Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday that evolved from the annual celebration of Washington’s birthday on February 22. As Americans prefer their holidays on Mondays to extend the weekend, the designated day that has grown to include all presidents is on the third Monday in February.
It always is a day off for a large percentage of the American population. All schools and banks are closed, so a lot of people have extra time to shop on that extended weekend break.
This year’s Presidents’ Day falls out on February 15th. The proximity to Valentine’s Day does divert some shopping attention. However, the marketing messaging for the two holidays is different enough to warrant distinct campaigns.
Particularly for those who sell things that are not inherently romantic or even giftable, Presidents’ Day is an ideal occasion to seize on because it really works with any product or service. In fact, President’s Day marketing is the most flexible and adaptable of all.
People expect to see sales and incentives to buy and will be on the lookout for notices about them in any and all categories. That means that whatever you’re selling, you can market it for the occasion. It doesn’t have to fit in a heart-shaped box or subject to any kind of thematic restriction, which means no matter what you’re selling, you can use this holiday to market it.
Setting up your Presidents’ Day marketing campaign
Here are a few pointers to help you ensure success.
Plan ahead
Think about what you want to promote for Presidents’ Day: a general sale on everything, selected items for specific categories, a coupon code for a percentage or dollars off purchase, etc. You can then announce the sale ahead of time, giving your customers a heads up via email or text before sending out the message that includes the code or the link to the specials on your site.
You can consider a presidential twist on a dollars off promotion by sending out a message like “Keep Washington and Lincoln in your wallet with super savings this Presidents’ Day.”
Segment your list
One thing to remember is that Presidents’ Day is only celebrated in the USA. So if you have customers across borders, you can still send them a promotion because everyone loves those, but you should call it something else so that it is relevant to them.
Use your Remarkety lists to identify who should get what kind of offer based on their browsing and purchase history. Dynamic (or personal) coupons deliver different coupon codes that correspond to specific customer segments.
The fact that dynamic coupons are unique to individuals and campaigns helps retailers identify what pushed a particular customer to convert. On that basis, you know which kind of offer you should send to which customer.
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Make your message stand out
With pretty much every single store in the United States getting on board for Presidents’ Day sales, you have to make sure you get your customers’ attention. You also want to convey the urgency of a limited time offer.
This is where using MMS rather than just SMS can make all the difference in instantly capturing your customers’ attention with a memorable picture that conveys the concept for your holiday promotion.
The same applies to your images selected for your email messaging. As you can see in this example, this brand put its product on the Lincoln Memorial to create a striking and memorable image utilizing contrast
If that doesn’t work for your brand, you can superimpose your message about your sale on $1 and $5 bills, images of the presidents, Mount Rushmore, or on a stars and stripes background. But to get your customers to see the email, you have to make sure to craft a compelling subject line that lets them know the email is worth opening.
Possible subject lines include the following that sparks excitement by emphasizing urgency or how much one can save:
- Our Presidents’ Day Sale STARTS NOW!
- President’s Day Weekend Savings – Save up to 75%
- $5 off every $50 purchase: Save one Lincoln bill for every Grant you spend!
- EXTRA 20% OFF Presidents’ Day Sale – Now Up To 75% Off!
- President’s Day Sale: 25% OFF New Arrivals!
You can grab even more attention in your subject lines with personalization. Remember that Remarkety allows you to personalize with the recipient’s names for even more impact as in this example:
“Kim, find what you want on sale now for Presidents’ Day!”
Follow up
Even if your customers haven’t responded to the email campaign, you can follow up with SMS or MMS to remind them not to miss out on the last day of the sale with messages like these:
- Presidents’ Day Sale + Last Day to get FREE SHIPPING
- Final Hours to Save Big on Presidents’ Day
Be sure that all your texts identify your brand, have a clear CTA and link to click, and adhere to legal requirements and best practices. Remarkety makes it easy to stay in compliance and optimize results from your messaging.
No matter what your business offers, whether it’s aimed at home or business use, individual or group use, big-budget, or pocket change purchasers, it can be marketed for this holiday. That’s why Presidents’ Day can be such a boon to eCommerce businesses for those who capitalize on the occasion.
