What marketing strategies to maximize your revenue on Father's Day?
The 2024 figures on Father's Day
Whether it's June 16, 2024 in the UK, France, the US, or August 11, 2024 in Brazil, Father's Day remains a special occasion celebrated in over 80 countries around the world this year. For example, in France, over half of the population participates in this celebration.
This family occasion carries considerable economic significance each year. It has a significant financial impact in many countries, thus boosting sales. For instance, in 2022, Americans spent approximately $20 billion on Father's Day, with an average of $147 per person. In France, about 58% of the population celebrates this event, with an average budget of €50 in 2023 (compared to €48 in 2020).
Father's Day therefore represents an opportunity for e-commerce to increase their sales, enhance their visibility, and get closer to their customers. But what strategies can they implement to achieve the best results?
Adapting your brand and sales channels for Father's Day
A specially crafted marketing campaign tailored to your target audience
Once targeting is done, brands can launch their special Father's Day campaign. This campaign typically starts about 1 month before the event date. The first step may involve sending an email to existing customers, showing them that their favorite brand is thinking of them first.
Next, brands can create a specific menu, a dedicated Father's Day shopping page, publish the ultimate gift guide, or promote special offers. It's also an opportunity to create special visuals for the event that will stay in customers' minds. Consumers' primary motivation is to find the perfect gift for their fathers.
For example, Decathlon launched a special Father's Day campaign, offering a wide selection of gift ideas for different types of dads, such as the cycling dad, the fun dad, the tech-savvy dad, and many more. This selection includes various items. And the sports brand also highlights the alternative of gift cards prominently.
Galeries Lafayette also showcased a wide selection of gift ideas tailored to all types of dads. Their product range includes a variety of items. This selection is organized into different categories based on dads' interests and hobbies, making it easier to find the perfect gift. They launched special promotions, allowing their customers to save money on their purchases. Additionally, they deployed a national institutional advertising campaign, highlighting their added value. This Father's Day marketing strategy allows customers to easily find the perfect gift for their fathers based on their preferences and budget.
Last example: Burger King, a fast-food chain. With a touch of humor and originality, Burger King launched a completely unexpected campaign in 2018 to celebrate "pairs." Father-child duos dressed in the same outfit were offered a free burger.
Purchases via social media platforms are experiencing significant growth.
Currently, nearly 77% of social media users have made a purchase through these platforms. Social media platforms have evolved to allow brands to showcase their products and services directly on the platform, without users needing to leave. For Father's Day, many consumers turn to social media to find gift ideas. Therefore, it may be wise to enable direct purchases on these platforms. This purchasing process is faster and smoother for customers, which is particularly important considering that Father's Day purchases typically start just three days before the event.
Contests are also organized to engage social media users: Gillette, last year, organized a contest where participants had to share a photo with their father and explain why he is the best. Winners received Gillette products and other gifts. Lacoste also ran a contest on Instagram where participants had to share a photo of their father wearing Lacoste clothing with the hashtag #MyLacosteDad. Winners received Lacoste products and exclusive experiences.
An opportunity to build connections with customers
Father's Day evokes notions of family, relationships, and closeness. Therefore, it's an opportunity for brands to strengthen connections with their customers by evoking their emotions. Highlighting real men, genuine heroes with authentic stories on social media, for example, could foster a deeper emotional connection with customers. It's essential for brands, during this period, to demonstrate to their audience that they understand their concerns and offer real value rather than just products. This approach could convert occasional buyers into long-term loyal customers.
For this occasion, Patagonia launched a campaign titled "My Dad, My Hero," inviting customers to share photos of their fathers wearing the brand's outdoor clothing. The campaign was promoted on social media with the hashtag #MyDadMyHero, encouraging customers to share memories and anecdotes about their outdoor adventures with their father.
Exploring Influencer Marketing
An essential aspect to consider is the integration of influencer marketing into the brand strategy. Collaborating with influencers offers a more targeted approach, especially among millennials, who are the primary target of this market. For this demographic group, which is less receptive to traditional advertisements, this approach proves to be relevant.
This strategy, both quick and cost-effective, also provides significant social proof. By creating compelling content, influencers encourage their followers to take action. They wield significant recommendation power with customers and contribute to generating word-of-mouth.
An example is Celio, which collaborated with an influencer, GMK. To participate in the contest and stand a chance to win an Audi RS 6, participants had to register online on the dedicated contest website. Once registered, they could fulfill the specified conditions, which usually included providing their personal information (thus generating leads). No purchase was necessary to enter the contest. The prize at stake, an Audi RS 6, was highlighted as the main attraction for participants.
Understanding and Utilizing "M-Commerce"
Over the years, mobile commerce (or "m-commerce") has experienced exceptional growth, marked by a 12.7% increase in retailer traffic on mobile devices compared to the previous year. Nowadays, 76% of purchases in France are made via mobile phones, underscoring the growing importance of m-commerce.
In this context, m-commerce becomes a crucial focus for brands, especially during Father's Day, and seamlessly integrates into an omnichannel strategy. Therefore, it is essential to enhance your mobile application and offer attractive promotions for purchases made on mobile.
Understanding the importance of gift cards during Father's Day
Moving towards a digital gift card system
Gift cards are becoming the preferred choice of consumers in many countries as they perfectly meet their needs and expectations. They are quick, easy to purchase, and allow buyers to get them until the very last minute for the digital version.
Those who used to spend hours choosing gifts for their loved ones appreciate this all-in-one solution that saves them time and effort. Additionally, electronic gift cards are customizable, allowing brands to offer a personalized experience to their customers. Buyers are faced with a wide choice of brands, products, and services, and will certainly find the gift card that will please the woman they cherish, whether it's a brand she loves or one she doesn't know yet but might like.
The top-performing brands with their gift cards during Father's Day are:
• Sports goods
• Electronic equipment
• Fashion
• Beauty and fragrance
Using Different Channels to Highlight Gift Cards
Before embarking on external marketing campaigns to promote your gift cards, it's crucial to make them visible on your own communication channels. On your e-commerce website, make sure to feature them prominently in the main menu or in a section dedicated to Father's Day. If you have a page showcasing gift ideas, don't forget to include your gift cards, like Decathlon does.
To maximize your visibility among potential consumers, it's essential to adopt an omnichannel approach:
• Highlight the gift card on your mobile application with banners or pop-ups on the homepage.
• Use social media to publish organic content showcasing the gift card.
• Create personalized stands in your physical stores to attract customers' attention and encourage them to purchase gift cards.
Different Types of Marketing Campaigns Implemented Around the Gift Card for Father's Day
Various marketing strategies can be established focused on the gift card for Father's Day
Email campaign: send emails to your customer database to promote the gift card, with or without special promotions.
Advertising campaign on social media and search engines: promote the gift card to potential consumers who are not yet customers.
Campaign for last-minute shoppers: three days before the celebration, use email and social media to highlight the gift card, emphasizing its instant availability.
Promotion to Employee Committees (CSE) and professionals: if you offer your gift card through distributors, promote it on the platforms of these partners, especially those of CSE solutions for Father's Day.
Use of the loyalty program: offer extra points to customers who purchase a gift card before Father's Day.
Retargeting of cart abandonments with the gift card: propose the gift card as an alternative to indecisive or hesitant customers who abandon their cart.
Press/affiliate relations: get your gift card referenced in articles on the best Father's Day gift ideas.
Highlighting on the distribution network of your gift card. Conduct marketing campaigns within CSE platforms, CSE solutions, loyalty programs, and incentives around your gift card
Tailoring message types to customer profiles for gift cards
• Gift Card Enthusiasts: Highlight the practical and emotional features (such as mobile wallet, personalized videos, attractive visuals, etc.).
• The Pragmatic: Emphasize the convenience of the gift card with a simplified purchasing process on a single page, a few clicks only, and instant delivery.
• The Indecisive: Promote the variety of options offered by the gift card.
• The Bargain Hunters: Their goal is simple - to use promotions on gift cards for personal use or to buy products for themselves or as gifts.
• Professional Clients (CSE, communities, SMEs): They seek practical and personalized incentives, preferably with tax exemptions.
Understanding that the gift card is not only used as a means of payment but also serves as a marketing tool
Indeed, the gift card system can serve two specific objectives during a period like Father's Day.
The first is customer acquisition, bringing new customers to the brand. To achieve this, we recommend implementing influencer campaigns by offering gift cards as remuneration to influencers, or offering gift cards as prizes in contests organized by influencers.
Additionally, various types of contests can be established:
• Photo contests (as mentioned above with Patagonia): Encourage participants to share photos with their fathers or significant moments to win prizes.
• Interactive quizzes: Create an entertaining quiz on the theme of Father's Day, offering rewards to participants with high scores.
• "Instant win": Organize a game where participants can instantly win gift cards by virtually scratching or choosing from several options.
• Random draw: Invite participants to enter a draw where winners will be randomly chosen to receive rewards. This can be established by creating a form for participants to leave their details, potentially generating leads.
• Creative contests: Encourage creativity by inviting participants to create videos, drawings, or messages on the theme of Father's Day for a chance to win.
The second objective would be to generate traffic to your e-commerce website or directly to your store. To achieve this, you can launch commercial operations. For example, you could offer a "minimal" gift card (but perceived as a benefit by the buyer) when a customer makes a significant purchase (typical example: offer a €5 gift card for a purchase of €50).
It's also possible to implement a "win-win" strategy. For instance, launch a pre-Father's Day mailing campaign, announcing its arrival and offering a gift card to be spent before the event.
In summary, Father's Day celebration represents a key moment for brands, which must leverage the enthusiasm surrounding this event. To achieve this, they can adopt various strategies, focusing on digital channels to meet the expectations of modern consumers.
However, some may perceive this event as overly commercial, which can lead to some dissatisfaction.
Therefore, brands must act cautiously and focus on the genuine desires of consumers. These same principles can also apply to other occasions such as Grandparents Day, although these are less widespread and less celebrated.
