Marketing Ideas for January 2023

We’re back with another year-long series of marketing idea calendars to hopefully give you some starting points on your social media or in-store promotional marketing.

Make it your New Year’s resolution to amp up your marketing game.

January

• • 1st – New Year’s Day (F)
    • • New Year’s day is considered one of ten Federal holidays, non-essential Federal Government offices are closed. This is a banking holiday as well, be sure to stock up on change.

• • 2nd – National Science Fiction Day
    • • A day to celebrate anything science fiction based on any medium. Book, art, movie? Celebrate it.

• • 3rd – JRR Tolkien Day
    • • J.R.R. Tolkien Day is “The Lord of the Rings” author’s birthday

• • 4th – National Trivia Day
    • • This national day is a day to test or share small bits of almost useless information. Did you know that Trivia is the plural of the word Trivium? Now you do.

• • 4th – National Spaghetti Day
    • • There is a huge history based on where and how spaghetti is made and enjoyed. Don’t forget to consider the sauce or sides to spaghetti if you plan on making this an event. Adding meatballs, sausage, or cheesy bread is a great way to add on.

• • 6th – National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day
    • • This is a great reminder to take down any holiday decorations you may have up still. Pack away the Christmas rush and take a moment to finish your inventory and detail clean areas that have been neglected due to the holiday sales rush.

• • 7th – Happy Birthday Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Marvel)
    • • Clint Barton is the original person behind Hawkeye. According to Screenrant Hawkeye was born on January 7th, 1971. He is a Capricorn.

• • 9th – National Clean Your Desk Day
    • • Cleaning your desk is a great way to get organized and ready for the new year, PS. you are almost two weeks in already. Make sure you get a head start on any tax documents you need to get to your accountant. It’s also a good time to reorganize your desk and work area and bring in a completely new space. Change the layout, add some plants, and change the brand of the pen you like to use. Actually, complete this year’s budgeting and goal planning. Get rid of the good stuff that has been shoved into your desk that isn’t actually good stuff, and get rid of the clutter of stacked-up junk mail that has been sitting there for at least 3 months. A clean desk will bring you new energy to focus on planning and fulfilling your goals this year.

• • 11th – National Milk Day
    • • Milk now also comes in non-daily options as well! Today is a great day to advertise milk-based drinks or small give away with sales such as bite-sized MILK chocolate bars.

• • 13th – National Sticker Day
    • • Stickers were originally invented by European Merchants who wanted to advertise their goods to people who went by them. Today, we even have digital stickers and emojis. Stickers in bulk are almost ridiculously cheap. These 2”x2” stickers start at $35 for 1000. This is a good brand awareness day.

• • 13th – National Rubber Ducky Day
    • • Based on a 1973 Sesame Street Calendar and an introduction to the Rubber Duckie character, this birthday has been given. After World War One and Two, the ducks’ design changed slightly due to the invention of plastic and vinyl. The Rubber Duck is a Toy Hall of Fame inductee for the year 2013. Rubber ducks in bulk are very inexpensive and are a memorable giveaway, especially if it’s based on a sale.

• • 15th – National Hat Day
    • • Hats have a very long and festive history. Wear a hat, give out a hat, and celebrate the early Millinery skills needed to craft hats. Like Ugly Christmas Sweaters, today is a great day to let staff wear outlandish hats or a promotion where customers can receive a small discount or prize for wearing a hat or crazy hat. 

• • 15th – National Bagel Day
    • • Enjoy a bagel and your favorite toppings. Maybe add lox. If you are not a food-based business, this is an excellent day to team up with your local bakery and do some cross-promotion. If you are a food-based business, don’t forget to keep your spreads in temp.

• • 16th – National Use Your Gift Card Day (Third Saturday of every January)
    • • Every year, roughly $100 Billion of gift cards are purchased. There is a certain percentage of gift cards that never get used. Making an event around this will help you encourage and remind customers that may have been given a gift card over the holidays to stop in. 

• • 17th – Happy Birthday Dr. Fate (DC Comics)
    • • Happy Birthday, Dr. Fate!

• • 16th – Martin Luther King Day (F)
    • • King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. It is a Federal holiday, be sure to have your banking done before the weekend.

• • 18th – National Winnie the Pooh Day
    • • Originally created in 1926, Winnie the Pooh is a staple among many homes with young children. Don’t forget your honey on the way to the Hundred Acre Woods.

• • 19th – National Popcorn Day
    • • Today is a great day to advertise a giveaway or sale on Popcorn. Small lunch bags as a giveaway or hire a local kettle corn maker to set up and turn it into a big event.

• • 21st – Get To Know Your Customers Day
    • • Do exactly as this says. Learn more about the people who are supporting your business. Find out what they like, what they love, and what they do. Make a connection with them deeper than a transaction. This holiday happens every January, April, July, and October

• • 23rd – National Pie Day
    • • Unlike PI day, for Math inclined people. This is actually for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, or cherry? 

• • 24th – National Compliment Day
    • • Bring some praise, love, and happiness to your community. Give out compliments all day, this should already be an everyday event. This holiday is just to highlight it.

• • 25th – Chinese New Year
    • • This is an important day to at the very least, be aware of. It’s celebrated by about 20% of the -world- population, or by about 2 billion people. It has a long history and is one of the largest holidays in China and Chinese descendants. It’s generally celebrated everywhere except North America, and even then large city populations uphold the celebration. During this celebration, most production in China shuts down for holiday for about 7 days. If you are planning on orders or manufacturing, avoid this time. If you are looking to include or acknowledge your Chinese customers, look to hand them a Red Envelope with cash or chocolate coins, which symbolizes good fortune.  

• • 27th – Chocolate Cake Day
    • • Enjoy some Chocolate Cake! Reach out to a local bakery and offer some cross promotions!

• • 28th – National Lego Day
    • • Celebrating children, creativity, and building, Lego day is a great day for a Lego event or a Lego sale. Check with your Lego representative about sales as the company usually has a MAP policy.

• • 29th – Happy Birthday Aquaman (DC)
    • • Happy Birthday Aquaman, DC Comics

• • 29th – National Puzzle Day
    • • Puzzles are a great option for unplugged mental exercise. This makes a great day to highlight puzzles and possibly offer a sale.

• • 31st – Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
    • • Art comes in so many forms and this day is dedicated to art. Pick a style or artist and celebrate it! Have an arts and crafts day, a miniature building. If you sell Games-Workshop plan a paint-and-take event. So many options for brand building or a sales event for this.