Create your own occasions and holidays

Greeting card companies have been creating nonsense holidays and occasions for years. Marketers have gotten into the action, too.

Most recently:
September 19th was “International Talk Like a Pirate Day.” — Who knew? I discovered it accidentally because Meebo enabled a secrete pirate speak function to translate instant message text into pirate gibberish.

July 15th was “World Firefox Day” – World Firefox Day gives everyone who uses and loves Firefox the chance to introduce Firefox to one other person they care about. If your friend starts using Firefox on or before September 15, 2006, both of you will be recognized on the Firefox Friends Wall, and in Firefox 2.

June was “Backup Awareness Month” (according to Seagate). Too bad, many people I’ve spoken too didn’t hear about it until July.

Point is, other marketers are taking liberties, so why shouldn’t you? Go ahead and create an occasion/event! But first:

• Make sure it has perceivable value.
• Make it shareable.
• Make it worth someone’s time to briefly engage with your brand.

Then spread it out over the Web. Make it hip! And use good old fashioned grass roots promotion all the way.

Have fun.
-Roland

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