Welcome to your all encompassing guide on how to market St. Patrick’s day.
For those of you who aren’t from the Chicagoland area, you may not know just how important St. Patty’s day is. We dye our river green! That’s true dedication. To the most opportunistic marketers, this leaves only one question: how can I capitalize on this??? Here are some do’s and don't's of St. Patrick’s day marketing.
Do:
- Something! No matter what your brand is, you can find a way to incorporate St. Patrick’s day. Whether that’s as simple as putting it in the caption of a post, making your profile picture green, or redoing your entire location to look like a great big Irish flag, there is some way to capitalize on Chicago’s most visible celebration.
Don't:
- Lose sight of local tradition. Each neighborhood in Chicago has unique ways of celebrating St. Patrick’s day; ignoring that fact will make you appear out of touch.
Do:
- Make meaningful promotions. Try to tie your sales, deals, and events into the holiday, whether that’s by putting Guinness on sale or by making a shamrock-inspired coffee drink. You can go with a standard promotion if you want, but making your offers related to something Irish or something green will help your promotion look like it’s an actual part of your campaign, rather than something lazily thrown on.
Don't:
- Lean into stereotypes about Irish people. Have your fun, and post your leprechauns, but don’t feed into the harmful stereotypes that often surround Irish people, particularly when it comes to alcohol. You can have a ton of fun and make great content without being mean!
Do:
- Start thinking about St. Patrick’s day early! Realistically, you can weave the holiday into your content throughout March if you want. I’ve seen bars literally transform into green and orange versions of themselves starting March 1st. While this may be overkill for you, you can start working Chicago’s big day into your content as early as you want!
Don't:
- Compete with the parades. Realistically, you’re not going to win. Instead, focus on having an event after the parade, or opening up early so people can stop in your bar beforehand. The parades are half the fun of St. Patrick’s day, and you have nothing to gain from ignoring that fact.
If you’re in Chicago, you absolutely should market around St. Patrick’s day. Just make sure that your tie-ins make sense, and that you acknowledge the traditions that make this holiday what it is.
