Creative marketing ideas for your business diary in July

When the sunshine wanes, the cash and the footfall don’t come as easily, so it takes a little bit more to stay at the forefront of your customers’ minds. That means putting on a show; it means marketing your business effectively.

But marketing this July shouldn’t be too hard. There are plenty of events, from independence to sports to dedicated food days. No matter your industry, a successful month is on the cards so long as you’re willing to take from the deck of days. To make it even easier, Epos Now have compiled our pick of the litter for you right here.

So grab your diary, and let’s start filling in the gaps!

July: in brief

So you’re on board. You want your shop, your restaurant, or your bar to put on some exciting events to entice your customers. But ideas are easy; it’s coming up with something concrete that still brings you the excitement of that idea that’s the difficult part.

So what’s on this month that catches your eye?

All month

• Plastic-Free Month
• UV Safety Month
• Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
• National Picnic Month

Dedicated days and weeks

• 1st July - Canada day
• 2nd July to 9th July - NAIDOC Week
• 4th July - Independence Day
• 7th July - World Chocolate Day
• 14th July - Shark Awareness Day
• 21st July - National Hot Dog Day
• 24th July - International Cousins Day
• 30th July - International Day of Friendship
• 31st July - Harry Potter’s Birthday

Sporting events

• 3rd July to 16th July -Wimbledon fortnight
• 16th July - Wimbledon Final
• 20th July onwards - FIFA Women’s World Cup (Soccer)
• 20th July - World Chess Day

Winter-themed strategies for retailers

You may look at the July events above and wonder how you can get people to step inside and buy from your store. But there’s plenty you can do as a retailer to tempt customers in from the cold. The trick is to get the right products in and market your store effectively. So here are a few ideas to get you started:

• July-only or winter-only product lines. Limited-time offers are a tried and tested way of creating that “buy now or regret later”  mindset for customers. No matter the kind of retailer you are, changing seasons influence people’s tastes and habits. A bookshop can have a winter-themed shelf for the month with a seasonal selection of books that feature cold temperatures, come from cold countries, or keep a customer so engrossed they don’t notice the outside at all; a DIY store can have a tailored set of products for indoor projects, practical insulation ideas, or winter-building.
• Decorate! Showing that your store is in the spirit of the season keeps your store aligned with the mood of most customers. Decorating doesn’t mean splashing out on professionals to come in and overhaul your shop floor either. It might be as little as putting out some posters to advertise your winter events and promotions, with seasonal pictures and mood-makers.
• Take plenty of pictures for social media. Whether it’s a regular day of trade or a special event, your store never looks more beautiful and cosy than when it’s a shelter from the cold, with customers in woolly sweaters, mittens, and scarves, the weather blowing in through the door, hostile on yourself and your shelves. So make sure people see it! Take snaps sharing the winter mood and letting everyone know your store is a haven of warmth and wonder!

Winter-themed strategies for restaurants and bars

Your customers won’t be stepping out as often when the weather is rough. That makes it all the more important to make sure people are coming to you for those memorable experiences that get them through the colder months.

• Get your specials menu online. A lot of people have their favourite winter dish or drink that warms them in the evenings, the one that gave them that unforgettable flavoured moment last winter and the winter before. They’re also on the lookout for the next best thing. Showing people what they’re missing by posting your menu online gives them the chance to really miss what they’re not getting. So if it isn’t already, be bold, and put that menu full of seasonal specials on site for the world to see.
• Host a winter party. Sometimes, bringing life into your restaurant isn’t hard. Whether it’s for Shark Awareness Day, the World Cup, or for the sake of good company, everybody loves a party. Hosting one at your venue is a surefire way of bringing in the crowds. Book a DJ (or DJ yourself!), make sure you’ve got staff on hand, and have a good time while shooting out your stock. A winter party boosts sales and moods and makes your venue the place people make their memories.
• Run a charity event. Partnerships with local charities or your community help position your business at the heart of people’s lives. That can lead to people making the extra effort to come and see you. Putting on events for good causes. With NAIDOC early in July, there are plenty of charities that will be active and on people’s minds. But no matter what you decide to do, combining fun with a good cause is a strong combination. And remember to post about your event on your social media pages! 

Making use of July’s special dates

Theming your July marketing around these dates creates plenty of avenues for your business to go down, from themed parties to product specials, to televised sports and more. But let’s take a few examples to explore and see what ideas come up.

Wimbledon and the Soccer World Cup

While Wimbledon begins early in the month and is something all tennis fans underline on their calendar, soccer fans will have their eyes fixed further down the calendar as the Women’s World Cup begins on the 20th July, and this time round, it’s being held in Australia and New Zealand! The popularity of “the beautiful game,” as many call it, is such that soccer merchandise and events will go down well as people prepare to support their teams … including host countries that get automatic qualification.

One other key highlight of July is the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London, which begins on the 3rd of July and runs for a fortnight. The time difference makes live shows inconvenient, but an evening tennis match in London will have highlights running available the following day in Australia.

Strawberries and cream is the Wimbledon tradition, so stocking up on this specialty could go down well with fans, especially if you can televise the event and create a little Wimbledon of your own on-site.

Harry Potter’s birthday

Potterheads are in every city and town across the country, and even lapsed or light Potterheads will know that July 31st is the day their hero was born.

Marketing for this group is super easy: retailers, Harry Potter is one of the best merchandised book and film franchises in the world, rivalling and often surpassing Star Wars. Get in some Potter-based merch and let the Potter fans and their Ron and Hermiones (friends) know that your store has the gifts they’re looking for this July.

The hospitality industry can cash in by giving Potterheads the chance to step out come July 31st. There are two standout ideas that any Harry Potter fan will be familiar with: the Harry Potter Quiz night, and the movie binge.

Potterheads love to compete to show off their book and film knowledge. Running a quiz night at your venue will bring the fans out in droves. Meanwhile, a binge of 2, 3 (do we dare go higher?) … 4 (!) of the Harry Potter movies might be the sort of thing to terrify your regulars, but if you can cordon off part of your venue for the fans, or bring enough of them in for a watch-along, you might soon have yourself as loyal a set of fans as the franchise itself.

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) week is a time to elevate the voices of First Nation peoples and to offer greater exposure to their communities. 

As a time that means a lot to many in the community, your business can gain positive attention by taking the initiative during NAIDOC week. You can do this by reaching out to First Nation peoples and associated organizations and using your business to help platform their voices.

Sharing artwork by First Nation artists or their writing on-site and on social media can be an effective way to show support for NAIDOC, while hosting an arts or awareness event on-site could bring people to the business while helping to offer a platform for First Nation people.