The Promotional Idea Showcase - Fall 2004 - Updated Quarterly

Promotional Planning Calendar

FEBRUARY

Bake For Family Fun Month. The family that bakes together, stays together. Help employees or customers spend more quality time with their families by doing a promotion that centers around baking. Just a few of the baking-related products available through your promotional consultant include cookie cutters, spatulas, bread makers, measuring spoons, spices, aprons, potholders, cookie mixes and even entire sets of baking dishes. Check out www.homebaking.org/familyfun/ for some baking ideas.

National Cherry Month. There’s a lot about cherries to celebrate: Each year, about 600 million pounds of them are grown in the United States. Restaurants, bars, bakeries, supermarkets, etc., can promote special cherry dishes and drinks, while other businesses can consider using cherry-themed products in their promotions this month. For more facts about cherries, visit www.cherrymkt.org/.

American Heart Month. While promoting a healthy heart is an obvious tie-in for hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices and other health-care facilities, it can also work for other types of businesses and organizations. Any company can participate by promoting a healthy-heart lifestyle to members, employees or customers. Go to www.americanheart.org for more information.

February 4: Rosa Lee Parks’ Birthday. By refusing to give up her seat on an Alabama bus in 1955, Rosa Parks showed the importance of standing up for your rights and beliefs, even when others don’t agree. Schools, businesses, youth groups and other organizations can use today to encourage people to follow Parks’ example and to celebrate members, customers, employees, etc., who show character, bravery or determination. And, don’t forget, it’s also National African-American History Month. For more on both topics, visit blackhistory.eb.com/.

February 17: My Way Day. Established for those who are tired of following other people’s rules, My Way Day encourages everyone to be themselves. Use it as an opportunity to learn from employees and customers by rewarding them for feedback: “If you could do things around here your way, what would you change?” Or, plan an event or promotion celebrating people’s individuality.

February 18: John Hughes’ Birthday. If you’ve ever considered planning a promotion inspired by the styles and products of the 1980s, now might be a good time to do it. Not only is it the birthday of John Hughes, who directed ’80s staples The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science and others, but also of actress Molly Ringwald, who appeared in numerous ’80s hits. In fact, the entire month is full of birthdays of actors who had hits in the ’80s, including Matt Dillon (My Bodyguard, The Outsiders), Sean Astin (The Goonies), Drew Barrymore (E.T.), Cybill Shepherd (Moonlighting), James Spader (Pretty in Pink, Wall Street), Justine Bateman (Family Ties), Judith Light (Who’s The Boss) and Joanna Kerns (Growing Pains).