Summer Marketing Ideas

Summer is right on our heels and now is the perfect time for Austin area businesses to ramp up their marketing strategy before the heat sets in! Maybe your product or service isn’t exactly specific for the summer, but there are still ways to incorporate summer themes into your upcoming campaigns.

Clients will probably be thinking of fun activities to take part in with their families when summer hits. Especially with kids getting out school, everyone is going to be planning vacations and other related activities. You may want to play up these summer concepts:

• Road Trips
• Summer Getaway
• Summer Camps
• Summer Sports
• Backyard BBQs and Get-Togethers
• Summer Fun
• Swimming (Lake Fun if you’re in Austin)
• Family Time
• Fun with Friends
• Gardening and Landscaping

There are also a few creative ways you can tie in sales and grow your brand:

Lower prices if the temperature goes over X degrees. Austin is notorious for our swelling temperatures which can be a fun campaign for customers who pay attention to the daily weather changes.

Swag bags. Give out summer related goodies to customers who make a purchase. These can be: t-shirts, sunglasses, mesh bags, flip flops, sunscreen, water bottles, towels. Even better if the items have your branding on them!

Host an event or join a festival. Rent a spot out somewhere in an area with high foot-traffic and offer free food/drinks/swag/flyers/music. Make it go viral on social media with an appropriate #hashtag and offer a discount if guests share their photos. Get in touch with other businesses to see if they would be willing to donate items in exchange for publicity and then hold a raffle for visitors who stop by.

Upcoming holidays and Austin, Texas events for summer marketing ideas:

May (Barbecue Month, Bike Month, Salad Month, Strawberry Month)

• Star Wars Day (4^th)
• Cinco de Mayo (5^th)
• Pecan Street Festival (7^th-8^th)
• Mother’s Day (8^th)
• Maifest (14^th)
• Deutschen Pfest (20^th-22^nd)
• Kerrville Folk Festival (May 26^th thru June 12^th)
• Austin Jazz Festival (29^th)
• Memorial Day (30^th)

June (Country Cooking Month, Great Outdoors Month, Iced Tea Month, Soul Food Month)

• National Trails Day (4^th)
• Republic of TX Biker Rally (9^th-12)
• Moonlight Margarita Run (9^th)
• Zilker Pops Concerts (10^th-11^th)
• Solstice Festival (16^th-18^th)
• Father’s Day (19^th)
• First Day of Summer (20^th)
• Keep Austin Weird Fest & 5K (25^th)
• International Mud Day (25^th)

July (Hot Dog Month, Ice Cream Month, Independent Retailer Month, Picnic Month)

• Independence Day (4^th)
• Music Under the Star (8^th)
• Zilker Summer Musical (8^th-10^th, 21^st-24^th, 28^th-31^st)
• Body Mind Spirit Expo (23^rd-24^th)
• Lady Bird Tribute Day (24^th)

If you need help figuring out how your business can take advantage of summer promotions, email Hot Dog Marketing for a free consultation!