Finding brilliant Easter marketing ideas can sometimes be more challenging than the toughest of egg hunts.
Luckily, we’ve got the inside track with the Easter Bunny. With Easter spending last year reaching £1.3 billion in the UK, it’s clear how vital this holiday is for brands. But landing on exciting Easter marketing ideas that boost sales, drive customer loyalty, skyrocket ROI and stand out on social media channels is the tricky part.
So how do you advertise Easter brilliantly? You need an irresistibly sweet marketing strategy that hits your KPIs and maximises ROI. Achieving this starts with your target audience. You need to know where they are, what they’re looking for and cater to their desires accordingly. That means really getting to know them.
Where’s the easiest place to do that? Social media. Of course, different channels attract different demographics and have specific benefits for your Easter holiday marketing. But there is one target market that you should probably keep in mind because at Easter, they’re powerful.
Younger generations are hopping into Easter
When it comes to buying power, Millennials and Gen Z are pretty mighty. Gen Zers have a spending power of over $140 billion and the oldest millennial, who turns 40 this year, has the most spending power of all. Younger generations are spending more and more this time of year with Millenial parents treating their kids and Gen Z getting in on the action too.
So where are these generations hanging out? Mobile is definitely king. 65% of 18-24-year-olds and 63% of 25-34-year-olds buy using their smartphones. So if your Easter promotion ideas aren’t honed to mobile devices, you’re missing out on key Easter sales conversions.
Social media marketing is an excellent opportunity to target these demographics. Instagram comes in top position for Millenials, but TikTok is a close second (which happens to be Gen Z’s favourite).
TikTok can be especially influential in the buyer’s journey at Easter. The #tiktokmademebuyit phenomenon shows how powerful the right content can be on the channel. Marketing your Easter treats, Easter greetings and gifts here can help fuel a marketing loop of discovery that leads to sales and yet more discovery. This is the space to launch your next big holiday season campaign.
Before you spring into action, though, it’s crucial to remember what those users love about these social media channels. Younger generations are especially receptive to brands only when the message is spot-on: original, truthful, fun, and current. This means brands should think outside of the box for Easter marketing ideas.
Fanbytes by Brainlabs’ Brand partnerships manager, Lola Randles says, “be brave in your marketing approach. There’s so much noise to cut through, especially on social media, so make sure that you have an uncompromisingly sharp yet disruptive creative strategy.”
So, how can you stand out at Easter?
9 bold Easter marketing ideas
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a large enterprise or a small business; these marketing campaign ideas will get you thinking. It’s time to jump into the top unusual Easter-selling ideas that will inspire your brand and make it shine. If you take a leaf out of these marketing books, we promise your consumers will be very happy bunnies.
Easter egg hunts
The Easter bunny may not be behind these epic hunts, but some brilliant brands are.
1. Cadbury - Worldwide Hide
Easter egg hunts for businesses can often become repetitive or boring. Luckily Cadbury, the largest chocolate brand in the UK, is a beacon for anyone looking to get their potential customers excited about the hunt.
Worldwide Hide is a virtual Easter egg hunt that anyone can play globally. It’s interactive, allowing participants to hide virtual chocolate eggs anywhere on Google earth and give a loved one a clue to find them. Cadbury shared their video campaign on YouTube (where they have 578K subscribers), and they posed the question, “What if you could hide an Easter egg anywhere in the world?”
Why it works:
During pandemic-induced lockdowns, millions of people couldn’t see friends and family – which is a big part of the Easter holiday for many. This marketing innovation helped them feel more connected. Interactive content is a winner as it gains two times more engagement than static content, and younger generations especially are receptive to this. Virtual gifts are also great for last-minute purchases (rush-buy gift cards, anyone?).
2. Haribo Starmix - Hunt the Double Yolker
An Easter egg hunt, but not as you know it. Chocolate usually trumps sweets over Easter, so Haribo wanted to get in on the action and created a campaign that people couldn’t resist.
Haribo asked its customers to “Hunt the Double Yolker”. Within certain packets of Haribo Starmix, they had hidden a “double yolker” version of their famous fried egg sweet. Whoever found one could then scan the bag in-store to receive their Easter gift: a UK break with Forest Holidays.
Why it works:
Any giveaway or competition encourages user-generated content (UGC). Giving people the incentive to share pictures online and use relevant hashtags is a great way to create natural growth in your marketing strategy and promote brand awareness. 87% of businesses use UGC as peer-to-peer influence reads as more authentic (especially amongst younger audiences). It’s time for your brand to hop on board.
3. Rituals - TikTok Easter Hunt Giveaway
Creating compelling video content can drum up the comments section and skyrocket your engagement rate. So why not do a video Easter egg hunt? Combine it with a giveaway or special prize and you’ll have an Easter holiday marketing video that lands.
Rituals Cosmetics took to TikTok to promote their Easter Egg full of goodies. They uploaded a short video showing the Easter eggs hidden in and around one of their shops. They then asked users to comment on how many they see (and why they should get the prize) for a chance to win one of them
Why it works:
This kind of content can spark conversation online, and thus create buzz around your brand. Brands often underuse the comments section, and it can be a very powerful place. 77% of TikTok users say they read the comments on the posts and video content on TikTok. By asking your users to submit answers plus a reason why they want to win, you’re actually drumming up testimonials and discussions about your brand. This then leads to even more trust and product discovery.
TikTok, especially, is a place of discovery. The social media platform effectively has a marketing loop instead of a marketing funnel, meaning product discovery and sales can lead to more content that then inspires further discovery and sales. Check out our article on TikTok Social Commerce to get a better understanding.
Seasonal products
It’s the perfect time to create or adapt a product. These are some ingenious ideas for a special Easter introduction.
4. Walkers - Sensations Easter Egg
Although chocolate is usually the main feature in customers’ Easter baskets, it’s important to note that other food brands can get involved.
Walkers brought out a “savoury” Easter egg with a pack of their Thai Sweet Chilli crisps, a bamboo bowl, a bottle of wine, two wine glasses and a voucher for an Amazon Prime movie. This was “thinking outside the box” (or basket) quite literally, and they created a risky product worth the hype.
Why it works:
Easter is often associated with young families, but what about the couples out there? Walkers saw a great opportunity. 84% of Gen Z say it’s important that the company they buy from is innovative, and this Sensations Easter treat got the memo. Break away from the pastels and bunnies and get into the head of your young adult demographic. After all, the Easter holiday features a bank holiday on Good Friday: winning tickets to a gig or an activity with friends will be more up Gen Z’s street.
5. M&S - Extremely Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Egg
Sometimes reinventing the wheel can be good. Having a product that is already popular is great – so turn it into something seasonal! Use the traction the product already has to leverage the new version and you’ll be winning.
Marks & Spencer did this with their “Extremely Chocolatey biscuits”, creating an “Easter Egg” based on these best-selling biscuits, only bigger, tastier and more extravagant. They hyped it up on TikTok, showing a simple transition from the old product to the new one.
Why it works:
Taking popular products and turning them into something new can create conversation. You just have to go to the comments section of this video, and you’ll see what we mean. One user said, “As if I missed this. Milk chocolate rounds are elite.” and another mentioned their friend: “@_mayaehsan omw rn to get this”. Sharing promotes organic growth, especially on TikTok, so make irresistibly shareable content with a new seasonal product that’s bound to turn heads.
Wondering how you can get your food brand out there on TikTok? Check out our article: Food TikTok: 7 Easy Ways Food Brands Can Nail TikTok
6. Adidas a Bad Bunny - Easter Egg
Collaborations can be powerful. If you want to create a new product and benefit from a mixed audience pool, consider partnering with another brand. Better yet, fortify that partnership with influencer marketing that aligns with both your company values.
Looking for a shiny new collaboration idea? This limited-edition Easter egg is like no other. Adidas and Bad Bunny partnered to create these exclusive blush pink sneakers that look as cute as they sound. Encased in a gleaming pink egg, the brand collab sparked interest all over social media, with creators and users sharing their purchases.
Why it works:
Collaborating with another brand can help you access new customers, gain fresh followers and harness more subscribers. You just have to ensure they’re the right fit (and we’re not talking about the sneakers). Just like influencer partnerships, brands need to align before collaboration. Both need to have similar goals and intentions, plus a matching creative. Adidas and Bad Bunny clearly have their ducks in a row. The bonus? You can access two sets of exciting Easter marketing ideas too.
The main event
How have brands drummed up engagement for the actual holiday? Here are our top picks.
7. McDonald’s Germany - Oster Countdown
Take it from us: influencer marketing works. You can see how effective it is in marketing efforts like McDonald’s Germany’s TikTok Easter Countdown campaign.
McDonald’s asked influencers to show off their talents using a bespoke audio on TikTok. This helped hype up the countdown to their Easter launch. They created a branded hashtag (#ostercountdown) which encouraged people to create their own content. The campaign gained a whopping 1.8 billion+ video views, illustrating the immense power of influencer marketing.
Why it works:
The influencer marketing industry expanded to $16.4 billion in 2022. Why? More and more brands see the value in influencer-led campaigns. 61% of consumers trust influencers‘ recommendations.
In addition, many brands are now flocking to TikTok to create influencer marketing strategies. TikTok is where users are most likely to interact positively with brands, – and TikTokers’ intention to buy outweighs other platforms. 37% of TikTok users are in the top third of spenders (+61% over other platforms). So getting content out there on this platform will have your ROI rising and you hopping for joy.
If TikTok influencer marketing makes you feel as mad as a March Hare, we’ve got you. Check out our 2022 TikTok playbook for challenger food & drink brands to get your TikTok Easter campaign heading in the right direction, or get in touch to find out how we can help your brand.
8. Emma Sleep - Easter Sale
A good email marketing campaign can boost sales, but only when done correctly. Using FOMO and exclusive coupons can help engage your consumers and get them excited for the Easter weekend. So crack out that email list and create a campaign that lands through engaging visuals and irresistible copy, just like Emma Sleep did.
This email campaign from Emma Sleep ticks all the boxes. Their offer was an Easter Sale for a limited time. To boost excitement, they included a countdown clock and an exclusive coupon code to add to the savings. The visuals are simple, with links to their sales landing page, but the message is clear and easy to understand.
Why it works:
Email campaigns are landing with younger audiences. 25% of people aged 18-24 check their email first thing in the morning, so getting a subject line that grabs their attention and a campaign that works is essential.
Adding an extra exclusive discount code to your Easter sale can increase incentive and lead your buyers further down the funnel (and potentially all the way to the checkout). Use countdown email templates to really add a sense of urgency like Emma Sleep did and optimise your website for new traffic with effective discount code pop-ups.
But don’t just use email marketing to drum up sales; nurture loyal customers too through online greeting cards, thank you emails, and a note to say Happy Easter.
9. Cadbury Creme Egg - Golden Goobilee
This video advert made 25,000 people write in to complain. Not that Cadbury cared; they wanted to promote equality and fun within one ad, and that’s precisely what they did.
Their Golden Goobilee promotion celebrated 50 years since the creme egg was released and Easter itself! The advert they created showed many people enjoying the chocolate egg in various ways, including a male couple sharing one through a kiss. Luckily, thousands of people felt the ad’s diversity was fantastic (us included). LGBTQ+ inclusive ads are rising, and complainers will eventually sit there with egg on their faces.
Why it works:
If you want to tap today’s younger generations, inclusivity is key. 75% of Gen Z consumers will boycott companies that discriminate against race and sexuality across advertisement campaigns – and they’re quickly forming loyalties to brands that align with their beliefs. Cadbury showed diversity through their campaign; how will you?
Get cracking
Ok, we tried to keep the eggcellent Easter puns to a minimum, but we couldn’t resist adding a couple in. After all, it is a fun time of year! And that brings us to our final point: Easter is about spreading laughter, excitement and happiness to your customers through gift ideas, innovative products, surprising ecommerce experiences and delicious treats.
If you can nail that through creative campaigns with a stand-out message, you’ll see your ROI leap higher than expected.
But don’t put all your eggs in one basket by throwing all your budget and energy into one Easter campaign and then leaving your audience hanging. Social media marketing is all about building trust and a relationship with your audience, listening to their needs and utilising the tools at your disposal to grant their wishes.
One of the best tools? Influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing is a game-changer for ad campaigns that stand out – and work. When you collaborate with an influencer, you access the loyal following that they spent a long time building. But you need to partner with someone who aligns with your brand values and is genuinely interested in your product. Otherwise, that reliability and trustworthiness will fly out the window.
How can you partner with the right one? That’s where we come in. We pride ourselves on our ability to find the perfect influencer for our clients, and track and optimise each campaign in real time to deliver the best results. So you really can count your chickens before they hatch.
After going through the best unusual Easter marketing ideas, you might have more of a clue about what would suit your business. If not, don’t panic; we have more info up our sleeve – and a stellar creative strategy team to build the perfect social strategy for your brand. If you want help in getting Easter-ready, get in touch.
Source: fanbytes.co.uk
