Father’s Day is fast approaching, which means it’s time for people to spoil the father figures in their lives.
This year, a projected 75% of Americans will be celebrating the holiday, with an average spend of $174.10. While this is a decrease compared to the previous four years, the predicted average spend is expected to be $30 more than usual.
This year’s celebration stats are probably a knock-on effect of the pandemic. Many people went months without seeing their families and want to treat them now that we’re coming out on the other side.
The impact of this is that consumers are far more sensitive to advertising. Covid-19 wreaked havoc on many people’s lives, and it’s important for brands to be empathetic when promoting their Father’s Day campaigns.
This doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t!) be creative with your efforts though!
Today’s definition of “dad” roles is more fluid than ever. Families take myriad different shapes, and dad figures aren’t just the steely-eyed breadwinners of yesteryear. The needs of modern paternal figures have changed too.
You’ll see plenty of brands pushing beer, grilling accessories, and men’s cosmetics, but the wide reach of dad interests means you can be creative with the products you promote – regardless of the platform you’re using.
BuzzFeed Food shares grill-related content around Father’s Day, but you don’t have to go down the traditional route of promoting beers and BBQs. In fact, if this Tweet is anything to go by, then there really is no limit on the gifts Father’s will enjoy on their special day.
Father’s Day Messages That Stand Out From The Crowd
Brands all over the world will be clamoring for the attention of sons and daughters this Father’s Day. Craft a message and a campaign that stands out, increases your product visibility, and creates an authentic connection with customers.
Holidays such as Father’s Day are the perfect time to attract new customers too. Reel them in with creative advertising and an authentic, empathetic message before sealing in your relationship with customer retention strategies.
Master Move: Opt-Out Campaign
Father’s Day isn’t a happy day for everyone, and some consumers really don’t want to be hammered with marketing messages about it if they’re not trying to be reminded of their father figures.
Firebox gives customers the opportunity to opt-out of any Father’s Day related marketing materials. The email is short and sweet without delving too much into a potentially sensitive topic.
Father’s Day (like other family-related holidays throughout the year) can stir up mixed emotions in consumers and be triggering for many. As well as sending an opt-out email, you can also do what Jeni’s does and offer an opt-out form directly through your website.
Why We Love It: It’s important to respect your customers’ experiences and feelings by giving them the chance to choose what you interact with them about.
Master Move: Special Thank You
Celebrate father figures with your customers by sending a special thank you message to dads, whatever their interests are. You can use this opportunity to bundle products together and promote groups of items like Union Made Goods does.
Why We Love It: it shows off your entire product collection and provides much-needed inspiration to new and existing customers.
Master Move: Behind the Scenes
Delve behind the scenes and collect insights or stories from your team to share them with customers for a deeper, more meaningful relationship.
Why We Love It: this method shows a different side of your brand and helps forge connections with people who can relate to your team’s stories.
Master Move: A Simple Thank You
Creating a connection with your customers sometimes means sending an email without any ulterior motives. Beardbrand sends a simple thank you message to dads with a small link out to its product pages for people who want to explore further.
Why We Love It: Father’s Day is a time for celebrating the people we love. Showing you care strengthens relationships and can have the knock-on effect of more sales.
Master Move: Special Father’s Day Offers
Create a special product or event especially for Father’s Day that will introduce new customers to your brand. The Regency Apartment Hotel has put on a one-off gin tasting and jazz session just for dads.
Why We Love It: this can be a great way to introduce customers to your product range while creating a fun experience for families.
Master Move: Personalized Gifts for Different Types of Dads
Target different types of dads and their various interests by grouping together products that have something in common. Choose “dad types” that align with your products and your audience for best results.
Why We Love It: you can reach a wider range of people who fit into different categories while still offering a personalized approach.
Master Move: Free Gift With Every Order
Everyone loves to get something for free. Encourage more Father’s Day sales by giving away a freebie or a discount voucher with every purchase.
Why We Love It: this makes customers feel special, introduces people to more of your products, and can give sales a boost further down the line.
Master Move: Father’s Day Giveaway
Boost brand engagement around Father’s Day with a fun giveaway. Encourage participants to share their dad stories, a joke, or a photo for the chance to win a prize.
Why We Love It: giveaways increase engagement and brand visibility while introducing potential customers to your products.
Master Move: Giveaway to Promote Products
Take your giveaway to the next level by linking it to a range of dad-related products like Galleria does.
Why We Love It: this strategy combines the benefits of a giveaway with the chance to promote relevant products. The people taking part in your giveaway will already be interested in what you’re offering, so give them some more inspiration to keep their shopping journey on track.
Master Move: The Gift Guide
Put together a Father’s Day gift guide for inspiration (with a landing page designed for conversion). Often, people won’t know what to buy the dad figure(s) in their life (especially if they’re the dad who has it all!), which means you have the perfect opportunity to push your product line.
Pro-tip Don’t just throw together a gift guide with all the usual culprits – or you might just end up the punch line of a customer Tweet.
Why We Love It: useful content like this strengthens your brand authority and works as a product catalog for potential customers.
Master Move: Collect User Generated Content
User generated content (UGC) is a crucial part of the buying cycle. Encourage customers to share a picture with their dad under a designated hashtag, and then share those pictures across your social media platforms and in emails to increase your reach.
You can also encourage reviews about your products from fathers and other shoppers to add social proof to your efforts.
Why We Love It: UGC gets your customers involved and makes them feel a part of something. On top of this, it increases buyer confidence and gently pushes people through the buying cycle.
Master Move: Dad as a Hero
Pitch dads as the heroes they are by sending an authentic message that both thanks father figures and promotes your relevant products. Hydro Flask does this perfectly by sharing some typical dad memories above a simple link to carry on shopping.
Why We Love It: this tactic combines an authentic approach with product promotion, while also celebrating dads as heroes.
Master Move: Bundle Similar Products
Group similar products together into dad-focused bundles. Carrington Confections has created a special Father’s Day “dad box” made up of a selection of its best selling products, while the Men’s Society has put together a special dad recovery kit.
Why We Love It: gift bundles like this are the perfect gift inspiration for dads that have it all. They also give customers the chance to try out some of your other products and create a better overall experience.
Master Move: Segment Dads By Interests
Not all dads are the same, and they certainly aren’t all interested in the same things. Leverage this by segmenting dads based on their interests or style and sharing products they might be interested in.
Why We Love It: Consumers crave personalization, and showing that you understand the different needs of different customers will win you points with potential shoppers.
Master Move: Position Your Product for Dads
Even if your products aren’t overtly dad-related, you can still make the most of Father’s Day. Green and Blacks simply reposition their product for dads by using the word “adventure” and speaking directly to their potential customers.
Why We Love It: It’s a low-effort way to sell more products on Father’s Day and create a deeper connection with customers.
Master Move: Interactive Communication
Get customers involved in your Father’s Day campaigns by making them interactive. Content like quizzes, questionnaires, surveys, and contests allow shoppers to engage with your brand while getting inspiration for their gifts. Brewers Fayre has a simple Father’s Day quiz that ultimately leads to a product promotion.
Why We Love It: quizzes boost brand engagement, which makes customers feel more connected to your brand and products.
Master Move: Dad Jokes
Who doesn’t love a good dad joke? Take on the dads in their own game by sprinkling a few relevant dad jokes into your emails and social campaigns around Father’s Day. Banana Republic threw in a knee-slapper with their product promotion.
Why We Love It: using dad jokes creates a connection with shoppers and shows the humorous side of your brand.
Master Move: Limited Edition Products
Create a product or multiple products especially for Father’s Day. Here, Miller Lite has released a “Shoezie” especially for the holiday which combines two dad-related products: beer and shoes.
Why We Love It: this is a fun way to get creative with your products and reach a new audience. Launching a brand new limited edition product creates urgency and scarcity, which ultimately leads to more sales.
Oh, by the way, they also created a dedicated landing page to give this masterpiece the boost it deserves.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Father’s Day Marketing
Father’s Day is a big holiday for brands and the perfect opportunity to reach new customers or bolster your relationship with existing ones. Covid-19 has affected the way marketing messages are received, so be mindful of how you’re promoting Father’s Day – not everyone is ready or happy to celebrate.
Here are some key things to remember before you start to plan your Father’s Day campaigns this year:
Do:
- Bundle together relevant products
- Offer a freebie with purchases over a certain amount
- Let customers to opt-out of marketing materials
- Be authentic and empathetic
- Celebrate dads by thanking them and pitching them as heroes
- Segment dads based on their interests
- Use Sponsored Messages to promote your content and products. Sponsored Messages have a 90% open rate and a 30% CTR – and you’re only charged when a recipient opens a message, not when it’s delivered
Don’t:
- Bombard customers with Father’s Day messages if they don’t want to receive them
- Be afraid to reposition your products to fit the needs of dads
- Send generic Father’s Day messages
- Forget to map out your Father’s Day marketing strategy in advance
If you need help crafting or perfecting your Father’s Day messages, or you simply want to optimize your existing campaigns, we can help.
Take inspiration from our edition of Spring Messenger Pros here, or check out our Father’s Day exclusive templates.
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