We’re here. 2021 is finally here. After the rather chaotic events of 2020, we can effectively say that we made it through to 2021. While many countries are still suffering from the consequences of 2020, the right course now is to approach 2021 with a new mindset. A mindset of recovery for the economy, employment and industries. Companies are already starting to prepare for the new year, and what better way to kick things off than with a new retail calendar?
Here we present to you, our 2021 edition of the retail calendar, with all the key dates you need to know. We’ve also added some cool and funky Marketing ideas for each month as possible ideas for a campaign. Head on below!
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January: A New Beginning
Key calendar dates:
- 1st Jan: New Years’ Day: Kick things off with an extended Boxing Day sale, special promos and discounts to attract new customers and to keep existing ones happy.
- 26th Jan: Australia Day: Celebrate the national day of Australia by a special, personalised email to your audience. Maybe a British fish n chips reference, or some BBQ could lighten things up for the ‘holiday mood’!
Marketing Example:
Nothing screams more ‘holiday time with family’ than some good ol’ BBQ. Join a local non-profit and publish something online to celebrate Australia Day in prime fashion.
February: Love is in the air!
Key calendar dates:
- 12th Feb: Chinese New Year: Celebrate the beginning of the new lunar calendar with a reference to Chinese New Year! This is a good opportunity to be creative with your content, adding a cultural touch to your work.
- 14th Feb: Valentine’s Day: Cherish the gift of love with some creative gift ideas for all the couples out there. Incentivising offers such as buy-one-get-one-free, couple discounts and special item promos are potential options.
Marketing Example:
A clever and trendy way of spreading the joy of love, Vodafone uses this ad to celebrate Valentine’s day. A simple reference to all the different ways people can communicate these days using Vodafone, highlights their service offering. Keep it simple, yet effective.
March: Month of the Irish
Key calendar dates:
- 17th March: St. Patrick’s Day: Enjoy the celebration of this Irish festive date with a ‘green theme’ to your content. A special discount for a popular product, or some promos for a subcription would be greatly appreciated. After all, who doesn’t like some luck from a trusty 4-leaf clover?
- 18th March: National Close-the-Gap Day: Raise awareness towards the ‘Close-the-Gap’ campaign, dedicated to reduce discrepancies in health and life expectancy outcomes between Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders and non-indigenous people. An Instagram post sharing the event to raise a voice is a minimum.
Marketing Example:
Try to incorporate a ‘green theme’ or the idea of ‘luck’ to your content. Maybe a caption like ‘today’s your lucky day’, followed by a promo could work.
April: Egg-celent Easter
Key calendar dates:
- 2nd April: Good Friday: Kick off the Easter feeling with a Good Friday special appreciation post. A tie up with an event for the long weekend would tie in well.
- 4th April: Easter: Plan a fun-filled, holiday themed virtual competition or social media activity to engage with your audience. Most people would be spending their time at home, so keep things active online! Perhaps an Easter bunny/egg theme could help appeal to the younger segments.
- 25th April: ANZAC Day: Help remember the Australian and New Zealander war veterans who gave their lives in conflicts and peacekeeping operations. A patriotic themed social media post, or even a collaboration with a military facility could help improve your brand image.
Marketing Example:
Or maybe:
Doesn’t have to be too over the top. A photoshop makeover session with your editor can help morph your brand logo into something Eastern themed. Maybe have a bunny mascot as well?
May: Mums’ special
Key calendar dates:
- 9th May: Mother’s day: Rejoice the feeling of gratitude for mothers everywhere. A theme of comfort, joy, resemblance and care works well.
- 26th May: National Sorry day: Embrace apologies with an open mind on National Sorry day. A social media post highlighting mental health issues, anxiety and/or friendship could tie in well.
Marketing Example:
Another option is to raise awareness for strength, fashion and being ‘cool’ for mums. After all, why should they be left out of the fun?
June: Winter at its peak
Key calendar dates:
- 7th June: Western Australia day (Western Australia): Celebrate the first Monday of the month to commemorate the founding of the Swan River Colony. An email out to your audience, perhaps a social media story or post on LinkedIn can share the joy.
Marketing Example:
A themed poster or advertisement for WA day should do the trick
July: Coping with the cold
Key calendar dates:
- 4th July: First day of NAIDOC week: Celebrate the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee on th 4th of July. This is a good opportunity to cultivate a cultural theme to your work.
Marketing Example:
A fun way of celebrating NAIDOC is to include the logo, along with some aboriginal artwork decoration to your content. Not only will this make your work ‘pop out’, but it will also reach out to a whole different segment of your audience.
August: For the love of photography!
Key calendar dates:
- 19th Aug: World Photography day: Celebrate the love for photography on the 19th of August in prime fashion!
Marketing Example:
Instagram giveaways are trendy and popular. After all, who doesn’t like free stuff? Tie in the theme of photography with a fun giveaway on your social media channels. A photography competition, along with conditions to like, follow and comment can lighten things up, while also growing out your audience.
September: Father’s day special
Key calendar dates:
- 5th Sept: Fathers’ day: Join to celebrate the joy of fatherhood on the 5th of September. Special gift ideas, discounts and bonus offers can work really well around this time.
- 27th Sept: Queen’s birthday (Western Australia): Celebrate the Queen’s birthday as we slowly begin to leave the cold winter months. Family time fun can be incorporated into a social media story.
Marketing Example:
This commercial by Budweiser effectively ties in the Fathers’ day mood:
Or maybe…
Anything with the idea of a gift can be used on this occasion. Use it to remind customers not only about your products, but also how important it is to have a father in our lives.
October: Spring towards Halloween!
Key calendar dates:
- 4th Oct: Queen’s birthday (Queensland): Help Queenslanders celebrate the Queen’s birthday as we welcome spring in October!
- 31st Oct: Halloween: If you sell anything in apparel, clothing, cosmetics, candy or sweets, this is the time. Use the spooky theme of Halloween for a fun Instagram post or email. A special halloween discount for certain products can also be considered.
Marketing Example:
If you’re feeling confident, like Pepsi, you can choose to poke some fun at your competition. If discounts are not an option, a simple appreciation post or picture can help engage with customers.
November: Bring on the heat!
Key calendar dates:
- 11th Nov: Remembrance day: Pay respect to the war veterans who gave their lives serving at the line of duty. Special discount codes for gifts can be a good way to raise awareness.
- 28th Nov: First Sunday of advent: Celebrate the first day of the liturgical year and the start of the season of advent. Welcome the heat of summer by warming up before the Christmas rush of December.
Marketing Example:
Anything patriotic incorporated in the theme of your content can be deemed appropriate for Remembrance day.
December: Holiday Season!
Key calendar dates:
- 24th Dec: Christmas Eve: Join in the festivities since Christmas is right around the corner. You should already have planned out a grand, end of year sale for your customers. Everyone else would have, keep that in mind.
- 25th Dec: Christmas Day: Celebrate the religious and cultural celebration of Jesus Christ’s birthday on the 25th of December. Special deals should have gone live, with heaps of gift ideas and content going live. Keep your social media active to engage with customers during this holiday period.
- 26th Dec: Boxing Day: The biggest sale of the year is the day where you’ll be looking for plenty of new and returning customers. Feed into the shopping frenzy with sales, discounts, promos, offers and more as your customers shop through. A free shipping option could help add onto the feeling.
- 31st Dec: New Year’s Eve: Prepare to end the year by extending your boxing day sale to improve your financial numbers. In January, the crowd will slowly start to decline, so get what you can out now. This is a good time to get rid of excess stock with a sale.
Marketing Example:
Or…
Using big, bold colours and fonts is what will get the word out most effectively. Bring it home!
Final thoughts…
There you have it, our 2021 edition of the retail calendar with all the key dates to look out for. Occasions-based marketing campaigns are special opportunities that you can capitalise on for increasing profits. With this calendar, you can effectively plan out your year and hopefully draw some inspiration from some of the Marketing examples mentioned.
Which key retail calendar 2021 dates do you use in your Marketing each year? Let us know by sharing some of your most effective campaigns in the comments below.
In case you missed it…
Download a PDF version of our 2021 calendar to print, read offline, or share with your friends, family and colleagues!
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