March “National Day” Campaign Ideas for Local Advertisers

National Craft Month

Crafting is a hobby for many Americans, and 26% of the population identifies as a “crafter.” It’s also a significant revenue generator for retailers. The category’s projection for 2023 revenue is $45.7 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 SMS marketing, 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 get a better return. 

Since we’re talking food and action, the ad types you recommend should be video-based, whether 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 of these and 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 targeted display ads within specific ZIP codes and radio 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, only 57% of American adults are financially literate, which means nearly half lack comprehension of basics, including credit and borrowing. 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, radio and display.

College Basketball Tournament

The men’s college basketball tournament starts March 14 and runs through April 3. 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. 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 TV 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.

We have a digital advertising package just for this occasion. You can find it here.

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 ad via video, it could result in high engagement.

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. Email or SMS offers to current customers can also bring in more pie lovers.

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, for the broadest reach and ideal for retailers that cater to everyone, radio and TV are always great.

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.

Another industry that can get in on spring promotions is restaurants. Some might be rolling out seasonal menus. Others will begin offering outside 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).