March “National Day” Campaign Ideas for Local Advertisers

National Craft Month

Crafting is a hobby for many, and 25% of the people in the U.S. identify as “crafters.” It’s also a significant revenue generator for retailers. The category’s projection for 2024 revenue is $37.37 billion in the U.S.

Advertisers within this retail subcategory will want to make the most of this month. Here are some ideas:

• Every day a discount: Craft suppliers can run a daily promotion on specific items using geofencing, social media and email. Such a campaign can bring in shoppers on multiple days.
• New crafter beginner bundles: Appeal to those new to the hobby with bundles that have all the basics of crafting. Social media and display ads will help you target their audiences.
• Crafter spotlights: If your crafting advertisers have loyal, longtime customers, they should highlight their achievements. It can be a short, personal story that celebrates crafting. Social media and video ads are the best mediums for these.

Beyond retailers, others cater to crafters, like local community colleges with classes or event-type businesses like “paint and wine” spots. These advertisers can also leverage National Craft Month to promote their classes and events on social media, display ads and OTT/CTV.

National Nutrition Month

Many people are more health-conscious than they were a few years ago. There’s also more general awareness around what constitutes a nutritious meal. As a result, some advertisers can take advantage of National Nutrition Month.

Thinking beyond health food stores, you can find interest in two other types of advertisers.

Cooking Classes

If people want to eat healthier, they’ll need better cooking skills. Cooking classes are often a social gathering for attendees. People also want to make wiser food choices on a daily basis.

For any cooking schools or independent operators, chat with them about offering a package of classes that can start in March and run for 60 to 90 days. With a bundle offer, they’ll get more time with students and a better return.

Since we’re talking food and action, you should recommend video-based ad types, whether video display, OTT/CTV or social media.

Farmers Markets

Spring is the typical time that farmers markets reopen. They are often a community-oriented experience with veggies, flowers, food vendors and more. Promoting these and driving more foot traffic is always a goal. You can approach both the organizer and the individual vendors that correlate to nutrition. 

These will mainly be awareness ads with the dates, times, location and vendor lists. Since they fall into that category, recommend geofencing. They can fence the market on open days to grab the attention of those in the neighborhood. Geofencing areas where likely farmers markets customers would be works too, such as fitness centers or health food stores. To complement these targeted digital tactics, radio is great for broad reach.

National Women’s History Month

National Women’s History Month commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the role of women in American history. Themes often consist of empowerment and the contributions of women to the country’s culture and society. Almost any advertiser can decide to honor women in March. 

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Talk to groups hosting events or celebrations locally about promoting those with digital advertising targeting women in their area.
• Approach women-owned local businesses about sharing their stories with branded ads on social media and video ads.
• Reach out to retailers and other businesses that cater to women about if they’ll be commemorating the month. They may be organizing events or making donations to nonprofits that support women. Ads for this could run on both digital and linear.

International Women’s Day is also March 8, so businesses may want to have exclusive events or promotions on this day.

National Credit Education Month

According to research by the TIAA Institute, only 48% of U.S. adults answered one-half of basic finance questions correctly. As a result, the organization calls financial literacy too low and concerning.

Thus, many lack comprehension of basics, including credit and borrowing. Growing credit card debt also signals financial literacy declines. This month is a great opportunity for local credit unions, community banks and financial advisors to lead with education. They could promote virtual or in-person classes, complimentary consultations, or a series of facts and best practices.

How they promote this will depend on the audience they are seeking. If it’s younger generations, niche social media sites like TikTok and Snapchat could be great channels. Gen Z and millennials already look to these sites for advice and learnings. For older demographics, consider Facebook. Additionally, campaigns like this would work well on OTT/CTV, streaming audio and display.

College Basketball Tournament 

The men’s college basketball tournament starts March 16 and runs through April 7. If you happen to be in a metro area hosting any of the games, you’ll want to use that to your advantage, and so will local businesses. Host cities include Denver, Cleveland, Raleigh, Seattle, Newark, San Francisco, Atlanta, Indianapolis and San Antonio.

Those cities will see an uptick in visitors, so restaurants, retailers, entertainment venues and more will want to target these customers with digital ads and local radio spots.

Other cities can also get in on the fun. Sports bars will want to communicate their drink and food specials on game days. They can do a series of these for the different dates. 

Also, college towns with teams that make the tournament can show their school pride. Local restaurants may host viewing parties, and colleges and universities may want to create ads around team gear specials. Since these are very geo-specific, use digital ad tactics that allow for geotargeting. 

Irish American History Month

The U.S. Congress designated March as Irish American History Month in 1991. Since St. Patrick’s Day lands in the middle, it’s a good fit for celebrating heritage.

In addition to the usual St. Patrick’s Day campaigns (see our Winter Holidays post for ideas), there are many more ways for advertisers to get involved. Some potential options include:

• Museums or organizations hosting events or exhibits
• Irish eateries that want to promote deals on food and drinks
• Retailers that offer Irish gifts, crafts or items

Recommend targeted display, social media and radio spots for these month-long campaigns.

National Read Across America Day (March 2)

Reading is something many enjoy, from children to seniors. It’s a great time to celebrate the joys that books bring. It’s also appropriate to give back to literacy nonprofits that donate books. Retailers, restaurants and other local businesses could participate in this, announcing it via social media and radio. Emails or text messages to their current customers would work too.

Nonprofits in this category may also be interested in a mini campaign to spread awareness and ask for donations. The creative behind such an occasion could include thoughts on how books make the world better. If you can help them produce an emotional video ad, it could result in high engagement.

March Foodie Days

The month of March celebrates many staples and indulgences. Campaigns for these days can highlight the deliciousness available at restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores. Since the days are food-centered, any video ad types will be the best tactics to recommend.

Food days in March include:

• Peanut Butter Lovers Day (March 1)
• Banana Cream Pie Day (March 2)
• Pound Cake Day (March 4)
• Oreo Cookie Day (March 6)
• Flapjack Day (March 7)
• Meatball Day (March 9)
• Chocolate Caramel Day (March 19)
• Ravioli Day (March 20)
• Tamale Day (March 23)
• Cocktail Day (March 24)
• Cheesesteak Day (March 24)

Daylight Savings (March 9)

On March 9, most states will be springing forward an hour. While we lose an hour, we have longer days to look forward to. Daylight savings ad campaigns could take two approaches — the beginning of spring-like activities or a bit of humor!

A reminder that there’s more sunshine would be an excellent angle for youth sports, local parks and rec, afternoon concerts or any other spring-like fun. March 9 could be a launch date that carries through the first day of spring and the rest of the month.

Retailers or restaurants could take the humor path by offering a promotion or special to replace that lost hour!

National Promposal Day (March 11)

Proposing for prom has become a social media trend over the past few years. Teens often create elaborate schemes to ask others to prom. Businesses that will benefit from upcoming spring proms — retailers, restaurants, florists, etc. — can get in on this day with social media campaigns. Contests for the best promposal could award the lucky winners free prom activities.

Pi Day (March 14)

Pi Day may seem like it’s just for math lovers, but it’s actually a great day for anyone to celebrate. It could be a fun way for educational advertisers to showcase their math programs and host events to recruit new students. You’ll want to point them toward digital advertising options that allow them to target families.

Bakeries, pizzerias and restaurants can also get in on the fun with “pie” specials — maybe a slice for $3.14? Social media will be an excellent channel for this since you can use hashtags.

First Day of Spring (March 20)

Spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation along, of course, with the promise of longer, warmer days. Spring promotions should kick off this week, and the ideas for your advertisers are endless.

Retailers will want to promote new items for spring, from clothing to home projects. Talk to your retail clients about an integrated campaign to welcome spring and shoppers. They can use digital display ads with promo codes. Social media ads are also a great channel since you can target specific demographics.

If they introduce something very visual, retailers can get better engagement with video ads. Additionally, radio is always great for the broadest reach and are ideal for retailers that cater to everyone.

The key is to ensure they use a digital and linear marketing mix to drive the promotion. By using different channels, they’ll see better returns on ad spend.

Restaurants are another business type that can get in on spring promotions. Some might be rolling out seasonal menus. Others will begin offering outdoor dining. Depending on the advertiser’s goals, they can target current customers and new ones.

For existing customers, talk to restaurants about email marketing and mobile messaging. They can offer customers a loyalty discount on their next dine-in or to-go order.

Geofencing can perform well for restaurants to engage new customers. People who are nearby may receive display ad promotions featuring new spring menu delights. That could lead to an increase in foot traffic of hungry diners.

Spring can also be a time when people want to get in shape and live healthier lives. Gyms, spas, trainers and other related advertisers may wish to launch a new campaign to capitalize on consumer behaviors. These tend to target specific demographics, so use channels that allow you to do this — social media, OTT/CTV and display ads are a good fit. The creative they use should be inspiring and bright and should entice their audience to take the next step (i.e., make a purchase, make contact).