And just like that, we are ringing in a new season! Don't get us wrong, we love summer as much as anyone but there is something in the air that makes September feel extra fresh and exciting. This year especially, September symbolizes a re-start as a lot of people return to school, work, and our beloved sports, as usual. From holidays to sports seasons kicking off, September brings a ton of fan energy that you'll want to tap into. Check out some of our ideas for digital activations below!
National Tailgating Day
Get the coolers and the foldable chairs out! The community and fan culture around tailgating is an iconic North American staple. Whether you’re a born and bred American brand, or a brand looking to get cozy with your North American fans, national tailgating day is a great opportunity to do something fun with your audience and solidify the “personability” of your brand.
Digital Campaign: Personalized Playlist
Put together a playlist of crowd-pleasing, pumped-up tailgate tunes to get fans revved up for all the action that fall will bring. Gather some affinity data on the music your audience likes while giving them something that will make them think of your brand everytime they set up the tailgate. Nothing beats a little musical nostalgia.
Digital Campaign: Meme Generator
If you never had too many opportunities before to try out some silly campaigns, this is your time to shine! Tailgating is all about a good time, so encourage your fans to lean into the festivities and uncover their inner comedians with a meme campaign. You choose the photos, fans choose the taglines, and we all get a little chuckle. This is a great way to rally the personality of your fanbase and uncover exactly what tickles their fancy. You can make it a more sustained campaign by pushing the best memes over to a contest, so your fans can choose the “be-all-end-all” ultimate meme. Do you know what we “meme”?
Labour Day
Well, there goes summer! As temperatures take a dip and the back-to-school ads are everywhere, your fans are on their way to reminiscing their “golden ray days” and starting to look ahead. They are making new plans, shifting mindsets, and getting ready to settle in for the next season. What better way to treat your fans than to give them a last splash to close out those sweet summer months.
Digital Campaign: Catalogue
Maybe it’s the back-to-school ads, maybe it’s the chill in the air that makes you want that new sweater, but whatever it is, there’s something about September that makes people want to shop. Inboxes are getting flooded with new sales and every store is trying to swap in the old for the new. This is a great time to test the waters with your fans and see how they respond to your merch or other products. Launch your merch contest, allocate your limited inventory and feed into the September, “glow-up” vibe. And, when it’s a one-stop-shop in a smooth campaign, who can resist adding to cart?
Digital Campaign: Photo Contest
It can be hard to see summer go. Give fans one last chance to post those summer pics and get those memories up on social media with your brand’s help. Get fans to upload pics from their favourite summer moment and let your audience vote on the best. A picture says 1000 words and you can learn so much about your audience and what their interests are by seeing how they spend their summers. Give out prizes to the winners with the help of your partners and it might take a bit of the sting out of summer ending.
Back to school/back to work/ back to college sports
For a lot of places, September symbolizes renewal and a return to many of the things we have been deprived of since 2020. People are beginning to return to work, universities are holding students again and of course, that means that collegiate sports kick-off as well. Be part of this big return with your fans in whatever way you choose.
Digital Campaign: Video Contest
Let your fans tell you what this September means for them. Maybe they’re starting a new job and they have a funny story to tell about an in-person faux pas. Maybe they are an NCAA athlete that is beyond pumped to have fans back in the stands cheering them on again and getting that NIL recognition. This will tell you so much demographic info about your fans and let them know that you’re accessible and tuned in.
Digital Campaign: Entry Form
Get straight to the point! Skip the video storytelling and roll out a simple entry form campaign asking them what you want to know. Are they heading back to school? Are they travelling? Are they working remotely still or in the office? Maybe you have some apparel partners to loop in here because who has bought business casual in the last year? Incentivize this with some great prizing so fans feel like they get something in return for sharing. We love simple, barrier-free campaigns like these because you can reach the majority of your audience!
Get in touch with our team today to discuss getting started on campaigns like these!