7 Creative Marketing Campaign Ideas For September

Stumped for September marketing ideas?

Don’t fret; we’ve got some gems below.

September is the gateway to Winter in North America. The air gets crisp, the leaves start falling, and everyone is gearing up for the soon-to-be frenzy of the holiday season.

But with the tightening of purse strings after an adventurous summer season and a look ahead to the big-spending months of the year, how do you engage with your customers this month?

Here are 7 marketing ideas to get your creative juices flowing this September.

#1. Get in the Fall Spirit

September is the beginning of fall, making fall-themed marketing campaigns a favorite for American brands. Yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown typify fall due to the change of color in tree leaves that layer the street and light up the neighborhood. Using these colors in your campaigns during September will trigger an emotional and nostalgic reaction from your customers.

Like, Alyssa Gaiga Productions has here:

Or for something even simpler, send your database a fall-themed email campaign, like J Crew has here:

J Crew Fall-Themed Marketing

#2. Be Charitable

Started by the United Nations in 2012, the International Day of Charity takes place on the 5th of September. This day aims to increase support for charitable causes and enhance social responsibility across the globe. It’s the perfect opportunity for your brand to lean in and give something back to the community.

Chipotle is one brand that regularly donates to charities and engages with its audience to do so. For example, its “Round Up For Real Change” promoted in this email campaign aimed to raise over $1 million in 2020:

Chipotle Charitable Campaign

By supporting a charitable cause close to your customer’s hearts and aligned with your values, you will significantly increase goodwill in the market.

#3. Commemorate Labor Day

The first Monday in September celebrates the contributions of America’s laborers in the development of the country. It’s a federal holiday typified by parades, barbecues, and other patriotic events, but also a strategic opportunity for brands to engage with customers.

Labor Day sales are extremely common, for example, and people are waiting for deals and coupons to be sent to their inbox like this one from Postable:

Postable Labor Day Sale

Of course, if you want to try something a bit different than the run-of-the-mill Labor Day sale, a social media contest could do the trick, like this one from SIREN:

SIREN Labor Day Giveaway

#4. Celebrate Grandparents

The first Sunday after Labor Day is Grandparents Day, and what better time to celebrate the bond between your customers and their grandparents? Just like Mother’s or Father’s Day, this is an emotionally charged event that gives people an opportunity to show appreciation to their elders.

One idea for embracing this event is to run a photo contest where participants submit a sentimental snap with their grandparents. You could apply the same concept to story submissions or even have your audience comment on a social media post to praise their grandparents. ShortStack’s photo contest template makes the setup of this style of campaign super easy:

ShortStack's Photo Contest Template

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#5. Stop Procrastinating

We’re all guilty of procrastinating every now and then, so why not join forces with your customers to fight against the urge? The 6th of September is Fight Procrastination Day - an unofficial holiday for finding ways to combat the day-to-day procrastination station we live in.

V Energy used the concept of procrastination for one of its ad campaigns with huge success - proposing its energy drink as a solution to “The Procrastination Place.”

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYuR7DfihIs[/embed]

You may not plan an entire marketing campaign for the 6th of September, but even acknowledging the fight against procrastination on social media could spark some conversation.

#6. Bring Positivity to Your Marketing

The 13th of September is Positive Thinking Day, and after the last year and a half the world has been through, we could all use a bit of positivity in our lives! So why not run a marketing campaign that aims to cheer up your customers and take a positive outlook on things.

One way of doing so is with an instant win giveaway. This style of contest allows you to award prizes or distribute unique codes to winners automatically after entry - providing immediate gratification and plenty of positive vibes. Luckily, ShortStack has a landing page template just for this, so you can have an instant win campaign up and running in minutes:

ShortStack's Instant Win Template

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Positivity comes in many shapes and forms, so you don’t need to recreate the wheel. But put the 13th of September on the calendar, and make sure you show some love when it arrives.

#7. Prepare for School Returning

It’s back to school in September for kids across the country. And as you know, “Back to School” marketing campaigns are all the rage for brands in numerous industries.

A common target for these campaigns is parents - after all, their task list grows exponentially in preparation for the school term. Not to mention how quickly budgets can be blown up with new school clothes, supplies, and after care services. So anything your business can do to support this journey will be welcomed. For example, Mandy Hanson ran a gift card giveaway for the moms in her audience as a way of easing the pressure that comes with the back to school period:

Mandy Hanson Back to School Giveaway

Conclusion

While many would consider September an “in-between” month that connects summer vacation and the holiday spending frenzy, it holds a lot of meaning in its own right.

School is back, the leaves are changing colors, and Americans are coming together to do what they do best - celebrate the achievements of others.

So don’t let September pass by without a murmur. Use the campaign ideas in this article to engage with your customers, build goodwill, and charge full steam ahead into the back-end of the year.