While August can feel like a quiet month in many industries (with numerous out-of-office emails), for a marketing business that helps brands engage youth and family audience groups, it’s anything but. 

The summer holidays are a key time to engage these audience groups, but the hard work has already been done for these campaigns. Activations are live, influencer collabs are signed off and paid media is running. 

August for us is our chance to audit accounts, to plan, think about our own marketing and have the time to be reactive in last minute campaigns. 

As a content marketing agency working across a number of sectors including education, toys, attractions and publishing, we see August as our advantage time to plan so we can hit the ground running in the next phase of the year.

September to November is key for education, crucial for toy brands launching new products in Q3&4 and for some the look toward how they will spend new budgets.

Here we look at each industry, and how you can make the most of the next few weeks. 

Education: Preparing for the September Reset

• It’s the summer holidays. Education and schooling are momentarily not a top priority for families. Just because schools are off, doesn’t mean education brands should be silent. This is peak time to engage students receiving GCSE and A-level results, and to speak to parents about potential education solutions for their kids for September and the new school year. 

   

• We’re ensuring our paid media campaigns are highly competitive during this important decision-making period for students and families. An agile approach to marketing at this time as uni places fill up for example, is key.

   

• Teacher engagement is naturally on pause as they enjoy their summer break. However, our insight shows us that teachers tend to re-engage toward the mid-to-end of August. They are looking ahead to prepare with new resources come the new term. Don’t wait until September to talk to teachers again. 

Toys & Games: Dare we mention Christmas? 

• We’re prepping for Q3 and Q4, pitching and planning ideas for new product launches in the busiest shopping season. For larger campaigns, we’re locking in creator and influencer partnerships as these get booked quickly. Waiting until autumn often means missing opportunities.

   

• We’re mapping paid media timelines carefully, taking into account expensive periods around Black Friday and Christmas, to make sure budgets work harder. Especially for new games and toys emerging in the market that may not have the following at global scale – or the budget.

   

• We’re refreshing content and getting families to drag the Christmas tree out of the loft during the summer holidays! Making content with our Family Collective is easier than ever when they are taking holidays and annual leave. If you would like to see some examples of our Halloween and Christmas content that has been shot in the summer, let us know!
  

   

Attractions: Responsive marketing

• For family attractions, August is prime season, but in theory the bulk of marketing is done and live. Our focus when it comes to our attractions clients is to be incredibly reactive and results driven.

   

• We’re optimising real-time campaigns to boost ticket sales, adapting messaging for weather conditions, and jumping on trending content opportunities. For indoor attractions we capitalise on rainy days, and for one of kind attractions that are not bound by IP we have fun with TikTok trends and content.

   

• August is also a perfect time to look at YoY revenue as well as auditing accounts and activity. Are we on track to hit targets? If you would like to talk to us about analysing results or data to see how we can improve your marketing let us know.

   

The Bigger Picture: Why August Matters for Family Marketing

• Parents and families are spending money, and many are making key purchase decisions ahead of term time.

   

• Families with younger children will have planned holidays and mapped out the 6 weeks of the summer holidays, but they are always open to something new to add variety to the school holidays. A summer camp, a new game or treat for the family is always appealing.

   

• Summer inspires audiences, experiences are shared and moods are lifted. Make the most of this mirroring the sentiment of the summer in your marketing. Have some fun!

   

• Children and teens are more active online whilst they are not at school, giving brands more opportunities to connect.

   

• Utilise new platform features to engage your audience groups and help grow your brand. EG: TikTok Go! now integrates with Booking.com, letting users book hotels directly in the app. Enabling creators to earn commissions by making related videos! Next level incentives for influencer marketing.

   

• The brands that stay visible and strategic now are the ones that will win attention when the September rush begins. 

   

August isn’t a month to switch off, it’s a month to set up wins for the rest of the year. If you would like support to future proof your Q3 & 4 campaigns, reach out to us on info@wearerocket.co.uk.