With new holidays, National Days and social media hashtags popping up wherever you look, it can be hard to know which days to target to guarantee success for your business’s seasonal marketing efforts. To help you streamline your strategy, we’ve created this handy 2022 marketing timeline that highlights key dates in your calendar and shows you exactly when to start preparing your print marketing materials to see the biggest benefit.
January
New Year’s Day 1st January
January Sales
Whether you start ramping up in the days before the new year, or plan sales throughout the month, January sales are one of the biggest sales events of the year. Make sure you’ve got plenty of posters, flyers and vouchers printed to last the whole month.
Veganuary
January sees many vowing to consume more plant-based foods in the new year for environmental, health and moral reasons. This makes it a great time to launch a new menu to entice your newly vegan customers in!
Dry January
Another resolution for many of your customers will be to drink less, or nothing at all! Send out mocktail recipe books or cards and create recipe video content for your social media channels to support this goal and build awareness for your brand.
Fitness
With fitness high on the agenda in January, gyms, leisure centres and personal trainers will need to bolster their retention efforts to keep customers coming back long after the month has ended. Loyalty cards are a great way to incentivise and encourage repeat custom.
Burns Night 25th January
Valentine’s Day Prep
Towards the end of the month, you should start to plan your Valentine’s Day campaign and budget for marketing materials. This could involve planning a marketing email to send to your mailing list, creating a couple’s gift guide or promoting bookings for your restaurant.
February
Chinese New Year 1st February
Early February – Finalise Valentine’s Plans
If you’re trying to encourage hotel or restaurant reservations for Valentine’s, make sure you launch your campaign early to avoid missing out on the competition. If you’re planning a promotion for the day, now’s the time to get all your ducks in a row!
Valentine’s Day 14th February
March
Shrove Tuesday 1st March
Spring Clean!
With the end of the tax year right around the corner, many businesses choose to freshen up their accounts in March. Many of your customers will also have fresh starts and spring cleaning on their minds, making this a great theme for your marketing this month.
St David’s Day 1st March
Mother’s Day Marketing Planning
Mothering Sunday falls at the end of the month this year, meaning you’ve got the whole of March to organise and promote any marketing activities you’ve got planned. Customers will be hunting for the perfect gift or experience this year but be mindful of those who might not be receptive to your Mother’s Day messaging by giving customers the chance to opt-out now.
Ash Wednesday 2nd March
International Women’s Day 8th March
Take part in the global day for celebrating women’s achievements by sharing testimonials from staff or customers! Use the first week of March to create assets for your campaign and reach out to team members or clients to ask if they’d like to be featured on the day.
St Patrick’s Day 17th March
Give customers the luck of the Irish with a St Paddy’s themed sale or event. If you’re hosting a St Patrick’s Day event at your pub or venue, design your posters with green shamrock as your inspiration.
Mother’s Day 27th March
Daylight Savings Starts 27th March
Easter Prep
By the end of March, it’s important to get your Easter plans into place. Most supermarkets will already have their displays up and shelves full of chocolate, with lots of people on the hunt for Easter greetings cards. Whether you’re selling card designs or sending out an offer, start your prep now.
April
April Fool’s Day 1st April
Company April Fool’s Day jokes usually go one way or the other. Before posting your prank, double-check it’s actually funny and not just offensive!
New Tax Year Starts 6th April
Easter Weekend 15th-18th April
The four-day weekend is the perfect time to target families who might be on the hunt for more than just eggs at Easter. Parks, zoos and other attractions will do well to offer a deal to help parents keep their children entertained all weekend long.
Earth Day 22nd April
Many businesses are increasing their efforts for reducing their environmental impact and offering green solutions for their businesses. Create a newsletter or social media post for Earth Day to share your environmental updates with customers.
St George’s Day 23rd April
May
Early May Bank Holiday 2nd May
Summer Marketing Plan
With another long weekend due at the start of June, start planning out your summer marketing activities early. Brief in designs for any posters and flyers you’ll need to advertise events ready to order, and post out holiday catalogues for those craving sunnier climes this year.
June
Father’s Day Prep
Father’s Day provides an occasion for finding the perfect gift this month, and sunnier weather means more people will be outdoors. Appeal to the high footfall in the streets by printing flags and PVC banners promoting your Father’s Day campaign at the start of June.
Spring Bank Holiday 2nd June
Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday 3rd June
Royal Celebration
As well as celebrating seven decades on the throne with an extra bank holiday, June also marks the Queen’s birthday. With consumers feeling extra patriotic this month, share the ways your business supports the UK economy with your marketing.
Queen’s Birthday 11th June
Father’s Day 19th June
July
Schools Break Up
School’s out for summer at the end of July, making this month all about your holiday activities prep. With six weeks to burn through, parents will be looking for ways to keep the family entertained – use folded leaflets to showcase all the events you’ve got on over the summer.
Festival Season
For many, summer means festivals and outdoor events. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean amazing weather. Check out our waterproof print range for outdoor event signage, menus and more.
August
Black Friday Prep
Decide whether you’re going to host a Black Friday weekend sale in-store, online or both and start setting up sales accordingly. Top tip: November is notoriously busy, so order sale posters and banners now ready for the lead up to this weekend.
Christmas Market Applications
If you’re planning on hosting a stall at a Christmas market, most applications close in the summer, or earlier for the really popular markets. Apply now so you don’t miss out!
Back to School Promotions
Summer is almost over, which means everyone is getting ready to go back to school and work. Whether you’re a bookshop selling stationery supplies or you run a childcare service, start promoting your back to school offers now.
Summer Bank Holiday 29th August
September
Christmas Catalogues
Showcase your Christmas range and make sure your products are on the top of everyone’s wish lists this year by sending out a catalogue in time for the festive period. Aim to get yours designed, printed and ready to post out by the end of the month.
Event Promotion
From pantomimes and markets, to special menus and even your work’s Christmas do, events during the golden quarter require lots of planning and printing. Arrange marketing materials to promote your events early and secure bookings ahead of competitors.
Halloween Events
Don’t leave it until the last minute to order your Halloween decorations and promotional materials. This is an easily forgotten holiday that’s another chance to give business a boost – try sending customers the treat of a discount voucher in the post!
October
Event Printing
Now that you’ve advertised your events, you’ll need to order your print. For parties, remember invites, menus and banners. For sales and shows, you’ll need tickets and posters. For festive meals, print a fresh set of menus.
Black Friday Promotion
Using the print you’ve already ordered, start promoting your Black Friday weekend offers around your store or sending out flyers to customers letting them know what deals to expect.
Christmas Prep
Plan out everything you’ll need for your big Christmas campaign and start weighing up costs to ensure you get a good return on your investment.
Daylight Savings Ends 30th October
Halloween 31st October
November
Christmas Promotions
Now that you’ve planned out your campaigns, it’s time to start creating your media - from social competition posts and emails to in-store gifting promotions! Order posters and window display signage to create a festive feel in your shop.
Bonfire Night 5th November
Remembrance Day 11th November
Christmas Markets
Create a checklist of everything you’ll need for your Christmas market stall, including a calculator, card machine, spare change, packaging or paper bags, and lots of layers to keep you warm.
Black Friday Weekend 25th-28th November
Diaries & Calendars
Update your calendars and diaries to 2023 dates to start preparing for next year’s events. Top tip: These branded items also make great gifts for your team and biggest clients!
December
Corporate Gifts
Thank your key clients for all their support this year, or send a small gift out to your team to show your appreciation. Bonus points for branded wrapping paper, stickers, Christmas cards, gift tags and bottle labels!
Small Business Saturday 3rd December
January Sales
Many businesses start their post-Christmas sales as early as Boxing Day. Prepare your sales posters, stickers and displays for the rush before it sneaks up on you!
Christmas Eve 24th December
Christmas Day 25th December
Now’s the perfect time to relax knowing you’ve given your business a huge boost as we go into the new year, and you’re prepared for the first month of 2023. Congrats!
Boxing Day 26th December
New Year’s Eve 31st December
We hope this timeline makes it easier to plan your yearly marketing activity around trending themes for each month, and it gives you a clearer idea of when to start preparing promotional materials. If you’d like more print recommendations for your upcoming events, our team of expert advisors are on hand to help! Get in touch for personalised advice for your business.
