Must-Try Q3 Marketing Campaign Ideas 📈✨

#HTE 313 -Strategies, examples, and much more!

Aug 01, 2024

Hello there, HTE rock stars! 😎

Welcome to our latest newsletter! 🌟

As we head into the last part of the year, it’s the perfect time to refresh your marketing plans. This month, we’re sharing fresh campaign ideas for August and September that can help your brand stand out and achieve great results. 📈✨

Plus, we’ll dive into practical tips for handling customer experience (CX) problems. Whether you’re dealing with unexpected issues or looking to fine-tune your approach, our advice will help you turn challenges into opportunities. With these insights, you can not only recover from CX setbacks but also enhance your overall strategy. Let’s make the most of these months and drive success for your business!

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Innovative Marketing Campaign Ideas for Q3: Focus on August & September 🎯

Practical Tips to Tackle a Customer Experience (CX) Crisis 💡

Navigating Sold Out & Pre-Orders 🚀

Turning Crises into Opportunities - Practical Tips for Crisis Management in CX

Top Reads - Real-Time News Right For You. 📚

HTE Job Board- Get Your Dream Job With A Click! 🧐

Innovative Marketing Campaign Ideas for Q3: Focus on August & September 🎯

August and September are the final months before holiday planning and BFCM madness 🛍️ take over. While there aren't many holidays, there are still plenty of opportunities for strong sales and preparation for Q4 with list-building and retention-focused efforts.

Key Dates for August 2024:

August 8: International Cat Day 🐱
August 26: National Dog Day 🐶
August 30: National Beach Day 🏖️

Focus: Back-to-School Season 🎒

The big focus in August is back-to-school marketing. The NRF estimates 2024 B2S spending at $39 billion and back-to-college spending at $87 billion, with an average of $875 per household. This includes school supplies, clothing, tech, and more.

Running a back-to-school sale can help you stay top-of-mind, especially since 80% of consumers expect higher prices this year—making a good deal hard to resist! 💸

Align your e-commerce platform for tax-free days, which vary by state. Run geo-targeted campaigns to inform customers of their tax-free status on specific weekends, using a timer for urgency.

August also features pet-centric days: International Cat Day (Aug 8) and National Dog Day (Aug 26). Ideal for pet brands, segment your audience into dog/cat owners using order history or zero-party data for targeted messaging. Tomlinson’s achieved opt-in rates of 11.74% (mobile) and 7.54% (desktop) with this approach.

With the Summer Olympics in Paris until August 11th, launch patriotic campaigns. Lastly, on August 30th, hold a summer clearance sale on National Beach Day to prepare for fall inventory.

September 2024 Calendar

Sept 1: Father’s Day [AUS]
Sept 2: Labor Day
Sept 5: 2023 NFL Season Kickoff
Sept 21: Oktoberfest (Ends Oct 6)
Sept 22: First Day of Autumn

Father’s Day [AUS] (Sept 1): Target Australian visitors with Father’s Day campaigns. Offer opt-outs to respect those who may find these campaigns uncomfortable. Use gift guides by hobby or interest to assist shoppers in finding the perfect gift, both on your website and in email, social, and SMS campaigns.

Labor Day (Sept 2): A significant sales day in the US. All industries offer major deals to clear inventory before the holiday season. Take advantage of this opportunity to boost your Q4 performance.

NFL Season Kickoff (Sept 5): A prime time for retailers selling party supplies, home decor, and sporting goods. Send geo-targeted emails based on game schedules to capitalize on football season's popularity.

Oktoberfest (Sept 21 - Oct 6): A great opportunity for beer brands and barware companies to offer selective sales on German lagers and beer accessories.

First Day of Autumn (Sept 22): Launch themed, seasonal campaigns with fall elements to excite customers about your inventory. Many consumers are eager to shop for fall decor, so cater to this demand.

Holiday Season Preparation:

Build your subscriber base with lead capture setups to reduce reliance on expensive ads.
Add SMS opt-ins for secondary traffic to create a high-intent group for holiday campaigns.
Collect relevant zero and first-party data to personalize holiday campaigns, making them more effective.

Website Review:

Ensure a streamlined checkout process with options like BNPL or one-click payments.
Eliminate confusing or broken site elements.
Provide clear FAQs, returns, and shipping information.

Prepare your website and marketing strategies to capitalize on the busy shopping season ahead.

Practical Tips to Tackle a Customer Experience (CX) Crisis 💡

Part 1: Navigating Sold Out & Pre-Orders 🚀

1. Radical Transparency

Building trust starts with clear communication about stock status and timelines. Brands like Brēz and Lomi excel by clearly marking out-of-stock items and displaying shipping dates, which helps maintain or boost conversion rates and customer loyalty.

Avoid vague or hidden information, as it can lead to frustration. Proactive, transparent updates can turn potential issues into opportunities for stronger customer relationships. I appreciate how Brēz shares friendly, on-brand pre-order updates via email. 📧

2. Over-Communicate (but Avoid Sales Pushes)

During the luggage saga, our commitment to consistent and transparent communication significantly improved our brand perception. Some of our most vocal critics in 2015 became loyal customers by 2018.

When customers are waiting, it's crucial to keep them informed without pushing additional sales. I’ve seen brands promise regular pre-order updates but then bombard customers with sales pitches instead—this approach quickly erodes trust.

Frequent, honest updates without sales pressure help maintain trust and respect while customers await their products.

Recently, I ordered an air freshener with a backorder of a few weeks and was bombarded with upsell offers during the wait. I found it quite frustrating. 🙃

3. Set Realistic Expectations

Overpromising and underdelivering is a frequent pitfall, particularly with supply chain issues. It’s tempting to say you’re “almost back in stock,” but failing to meet this promise can create even bigger problems.

Instead, set realistic expectations and strive to exceed them. By underpromising and overdelivering, you can build trust and enhance customer satisfaction.

While this approach seems straightforward, it’s often not executed well.

Part 2: Turning Crises into Opportunities - Practical Tips for Crisis Management in CX

Even with the best preparation, crises can strike unexpectedly. Here’s how you can transform these challenges into chances to strengthen customer loyalty and satisfaction:

1. Swift Acknowledgment 🚨

Address issues as soon as they arise. Quick acknowledgment demonstrates you're on top of the situation, even if a resolution is still in progress.

Example: If your website is down or shipping is delayed, send an immediate notification. A message like, “We’re aware of the issue and are working hard to fix it. Thanks for your patience!” shows you’re proactive.

Brands often shine by sending thoughtful follow-ups during high-traffic times, like product drops. Some even offer a small discount as a token of appreciation for their customers' patience.

2. Show Empathy and Apologize ❤️

Empathy can be a powerful tool in crisis management. A sincere apology can defuse frustration and set a positive tone for resolution.

Example: Instead of using a generic, impersonal response, try: “I understand how frustrating this delay must be, especially with your upcoming trip. I’m truly sorry and will do everything I can to resolve this promptly.”

3. Provide Clear Solutions

Once you’ve acknowledged and apologized, outline clear solutions. Inform your customers about your plan to address the issue and what they can expect next.

Offer options so customers can choose what suits them best. Even if one solution is ideal and others are less appealing, giving customers a choice can enhance their sense of control.

Example: If a product is sold out, offer an alternate item, a refund, or store credit. This flexibility helps customers feel more in control and satisfied with the outcome.

4. Maintain Communication

Keep the updates coming until the issue is fully resolved. Regular communication, even if there’s no new information, shows commitment and keeps customers in the loop.

Example: Send periodic updates via email or SMS about the status of the issue. “We’re still working on resolving the shipping delays. Thank you for your patience, and we’ll keep you updated with any new developments.”

5. Go the Extra Mile 🌟

Turning a crisis into a positive experience can be achieved by going above and beyond. Small gestures like discounts, free shipping, or complimentary products can leave a lasting impression.

The service recovery paradox is real—sometimes, fixing a problem exceptionally well can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal advocate.

By implementing these strategies, you can turn a crisis into an opportunity to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

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Phew! That was a lot, right? But hey, knowledge is power🌟. We hope this edition gave you some insights and maybe even cleared up a few doubts.

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