“May, more than any other month of the year, wants to make us feel the most alive” ~ Fennel Hudson
We couldn’t agree more. The month of May is beloved across the northern hemisphere for the simple reason that life is everywhere. Flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing and the days shine bright with “just a hint” of summer in the air. It’s a month where fans feel most inspired, inventive, and experimental. This means, it’s a month that you should be tuned in to the energy, and ready to give your fans some extra love.
We’ve created a list of digital campaign activations for the month of May to create moments of surprise and delight that will grow your fanbase and build retention with existing fans. Uncover preferences, collect first-party and create memorable fan moments.
Cinco de Mayo
Traditionally a holiday that celebrated the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into an annual celebration of Mexican heritage and culture in Canada and the US. It’s a day of family, food, and incredible vibrancy. It’s also a great day for brands to activate partnerships that have an authentic connection with the day. We’re talking about food, alcohol, and experiences. Or alternatively, you can celebrate your own flavor of Cinco de Mayo - but as always - your community cares, so put the work into aligning with their expectations.
Digital Campaign: Spin to Win
How do you keep the excitement alive when you’re celebrating at home alone, instead of with your relatives and close friends? You spice up your day with a game of chance. One of the best parts of Cinco de Mayo is the refreshments. We dream of it. You dream of it. Your fans dream of it. So play into the hype with a Spin to Win coupled with some traditional (and perhaps familial) recipes. The concept is simple, every spin awards you a potential prize - and also, a fun recipe to get creative with. This Spin to Win can be a sponsored activation (we’re thinking Jose Cuervo) or it could be one that’s more intimate with your team (favorite recipes from your players, company members, etc.). When we mention this Spin to Win, we can’t do so without shouting out Avocados from Mexico and their yearly Cinco activations.
Digital Campaign: Lineup
One thing about traditions is that fans have an opinion, and those opinions lead to some great incentives for engagement. Dig into the biggest traditions for Cinco de Mayo in your community (whether that be traditional foods served or the best ways to celebrate) and let fans choose their ultimate lineup. Learn about their preferences, while letting fans share a piece of their celebration.
Mother's Day
It’s a day of immense love and appreciation. And, it also happens to be a commercial holiday where fans rally to find their mothers the perfect gifts to show their appreciation. Sentimentality is often at the heart of the most precious mother’s day moments, and even if you’re not planning to jump on the “best gifts for mum in 2021” bandwagon, it’s likely that you’ll want to share in the day’s more intimate fan moments.
Digital Campaign: Personalized Playlist
Music is one of the most intimate things we share with one another, and I would say doubly so in the case of our mothers. It’s the music they’d belt out in the car after turning off your “ridiculous noise”, it’s the Celine Dion you’d hear in the hallways, and it’s the beautiful moments of her youth that she shares with you when you stumble on a Chaka Khan album. Offering fans the chance to build the ultimate Mother’s day playlists, either from your label or just from a specific period of time, is a sure way to their hearts. And as always, there’s the added bonus of building up your fan data with artist affinities.
Digital Campaign: Personality Quiz
Mum’s come in every shade of personality there is, but a day like Mother’s Day offers the fun opportunity to categorize your mom and call her out. Following a similar vein of thinking to “what type of fan are you?” you can curate the personality quiz to be something along the lines of “which gameday mom are you?” From their concession stand habits to whether they deck their entire family out in their favorite team’s gear - it offers a great opportunity to understand the purchasing behavior of the woman in charge of most decisions.
May the "Fourth" be with you
Long ago, in a galaxy far away, a franchise about the very depth of the human soul would be brought into existence to delight generation after generation of fans. It’s the perfect “holiday” to revive your childhood fantasies and to let their creativity fly.
Digital Campaign: Photo Contest
Nothing brings us more joy than seeing a ridiculously photoshopped image that also includes lightsabers. If you’re the type of brand that’s already considering putting some content out for the fourth day of May, you might as well make it a “thing” for your fans. Get them to reimagine your brand in the Star Wars Universe, and to have some fun photoshopping their ultimate tributes to your brand. You can control the images fans see and vote on, and then you can easily share your favs across your socials during the big day. Feel the force!
Indy 500
“ZRROOOOOMM”. The Indy 500 is back with fans in the stands this year, and it’s ready to pack a punch. A race running since 1911, it’s action-packed, full of quirky traditions (milk?!) and is focused on the fan experience. If your fans have affinity in the motorsport space, tapping into one of the most iconic races of the year is a sure way to get fans more involved with your brand.
Digital Campaign: Vote
When you think “logo” placements, you likely think of racing. The Indy 500 doesn’t disappoint, with driver suits and indy cars full of sponsor logos. Take advantage of the different designs across teams, while also testing the waters on fan preferences by launching a “vote” campaign. Fans can vote on their fav driver suits, and indy cars for the year, then you can take that information and plan for the future (or tie in possible brand affinities). A solid uniform draws more eyes, and more eyes often means more engagement. Make it cheeky by sneaking in your own driver suit filled with your brand logos, and see how fans react.
Digital Campaign: Survivor Quiz
The Indy 500 is steeped in tradition, and its fans know them all. Put fans to the test with a survivor quiz that touches on a variety of topics - from the most iconic races to fun facts about each driver. Up the adrenaline while gleaning fan data.
Make your own Holiday
One of the greatest parts about May is that there’s a holiday for almost everything. There’s blueberry cheesecake day, world maths day and world migratory bird day. Play into the holidays that make sense for your brand, or attempt to make your own with a series of campaigns across your socials, like Coke and their “National Have a Coke” day.
Digital Campaign: Instant Win
A simple campaign that brings fans lots of joy - the instant win campaign. You curate some great prizes and have fans sign-in for a chance to win. It’s a classic campaign that can be “skinned” in a variety of ways - including a fun little, “it’s our day so here’s a chance for a prize from us to you”.
Digital Campaign: e-card
Nothing says holiday quite like a themed holiday card. Build authority on your new holiday with your curated e-card, just perfect for the occasion. Shareable, customizable and a great asset for a guerilla social campaign, lean into the month of holidays and create a new tradition with your fans.
Feeling inspired? Brainstorm what’s possible with our team today!
