How to Manufacture Sales From Manufactured Holidays

I’m sorry to report that somehow, you missed National Hug a Plumber Day on April 25.  Don’t worry.  There are many other holidays you can celebrate…and profit from.

Salespeople can celebrate holidays like hug a plumber day

Photo by WavebreakmediaMicro

Hug a Plumber Day is one of thousands of “holidays” declared by corporations, civic organizations and individuals looking for a little extra attention. They are often covered by media outlets looking to fill holes in a slow news day.

National Public Radio’s Planet Money Podcast recently devoted an episode to the business of manufactured holidays:

These events are also great opportunities for enterprising media salespeople to make contact with potential advertisers. 

The most comprehensive list of events is the Chase Calendar of Events, a 700-page doorstop of a reference guide. Planet Money’s Kenny Malone called it “the Oxford English Dictionary of holidays.” The 2017 edition goes for $75 on Amazon, and there’s a downloadable Kindle edition as well.

Money Saving Tip: This is one of those cases where an older edition can serve you just fine. The 2015 version  has the vast majority of the holidays shown in the new version. As I write this, used copies are available on Amazon starting at about three bucks plus shipping, 

There are also free online resources like National Day Calendar. 

Hug a Plumber Day will come around again in April, 2018. This gives you a ready-made excuse to start a conversation with your local plumbers early next year.

In the meantime, here are some August “holidays” you can be working on now.

  • August 4 will be International Beer Day — create a promotion with a brewpub!
  • Also within August: National Bargain Hunting Week (perfect for any retailer on your list); National Cleanse Your Skin Week (got an aesthetic medicine clinic?); and National Motorcycle Week
  • August is National Eye Exam Month, National Golf Month, and National Peach Month — if you’ve got an optometrist or Lasik doctor, golf course or sporting goods store, or grocery store, this gives you something to talk with them about.

Finally, a day you should mark on your calendar, even if it won’t make you any money: November 6 is Broadcast Traffic Professionals Day. This would be an excellent time to take your Traffic Department to a nice lunch. A really nice lunch. Believe me, they deserve it. 

Question: What’s the craziest excuse for a promotion you’ve ever seen? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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Categories: Advertising, Phil Bernstein, Sales
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