8 Trends to Tap into for Back to School Marketing

Recently updated on November 6th, 2017 at 05:54 pm

Tapping into trends for your back to school marketing, or any marketing for that matter, can help you improve your ROI. Back to school marketing is not just about products and services that are directly connected to education and kids. Back to school time marks the beginning of the seasonal “spending spree” that typically hits consumers at this time of the year.

This year a lot of companies are combining traditional, with digital and social marketing. The trick is to find the combination that works well for your products and/or services, and to tap into trends to give you that edge. Here are eight trends for you to consider:^{1, 2, 3}

1. Hauls

Several large companies, such as J.C. Penny are tapping into “Look what I got at the store” videos, known as hauls. This consumer generated content mainly involves young women showing off what they’ve bought. And yes, some of the larger stores are now paying for customers to display their hauls on YouTube and other video sites.

2. Aging

Yup, with the large population of aging baby boomers the senior market is growing. This means any way you can associate your products or services with aging is a smart move since this market will only continue to grow.

3. Local Business

The demand for local products is growing so make sure your marketing, whether direct mail or online, specifically targets your local areas.

4. Education

The sagging job market has sent droves of people back to school to retrain, relearn, and reinvent themselves.

5. All things Texas

Austin and Dallas are among The Wall Street Journal’s top Youth Magnet cities. In addition, Texas cities made up half of the Brookings Institution’s list of top 10 strongest metro areas.

6. Affordable Alcohol

The economy hasn’t seemed to slow our alcohol consumption habits. The difference now is we’re drinking more at home and making less expensive selections.

7. Parental Outsourcing

More parents than ever are paying professionals to do their domestic chores and this trend even has a new name; parental outsourcing.

8. Health and Wellness

Healthcare reform, combined with the above-mentioned aging baby boomers, are contributing to a growing health and wellness businesses.

Trends are worth knowing as you plan your back to school – and beyond – marketing strategies. As you make your marketing plans and how you’re going to tap into these trends, think innovation. For instance, the Seattle Sorrento Hotel is tapping into the education trend by offering cultural night school for guests (Midnight Symposiums). So don’t settle for been done, when there are a lot of inspiring ideas out there that can give all your Fall campaigns, a smart boost.