MULTIPLE PURCHASE OPPORTUNITIES LEADING UP TO EASTER

One of my favorite seasons is Spring and holidays is Easter, and lucky for me, I usually get to celebrate Easter twice! Although it varies each year, Orthodox Easter, or “Greek Easter” as we call it, is sometimes a week or so off from regular Easter. My husband, Yianni, is Greek and Easter is a HUGE holiday in his culture, so we always celebrate both regular and Orthodox Easter.

Whether it’s social media marketing or traditional public relations, building messaging and content around holidays (major holidays, like Easter, and also the plethora of ‘marketing holidays,’ like National Picnic Day - April 23, 2020) and seasons serves as a foundation for guiding the marketing communications programs that Green Purse PR plans and creates for its clients.

Spring of course lasts for a while; it technically begins March 19, although it likely won’t feel like it until closer to Easter. Easter is more than just a one-time event on April 12 (and April 19 for Orthodox Easter.) Both Spring and Easter can include what we like to call “mini events,” which can stretch out the season and create even more purchase opportunities.

How many ‘mini events’ (or buying opportunities) are there for Spring & Easter?

Turns out, there are several, depending on your product category and who you’re targeting. Here are a few that we try to leverage for some of our clients that focus on the Easter holiday.

Spruce up for Spring - Many Americans like to welcome Spring (whenever it begins to feel like Spring) by sprucing up their homes with seasonal flowers, often outside their front door or inside their homes. Grocery stores and garden centers are keen to promote and sell flowers, like tulips and peonies. In addition to pretty, Spring flowers, many Americans like to dress up their home entrance with season-appropriate welcome mats and garden decor.

Easter Dress - For households with children, buying an Easter outfit is on the agenda for some Americans, especially those planning to dress up for parties or church activities. For little ladies and big ones too, this can especially be a big deal. Parents often use this time as a good excuse to get professional photos made of the kids or the entire family. I personally like to have matching dresses for my daughter and I, and I’ve already got my photographer lined up for Spring family photos.
Dying Easter Eggs - To decorate for Easter and Spring, a lot of households will hard boil eggs and dye them different Spring colors. There are egg-dying kits to buy, or some people may opt for natural, plant-based dyes. After the eggs are properly colored and dried, they make pretty decor items for the household.
Easter Baskets - Easter baskets filled with treats are a traditional Easter gift, especially for children. While the focus tends to be on confectionary products, like Peeps (sugar covered marshmallows in the shape of baby chickens,) Easter eggs with prizes inside, chocolate Easter bunnies, and Easter-themed candy, a lot of gifts will extend to toys, clothes, games, etc. Adults can certainly be given Easter baskets too.
Neighborhood Events - Some American neighborhoods (especially suburban areas) are likely to have a big Easter egg hunt and party. Some even have an Easter bunny for kids to meet and greet.
Go see the Easter Bunny - This is a very American thing (actually, all of this is,) but if the neighborhood or church community did not offer an Easter bunny opportunity, many families will go see the Easter Bunny at a local shopping mall. A bit similar to going to see Santa Claus before Christmas, visiting with the Easter Bunny is mostly just to get a fun, festive photo. Parents tend to have children dressed up in their Sunday best for this visit and buy professional photos of the encounter.
The Big Grocery Shop - For those planning to entertain family and friends at home, they’ll be heading to their grocery store to do a big Easter shop. This is when they’ll pick up their Easter ham or lamb, ingredients for any baking, drinks and probably some flowers too.
Easter Day - Americans’ celebrations for Easter day can vary. Church-going folks may rise extra early for a sunrise church service. Typically most Easter meals tend to focus around lunch or dinner — some at home, and others going out to restaurants. Some mainstays for the day include specific food traditions and for children, an Easter egg hunt. Traditional food on Easter can include: ham, leg of lamb, deviled eggs, baked goods, etc.
Hostess Gift - For those heading to someone else’s home to celebrate, they will bring a hostess gift, which could include some of the following: flowers, wine, dessert, or maybe a side dish if guests have been asked to contribute to the meal. If the hostess has children, some guests will likely bring a small treat for the children as well.
Orthodox Easter - For Orthodox Christians, they’ll celebrate Orthodox Easter, which this year, is one week later. Orthodox Easter can look like a repeat of the regular Easter, but with a few notable differences — mainly, serving a whole lamb. For example, my husband’s Greek family has a tradition of slaughtering a lamb at a local farm and roasting the whole lamb on our spit grill in the back yard in time for our big, Greek Easter party.

Koulourakia, traditional Easter cookies from Greek culture

Holiday Planning Help

Is Easter or Spring a major selling season for your brand? How is your company planning to connect with consumers during the spring & Easter season?

Contact me to discuss how your brand or retailer can leverage the next big holiday in your consumer marketing. We offer 1-hour consulting call, or we can explore having Green Purse PR plan or implement a holiday marketing campaign for you.

- Lisa Mabe-Konstantopoulos, Founder & CEO, Green Purse PR