Making the Most of Picnic Season
July is National Picnic Month; leverage the season to make your brand top-of-mind amongst consumers
For many Americans, vaccines are done and masks are coming off. Regardless of either of those, people are coming out into the world again as we enter our post-vaccine phase and prepare to welcome the new summer season. Seasons, holidays and even “food marketing holidays,” like National Picnic Month, can represent big opportunities for brands and retailers. National Picnic Month, during July, is especially relevant to the snack and beverage categories.
HERE’S A TEST YOU CAN EASILY DO RIGHT NOW
Open a web browser, like Google, or a social media platform, like Instagram, and type in the search area “your product category or product name + picnic” and see what search results come up. For example, type:
“charcuterie + picnic,”
“sparkling water + picnic,”
“wine + picnic basket,”
“healthy snacks + picnic.”
If your brand is not a part of the results, mark that down as a conversation you need to work to be a part of, and possibly even lead, or attempt to “own.”
Photo source: Google.
Food and beverage brands should naturally have marketing communications campaigns around their biggest selling seasons and holidays, but don’t forget about occasions you can own as well, like picnics. Might your snack product or sparkling water be the product people think of when they plan their picnic? When couples, for example, plan a picnic date, or a group of moms plan a mother-baby picnic at a playground, don’t you want to be the brand that they think of when they plan their ideal picnic experience.
According to our shopper research, we know American consumers are currently very keen to gather with friends and family again (after over a year apart,) and feel more comfortable doing so outdoors. Many of the people we’ve recently interviewed proactively brought up spring and summer picnics are something they are already doing or planning to do soon. We also know that amongst the more natural consumers, they are even more focused now on minimizing single-use plastic in food & beverage products they buy.
For example, one millennial woman in Washington, DC shared with us…
““I used to pop into a grocery store and buy ready-made sandwiches and appetizers on the way to picnic in the park, but so much of that stuff has way too much plastic, some that’s not even able to be recycled. I now prefer to prepare food at home and am using reusable containers from home. For wine, I’m bringing stainless steel cups or glasses. I feel much better about making a pretty picnic out in Mother Nature if what I’m consuming is not bad for the Planet.””
We know consumers that feel good about what they purchase are more likely to tell others, who will also potentially buy your products.
- Lisa Mabe-Konstantopoulos, Founder & CEO, Green Purse PR
Are you ready to start owning occasions and seasons?
If you’re keen for your brand to start owning occasions for your category, like picnics, the backyard BBQ, pool parties, etc, let’s talk about how to make that happen. Contact us to learn more.