Orange And Black

Halloween is a fun celebration
to organize marketing campaigns
around.

But there are people
who are adamantly
against Halloween.

How do we market
without angering those people?

We don’t mention Halloween.

We, instead,
use
orange and black
in our marketing.

Halloween lovers will know
it is a celebration of Halloween.

Halloween haters won’t be certain
it is a reference to Halloween.
A lot of things are orange and black.

They’ll likely target
companies
that do use ‘Halloween’
in their promotions.

Consider using
orange and black
in your marketing
this month.

Let People Have Fun Today

There’s a lot
of serious sh*t
happening in the world.

People are struggling
emotionally.

If it doesn’t
directly harm your business,
let people have fun today.

Ignore the employee
who arrived in costume
without permission.

Let employees play
the spooky music
in your store.

Give employees
some time
in the break room
to enjoy the treats
their coworker brought in.

Allow the non-service doggy
in costume
to enter the store.

Let everyone blow off some steam
and have some fun.

Tomorrow,
you can get back
to serious business.

Have Treats For In Store Halloween Shoppers

Yes, there is a push back
in some religious neighborhoods
against Halloween.

So think about
whether or not
you wish to promote Halloween
heavily.

But consider having
a basket of treats
stored under the counters
for Halloween celebrating shoppers.

If a shopper in costume
or buying Halloween items
approaches
your cashiers,
instruct them
to give that shopper
some of those treats.

It will delight
both your employees
and your customers.

Delighted customers
become loyal customers.

Not-As-Obvious Halloween-Themed Products

Some of your customers
have told you
they’d love a version
of your product
wrapped in Halloween-themed packaging.

But you also know
there’s a growing intolerance
in some of your target markets
(like the Southern USA)
for anything viewed as not Christian.

What do you do?

You change your packaging
to orange.
You change the font color
to black.

Bam.
You have Halloween-themed packaging
that you could sell all year round
and that no one can ‘prove’
is Halloween-themed.

Play with orange and black
this spooky season.

Halloween And Increasing Participation

I love Halloween.
It is my favorite celebration
of the year.

And I want it to continue
forever.
I want newcomers to the country
to participate in it
and derive joy from it.

So I don’t make any comments
if they’re doing it ‘wrong’.
I give kids candy
if they’re dressed in costume or not,
if they say the words or not,
if they’re older,
if they don’t know what to do.

Because you and I,
as business builders,
know,
when we try something
for the first time
or even the fifth time,
we’ll make mistakes.
We’ll do it ‘wrong.’

And their friends,
their peers
have the critique role.
THEY will guide
these new trick or treaters.

Our job,
as candy distributers,
is to encourage
these new entrants
to Halloween.

Make Halloween Special

Halloween arrives
in a couple weeks.

I’m giving away
extra candy
and putting up
extra decorations
this year.

The kiddies are facing
multiple pandemics.
They will have to deal
with increasingly violent
climate disasters.

The world is a darker place
right now.

I can’t significantly
change all of that.

But I CAN make
this Halloween a bit more special
for them.
I CAN ensure ensure their bags
are full of candy
and they have more of
an experience
when they arrive at my door.

If your customers celebrate
Halloween,
consider making it
a bit more magical for them.

Put out a pumpkin.
Fill a bowl at reception
with candy.
Add some stickers
in that mass mailing.

Help to
make this Halloween
special.

Halloween And Masks

It is 2021.
We ALL have masks.

And some of us
have absolutely awesome masks.
I saw a toddler
wearing a shark mask
yesterday.
She was adorable.

Today is Halloween,
a day for dressing up,
for pretending,
for wearing awesome masks.

If you want an easy,
last minute marketing idea
to make today special
and fun
for customers
and other partners,
encourage people
to wear their wildest
or their most beautiful
or their most awesome mask.

Put a smile
on those masked faces.

Play-Doh For Halloween

I walked into Sam’s Club
and one of the big Halloween treat displays
was for…

Play-Doh

Brightly colored
sample sized containers of the classic toy
sold at introductory prices.

Brilliant, brilliant marketing.
There will be thousands of samples purchased
by health conscious, candy banning parents
and then given out
less than two months before Christmas.

Would a sample size of your product
be suitable for Trick-Or-Treaters?

Tricking Your Customers

Publishers and publicists
often email me sales sheets
for their upcoming releases.
If I’m interested in the romance novel,
they’ll send it to me
and I review it.

Sometimes the sales sheet is designed to trick.
I say I don’t review paranormals
so it will neglect to mention the hero is a vampire
(although it is obvious first page
that he is).

That’s fine.
Usually I’ll review the novel.
Then I never, ever accept a book
from that contact again.

Customers aren’t dumb
and no one likes being lied to.
Save the tricks for Halloween.