Direct Affiliate||
While this season brings the holidays, there’s no rest for the wicked.
In summer, there are multiple notable events to optimize your marketing for. Each of these events present opportunities for different niches. Whether you’re an affiliate, publisher or online marketer, take note of which are relevant for you and your business, and be sure to save the dates!📅✏️
CONTENT PAGE:
- Summer Break | June – September
- Summer Sales | June – September
- Fathers’ Day | June 5th – November 14th
- Amazon Prime | June 21-22
- Gaming Events | June 12-15
- Tokyo Olympics | TBC
Summer Break | June – September
First and most importantly – the summer break. This is a period of time all students look forward to. It’s a break in the educational calendar, where they get time off school for between 1 to 3 months. It’s a period of time for rest and play. Some might also use the opportunity to take up summer internships or jobs, earning extra cash for the holidays.
The start of the academic holidays and how long they last differ country by country in Europe. For most countries, it will begin from July and last till September for 2021. A few even have summer breaks that start from the very beginning of June, such as Latvia and Finland.
In fact, it’s not just students who will be on break. For many countries in Europe, this is when many workers will be taking time off as well. Many businesses will be closed for certain months of the summer, with locals leaving to go overseas elsewhere, enjoying a vacation.
Once again, each country differs in when their workers go on break. For Spain, many workers take leave from late July to August, with many shops closing early from 3PM due to the heat. For Italy and Germany, this ranges from mid July to August. For France, the summer holidays last for the whole of August. This is why August is noted to be one of the worst months to travel to Europe – barely any of the local shops will be open.
Travel may still be limited due to COVID-19. However, many European countries have started to open up, and places like Greece have already started to welcome tourists within the region. These vacation periods are likely to still be valid.
If you’re interested in appealing to those in the holiday mood, be sure to note the differences of holiday periods between GEOs. Now, more than ever, is it important to segment your audiences by country and schedule your campaigns by their summer break dates.
Niches to Note:
When people are in a holiday mood, they are more likely to indulge and spend more. This is why many businesses will be picking up their marketing in the summer, offering sales, discounts, summer-themed products and more. And so should you!
Many of the summer niches we’ve covered in our previous article will thrive during this holiday period. This includes:
Another niche that holds potential is education – specifically, language learning courses. When people go on vacation to a different country, some will want to pick up the basics of the local language for a more immersive experience. Since there’s no school or work to compete with their time, summer is a great time to run such offers.
On the other hand, business related softwares and apps should hold back on marketing during this period. Especially since there’ll be barely anyone in the office, or in a working mood.
Offers of school supplies and other essentials should begin a few weeks before the academic summer holidays end. These can be targeted towards parents, or even older students who have their own income. Take note not to promote these too early however, as it could be found annoying to remind them of school too early.
Summer Sales | June – September
Many sales take place during this season, for the holidays and to clear stock from the previous season. Every country holds their own summer sales on different dates. During this time, regardless of your niche, be sure to promote sales and exciting deals as well to stay relevant, keep competitive and make your audience excited.
Depending on the GEO you are targeting, there are different sales periods to take note of. Certain countries regulate their sales periods tightly. In countries like France, dates are imposed by the French legislation. While you can promote price reductions, you cannot use the word “sale” outside this period. There are additional conditions as well. For example, promotions can only be applied on a product if it has been sold for at least a month before the sales period.
Fathers Day | June 5th – November 14th
Fathers’ Day, likewise to Mothers’ Day, is an occasion celebrated by many countries. Europe has diverse and varied traditions, such that each country celebrates Fathers’ Day on a different date. Portugal celebrates it in March together with St Joseph’s Day; Latvia on the second Sunday of September; Luxembourg in October and Finland all the way in November.
However, many countries still celebrate it in June, with the majority celebrating on the 20th. This includes the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, France and Ireland. Denmark celebrates it earlier on the 5th; Lithuania and Switzerland on the 6th; Austria and Belgium on the 13th. On the other hand, Poland observes it later on the 23rd of June. For these GEOs, don’t miss the opportunity to do some Fathers’ Day themed marketing for the summer!
Spending for Fathers’ Day was previously shown to be significantly lower than that of Mothers’ Day. There was an average expected spending of $135 per consumer, in contrast to $186 for mothers. However, it seems the trend has shifted in 2021, as early customer demand searches have gone up by 109%.
Here are some products that will do particularly well for this occasion.
Niches to Note:
1) Personalized Products
It doesn’t come as a surprise that personalized gifts are at the top. Look for and promote more creative products, going beyond the cliché “ Best DAD” mug. Consider targeting niche interests with niche designs, such as the iconic “I am Your Father” t-shirt for an audience with an interest in Star Wars. DIY gifts and thus DIY kits will serve great as well.
Adult children can afford to splurge a little with engraved products. Watches, wallets, phone casings and phone chargers are popular offerings. For spouses, take engravings to the next level with higher tier electronics and apparel eg. cufflinks; sneakers.
2) Electronics
As cliche as it is, electronics are one of the most practical items on everyone’s shopping list for Fathers Day. Gaming subscriptions and consoles are in the rage with nostalgic titles releasing in 2021. Not to mention the various tier level products for audiophiles that even those on a more limited budget can still afford. For a dad with a love for cars, why not offer peripherals such as dashcams, purifiers, vehicle desks and mounts?
It’s not just mothers that use household electronic appliances as well – fathers do too. You can also help create memorable experiences with novel products like a portable pizza oven, which is perfect for some family fun. After all, products are a dime a dozen, but experiences are hard to forget.
3) Wellness
Grooming products for men are increasingly popular. Electric shavers; skin care such as moisturizers and toners will be good for those on a budget.
For dads who are the main breadwinners of the family, work can be highly exhausting. Pain relief massagers, eye masks and comfortable shoe soles will do well too.
Set bundles and gift boxes with a variety of products will be an optimal choice for Fathers’ Day, bringing convenience to consumers.
Amazon Prime Day | 21st & 22nd June
Amazon Prime day is an annual sales extravaganza akin to Black Friday that is solely available for Amazon Prime members. On this day, it brings a diverse range of exclusive discounts over all kinds of product categories. There are generally two types of deals: 1) Spotlight deals – a time period sale between 6 – 8 hours, and 2) Lightning deals that provide steep discounts on a while stocks last basis.
Historically, Amazon Prime Day lasts for 24 hours. However in 2020 it lasted double that at 48 hours, which is likely to repeat in 2021. The Amazon Associates program themselves have also published some tips for their affiliates, detailing some best practices to market for this event.
Niches to Note:
1) Prime Membership
To start, affiliates and publishers can look at recommending Amazon Prime Membership ahead of time, as the event is only for Prime members. You can earn $3 for every visitor that signs up for their 30 day free trial.
2) Electronics
This is the main niche of Amazon Prime Day. Currently, these are the pre-prime deals that have been released. Based on past years, Prime day sales typically involves massive discounts over Amazon’s own smart devices eg. Echo Dot; Fire TV and Tablets, among others.
Take note of offers for Legacy devices that are getting new models within the next few months as consumers aim to replace what they currently own. In addition, pay attention to alternative products outside of Amazon, as other retailers such as Best Buy and Target vying for stiff competition will slash prices too. Popular offerings to look out for include laptops, tablets, tvs, headphones and kitchen appliances. Some featured pre-Prime offers include a 4 months free Amazon Music Unlimited (for new Prime Subscribers) and a 53% discount off the first 4 months of Audible Premium Plus.
3) Groceries
Serving an entirely different demographic of consumers is Amazon’s own Whole Foods Market. This section serves those who are responsible for getting the daily groceries and those who prefer to cook at home. With the ongoing pandemic situation, this category has potential. Many consumers will be opting for online purchase over in-store purchases – which is where affiliates and publishers can come in.
4) Fitness & Athleisure
The success of showing off personal fitness gains has influenced the rising popularity of athleisure. This is more apparent during the pandemic as folks strive to keep fitness levels up and others it’s just an excuse to be comfortable all day while working from home. Now as the market is expected to grow by 7% from 2019 to 2026, designers are quick to align fashion trends like neon and pastel colours to activewear, appealing to both millennials and sports enthusiasts alike.
For those not wanting to sink too deeply into expensive Lululemon apparel, affiliates can take this chance to promote cheaper alternatives for sport bras; leggings; unisex sweatshirts + bottoms and sports sneakers. In addition, early Prime offers on swimwear have hit the under $50 mark. For affiliates with traffic in this niche, be sure to keep a lookout.
Game Events & Releases
As mentioned in our previous Summer Niches article, the gaming industry has risen incredibly. As it stands, the European market is currently worth € 20 billion. 250 million people in Europe play video games, amounting to 51% of Europe’s population. With almost half of the players at 45% are women, the target audience for the market is relatively balanced and gives rise to more gender-themed offer opportunities. In the 3rd quarter of 2021, game events are taking the high lane with back to back events.
This summer will be host to a wide variety of gaming events. If you’re keen on running gaming offers, take note! It’s usually before, during and after these events that the hype is highest. Take note of titles that get announced for ideas on what prequels, peripherals and consoles to promote.
Ubisoft Forward | June 12
Starting off with familiar names – Ubisoft will be holding Ubisoft Forward on June 12. No information has been released thus far but speculation from the Ubisoft Store seems to point towards information for Far Cry 6, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, Riders Republic, and Roller Champions. It’s no secret that many of Ubisoft games have experienced development delays, owing to which updates and releases will be warmly welcomed.
E3 | June 12 – 15
Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3 2021 is a familiar name to many. Although the event was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, E3 has made its way back as a live online only event in 2021. Taking place over 4 days from June 12 to 15, several live conferences and publishers events will be held making it potentially one of the biggest gaming conferences.
Nintendo Direct, E3 2021 | June 15
Nintendo Direct Livestream is predicted as of the past few years with anticipated big games like Metroid Prime 4, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3. From the Pokemon franchise, expect Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and at least trailers of Pokémon Legends: Arceus that has an expected release in 2022. This could also be the unveiling of the latest rumoured Switch console that will be in high demand alongside both that of the next generation Xbox and Playstation.
PC Gaming Show | June 13
Much like E3, the show focuses on PC games and such will cater to the PC specific demographics. Expect at least 3 grand hours full of updates just like that in 2020.
Xbox/Microsoft Conference | TBC
Expect plenty of new information from the Xbox conference especially since Microsoft acquired Bethesda. Game releases are due especially for Halo Infinite that was hit with controversy in 2020. Likewise be prepared for Xbox only exclusives to appear as the tradition continues for both Sony and Microsoft.
Other upcoming events include Steam Next Fest held from June 16-22 and EA Play on July 22.
Niches to Note:
Affiliates can start to look out for anticipated releases to cater to either the console or PC demographics. In the meantime, prequel titles will likely experience a resurge in demand as well. Additionally, do look out for console exclusives from the dual sense controllers to the Xbox Gamepass subscription.
Besides console and game offerings, standalone accessories from brands like Corsair and Logitech are high in demand for gamers. Keyboard and mouse bundles; headphones; webcams and their game-exclusive variants will net good offers from those wanting a seamless experience.
Tokyo Olympics 2020/2021 | TBC
The Olympics is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious events for athletes aiming to become the world’s top rankers. This goes the same for the hosting country due to the tourism boost it provides as well as the numerous sponsorship networks. However, just like everyone else, the Tokyo Olympics is still battered by the pandemic, forcing it to be postponed once before. As the 23rd July marking the start of the Olympic games looms closer, Japan is still struggling to contain its fourth wave. Although the International Olympic Committee is certain the games will continue, it will likely be a subdued one faced with many restrictions.
Nonetheless, in a time of changing consumer behaviour, much like the one seen from the Rio Olympics, brands are still connecting with trend aware customers. This gives rise to potential for affiliates.
Niches to Note:
1) Themed Products
Event exclusive products are bound to be sought after for both fame and prestige, especially so for the Olympics that come once every four years. Examples can come from Omega’s Olympic inspired timepiece and even fashion apparel as seen from the winter olympics. Shoes are great offers for both brands and affiliates to take note as athletes will become unofficial brand ambassadors for their preferred choice of shoes. However with calls for cancellation by sponsors, the extent of which products will be basking in the limelight is uncertain.
2) Sports Consumption
Partly due to the Olympics’ magnitude in glory, audiences would also be appealed by the numerous techniques employed during the various events. This can lead to them eventually either signing up for the particular sport or at least purchasing products from the affiliated sponsors. With the variety of sporting categories including the recent skateboarding or the thrilling MMA, it will be hard not to find a sport worth watching over.
And there you have it! A list of high potential events that will be occurring this summer 2021.
Summer is an exciting, dynamic time. As marketers, your content calendar should reflect that accordingly, and as affiliates, so should the offers and creatives you promote. Don’t let this season’s unique opportunities pass you by!
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