The magic of seasonal marketing

In visitor attractions marketing… calendar adds to you!

While everyone else is scraping the barbeque clean and stashing it away, you’re already knee-deep in elves and fairy lights.. By the time the tinsel finally comes down, you’re dreaming of Easter egg trails.

Seasonality isn’t just part of the job in this sector, it is the job. And while that might sound exhausting (it is), it’s also what makes attraction marketing endlessly fun. Done right, seasonal campaigns don’t just sell tickets; they create cultural moments people look forward to.

How can we compete?

We’re operating within an era of profoundly discerning customers. Particularly in this time of ultra-high cost of living. Leisure activities, days out and trips are often the first luxuries to be cut from the budget by many households. People are visiting paid-for attractions less frequently and have higher expectations when they do. In response, attractions must double down on two things: 

1. Adding value
By enhancing the overall experience, core product and facilities.

2. Crafting unmissable moments
Developing irresistible events and experiences that are simply too compelling to miss – so the marketing must follow suit and really ‘wow’ to compete.

A good rule of thumb in this space is to run evergreen, ‘always on’ campaigns that keep the core offering visible year round, alongside blockbuster moment marketing in anticipation for seasonal surges. Ideally these support limited-time-only, now or never events and added value experiences.

It’s a feeling, not a thought.

Anticipation is also powerful. Psychologists tell us that looking forward to an experience can be as emotionally rewarding as the experience itself. So, stirring that excitement – feeding that anticipation – is where attraction marketing thrives. Creating these touchpoints and moments doesn't just spark joy, it generates conversions.

If we (marketers) have curated a persuasive enough offer, its seasonality can carry it over the finish line. A part of that is because seasons have become cultural behemoths. The trend economy makes them valuable. Autumn isn’t just Halloween; it’s pumpkin spiced latte and chunky knits season. Winter isn’t just Christmas; it’s the season of sentimentality as strategy, where everyone is asking “have you seen the John Lewis ad yet?”

Ultimately, seasonal marketing is a conduit through which we share our messages – giving them structure, relevance, intrigue, and meaning. Seasons are shared micro-cultures whose languages we all intuitively understand, so it makes sense for brands to harness their timely relevance to promote themselves.

So what?

If you can successfully weave your attraction and event into the cultural fabric of a season, particularly at a personal level (we haven’t even touched on family traditions), there isn’t just commercial gain to be had — there’s a legacy waiting to be written.

Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, it means you’re always three, six, ten, eighteen months ahead of real life. But it also means you get to play with some of the richest storytelling tools marketing has to offer.

And if you can make someone tingle with the magic of a season before it’s even arrived? Isn’t that bloody brilliant?

Some of my thoughts on seasonal marketing  were recently featured in Business Spotlight, a part of ZEIT SPRACHEN. But here I’ve expanded on them in full. Read Rachel Preece’s piece here.