowl Sunday – February 3rd

Market: US and Global NFL fans
Super Bowl Sunday is a huge event in the U.S. Find your niche and experiment with great offers. 

Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day / Fettisdagen - March 5
Market: Sweden and Global

Yum-yums in the tum-tums! =) 

*drool*

Valentine’s Day – February 14th
Market: Global

Celebration of love and romance. 

Oscar Night – February 10th
Market: Global and for all the film fanatics

The Academy Awards ceremony is the biggest events in the film industry. Do you have any products that are featured in top movies or can you relate an offer to them?

March

Green Monday – March 2nd
Market: Global

Coined by eBay in 2007, Green Monday is “celebrated” on the second Monday of December.

International Women’s Day – March 8th
Market: Global

International Women’s Day celebrates women’s equality and contributions to the world, and what better way than to reward the special ladies out there than with an excellent discount.

White Day – March 14th
Market: Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and China

In countries like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, women celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving chocolates and handmade gifts to their boyfriends, male colleagues and friends. A month later, on March 14th, the men reciprocate the gesture.
On this day, online shoppers go after custom-made apparel, accessories, and jewelry. And if you’re offering any of these, White Day might be a perfect time to target customers in Southeast Asia, whether you already have a presence there, or you’re interested in building one.

St. Patrick’s Day – March 17th
Market: Ireland & and Irish community in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, and New Zealand

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Ireland’s heritage and culture that usually involves parades and festivals.

Q2
With the weather getting warmer in the second quarter of the year, people spend more time outdoors and start making camping and wedding plans.
Well, that’s a common scenario for people living on the Northern hemisphere. But remember that some of your customers might be living down South, which means they’re actually gearing up for the wintertime. So pick your campaign themes wisely.

April

April Fools’ Day – April 1st
Market: Global

A day of fun and pranks! Great day for your brand to display your sense of humor.

National Pet Day – April 11th
Market: Global

Even if you don’t offer products related to pets, you can use National Pet Day as an opportunity to connect with your customers. For example, share some photos of cute pets, brand owner's pets for a personal touch, or share your thoughts on why this day matters to you.

Easter Holy week – April 5-11th
Market: Global Christian holiday - Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday

With every passing year, business owners are investing more time in preparing spring sales around Easter, offering special deals on clothing, seasonal decor, and home goods; this has brought favorable results with many online stores.

Earth Day – April 22nd
Market: Global

April 22nd marks the anniversary of the environmental movement founded in 1970. On this day, countries around the world hold various events in support of environmental protection.

Valborg - April 30 - May 1
Market: Sweden

The Swedes are lighting up fires all over Sweden. This is also a big weekend for the younger population, and a great reason to party! It’s also the Swedish king's birthday.

May

Mother’s Day – May 10th
Market: US, Canada, most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, the Philippines, and South Africa



Eurovision – May 13-16th
Market: European countries and Australians

🎵Eurovision is an annual international song competition and it's a ton of energy!🎵

June

Father’s Day – June 21st
Market: Global (US, Canada, Europe, India, China, Japan)

A day to celebrate fathers in the world. Many retailers are using this day as an opportunity to package the perfect dad present.

Like with Mother’s Day, different countries celebrate Father’s Day on different dates, so double-check when your target audience most likely celebrates this holiday.

Midsummer - June 19–25
Market: Sweden

One of the big events for every Swede. Celebrating that the summer is here! Family dinners include singing about small frogs and dancing around the midsummer pole. It’s really quite enchanting =)

Q3

Summer is here and that means – outdoor activities, traveling and sightseeing. People tend to get very weather dependent. So if you have a weekend of rain, people will tend to shop online to brave the week ahead. Act fast to catch these opportunities!

July

Canada Day – July 1st
Market: Canada

Canadian Independence Day is celebrated similarly to other holidays of the kind – with country-wide events, parades, and picnics.

Independence Day – July 4th
Market: US

No other holiday brings Americans together like the 4th of July. Believe it or not, last year people all over the country spent $7.1 billion on food, decorations, and activities in preparation for this day.

August

Book Lovers Day – August 9th

Market: Global

Time to put away your screens and read old fashion books. On this day, book lovers celebrate reading and literature.

First day of school/Back to school August
Market: Local for each country

In the Northern Hemisphere, the academic year starts in August or September, and January or February in the Southern Hemisphere.
It’s a day filled with exciting reunions and anticipation for the next school year. Treat the students and parents among your audience with a greeting or special promotion.

Q4

To assist with smooth holiday planning -

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/holiday-deal-seekers/

September

Oktoberfest – September 19th (until October 4th)

Market: Germany and fans of Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer and folk festival held in Germany. It attracts more than 6 million visitors from around the world every year.
If you can picture your audience unwinding with a nice brew, build your marketing efforts around fun content, costumes, and of course, beer!

October

Halloween – October 31st
Market: Global

Widely celebrated in most Western countries, Halloween is not your typical honor the dead holiday. On this day people wear costumes, watch horror movies, carve pumpkins, and go trick-or-treating.

November

Single’s Day – November 11th

Market: China

Single’s Day started as a student tradition in China in the mid-1990s. On this day, single friends would spend time together eating out, going to movies, and shopping.However, November 11th took an unexpected and more commercial turn in 2009 when one of the biggest e-commerce companies, Alibaba, decided to run its first Single’s Day Sale. Fast forward to this day, Single’s Day is one of China’s biggest annual spending events.
Fun fact: In 2018, Alibaba broke a record by generating $30.8 billion in just 24 hours. Live broadcasting the sales revenue!

Diwali – November 14th

Market: India

Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is one of India’s most popular holidays. Celebrated every autumn, it honors the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.
In preparation for Diwali, families spend days cleaning and decorating their homes. They also shop for new clothes and accessories to wear during the festival.

Thanksgiving – November 26th
Market: US

Celebrated nationally, Thanksgiving originated as a harvest festival when the first pilgrims shared their food with Native Americans. Today families and friends get together for a meal to give thanks for what they have

Black Friday – November 27th
Market: Global

Black Friday is a shopping day after Thanksgiving that is known for its crazy deals and the crowds that go crazy for them.

Cyber Monday - November 30th

Market: Global

The Monday after Black Friday is known as Cyber Monday – the biggest online spending holiday till date with more than $7.9 billion spent in 2018 (19.3% more than the year before).
On this day, retailers offer even higher discounts than on Black Friday, as recent years show, people tend to shop more on Cyber Monday!

December

Lucia December 13th
Market: Christian countries

A family day of singing Christmas carols, these are the few hectic days before Christmas.

Hanukkah – December 10th-18th
Market: Jewish people

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the victory of Jews in a battle against the Greeks over 2000 years ago to practice Judaism without restriction.
If you decide to add Hanukkah to your marketing calendar, be aware that it’s not related to Christmas and make sure you understand what this holiday means. Even though some families still exchange gifts, it’s more about spending quality time with your family.
That said, candles, decorations, and other products that can be used to create a cozy atmosphere at home are things that you can run promotions on.

Christmas Eve and Day – December 24-25th

Market: Global Christians, Countries where Christmas is a public holiday

These two dates mark a religious and cultural holiday for billions of people around the world who celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Even though Christmas is becoming more commercial every year, don’t forget that it’s a family holiday. So base your marketing campaigns on heart-warming ideas and wishes.


Boxing Day – December 26th
Market: UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand

Boxing Day is a national holiday celebrated in a number of countries that were previously part of the British Empire. On this day, people spend time with family or friends.
Even though some believe that Boxing Day can be traced back to medieval times, today, it’s mostly considered an extension of the Christmas holiday and shopping.

New Year’s Eve – December 31st
Market: Global

The last day of the year is usually celebrated with social gatherings that often include dancing, eating, drinking, and watching fireworks.

So there you have it! Plan ahead, go all out with your marketing strategies and may the passing of this year, be the one to beat!

Join our webinar for actionable insights to grow your e-commerce store.

Best Wishes! =)