DATES AND EVENTS TO USE IN YOUR 2020 ECOMMERCE AD CAMPAIGNS (End)

 Cultural Events

If your store or products don’t exactly chime with sporting events, perhaps something in the cultural sphere could be more suited. 

This is a vast category, and I’ve used it to encompass things like entertainment, art, and music. But, as with sport, don’t take this list as an exhaustive one – there are thousands more big events out there. And, perhaps even more so than sports, there will be cultural events that are huge news in some countries but might be relatively unheard of on an international scale. 

That said, as always, some things definitely have worldwide appeal, and you can very much use this to your advantage in your campaigns.

Awards Season

The glitz and glamor of awards season kicks off in January with the Golden Globes, Grammys, Academy Awards, and BAFTAs, to name just a few. 

If your store is related to entertainment, clothing, or jewelry, this could be the perfect time to target audiences already focussed on who’s attending the ceremonies and what they’re wearing.

San Diego Comic-Con

An overhead shot of a convention

From July 23-26, over 130,000 people descend on the San Diego Convention Center to hear from their favorite TV and movie stars and to watch much-anticipated trailers for the first time. 

And aside from the thousands who gather in San Diego, millions more all over the world who follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, waiting for exclusive SDCC footage and interviews to be released.

If you sell items that are in any way related to fandoms or entertainment – projectors, wigs, costumes, accessories – comic con is the time to target these fans.

TV Series, Game, and Movie Releases

Piggybacking off of Comic-Con, TV, game, and movie releases are also great times for sales – especially for niche stores. 

If you sell products that complement TV shows – for instance, medieval-themed items work well with shows like The Witcher or Vikings – then be sure to keep track of when those series return.

You can also think about when trailers are released, when finales are scheduled, and when major plot points might send fans racing to the internet. These are all the perfect times for you to advertise your store.

Music Festivals

Festivals and concerts are incredibly location-dependent, but they can be smart to target if your store has items that would appeal to the festival-going crowd. Think jewelry, clothing, bags, sunglasses, and other accessories.

Depending on the countries you’re targeting, you could advertise to the enormous crowds headed to mega-festivals like Coachella, Burning Man, or Glastonbury. Or maybe do some more research on festivals that are more locally known.

Festivals aren’t cheap to attend, and most festival-goers will spend time planning their trip ahead of time. This gives you the chance to start advertising from the time of lineup announcements and early ticket sales.

Wrapping Up and Things to Keep in Mind

So there you have some of the biggest events and dates in 2020 that you could potentially use in your ads and campaigns. 

However, this is only a starting point, there is so much more happening than what is listed here, and that’s important to bear in mind when you plan your big sales in 2020.

Find Your Opportunities

Even though we’ve covered a lot of holidays, dates, and events, there will undoubtedly be a ton more that we could never predict, but would be great for campaigns  – this is especially true for stores that sell very niche products. However, staying alert and seizing the opportunities when you see them will help.

For example, if you enjoy the internet and pop culture, don’t be afraid to jump on trends or memes and use them in ads. While you can’t necessarily foresee what will become popular, if you’re willing to try new ads when you notice trends, it could yield significant returns.

It could be something as simple as a word or phrase (think 2019’s “OK boomer” or the evolution of DoggoLingo) or a suitable meme format. Whatever it is, if it’s relevant to your products, why not try it out in an ad.

Don’t Try and Force Something If It Doesn’t Fit

Before you go off and start planning your ecommerce campaigns for 2020, staying mindful of your audience and product is critical. 

While it might be tempting to try and take advantage of certain days or events with sales and marketing, if it doesn’t fit with your products, then don’t try to force it. If you’re struggling to connect your items with the day, then your customers probably will too, and you’ll lose the wow factor in your campaign. Besides, with so many days out there, you’re bound to find some super relevant ones – concentrate on making those great.

Design Your 2020 Calendar

Oberlo 2020 ecommerce marketing calendar

With all the inspiration on this list, you’re probably bursting with plenty of campaign ideas for your store. Take the opportunity to download our ecommerce calendar 2020 to help you remember some of the more significant dates as well as adding your store-relevant dates. We recommend printing it off and keeping it nearby so you have it for reference for the whole year.

What events are you planning to incorporate into your advertising, and why? Tell us in the comments below.