This post on patriotic promotion ideas was contributed by Marden-Kane EVP, Fae Savignano.

Don’t use up all of your great patriotic ideas just for a Fourth of July promotion, save some for the rest of the year. That’s right, the calendar is full of patriotic and national holidays where a red, white and blue promotion can be a Star-Spangled hit!

Maybe it’s a little too late to run a promotion this 4th of July, so here are some Patriotic and National Holidays coming up for you to consider: Constitution Day, Labor Day, Patriots Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Bill of Rights Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day and of course Independence Day. Pick a date that makes Common Sense to you, your brand, your customers/fans and your marketing and media schedule. if you are launching a new product or want to re-brand and refresh an existing one, then ring that Liberty Bell and let’s show America why your brand deserves a parade.

I can sense that I have sparked some interest, but now we need to think of your customer’s battle cry for life, liberty and the pursuit to win lots of prizes; that’s right it is their inalienable right to enter for a chance to win. But you are in luck because this theme is chock-full of great prize ideas, such as:

• A brand new car (in red, white or blue of course), a restored classic car or the ultimate piece of Americana – A Mustang!
• Tickets to a Broadway show like Hamilton (if you can get them)!
• Baseball is as American as apple pie, so why not give tickets away to games played in iconic stadiums. Or a trip to Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame would also be nice.
• Our founding fathers would agree that Cash is always a great prize. The winner can use it for a down payment on their new log cabin, or as scholarships towards a colonial college education!
  • Wiki fun facts: There are 9 colonial colleges chartered in the 13 colonies after the American Revolution (7 of which are part of the Ivy League).
• If you are still thinking about the 4th of July, what about experiencing the best Fireworks Extravaganzas and Patriotic Concerts up close and personal like a true Yankee Doodle Dandy!
  • There are a lot of grand fireworks shows around the country; but since I’m from New York I am very partial to how our city lights up the sky. OK, OK, Washington DC, San Diego, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, and many more also have fabulous celebrations, dazzling fireworks displays and moving musical performances that are worth a visit – see I can be impartial if I try.
• Family trips to our Nation’s Capital, our National and Smithsonian Museums, our National Parks and our National Monuments which adorn our beautiful country from sea to shining sea!
  • Wiki fun facts: The United States has 60 protected areas known as national parks. A bill creating Yellowstone in CA, our first national park was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. There are 112 official national monuments across America, the first of which Devil’s Tower in WY was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
• A Boston Tea Party may not be what the kids want to do on their summer vacation, but I think they would be very happy if their parents won trips to State Fairs and Roller Coaster Parks!
  • Wiki fun facts: State fairs are as much a summertime tradition as the 4th of July fireworks. More than 170 years after the first state fair in Syracuse NY, these massive outdoor gatherings continue to attract more than 12 million visitors. Most talked about State Fairs are in Texas, California, Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. Now here are the top 5 theme parks for roller coaster enthusiasts: Cedar Point OH, Kings Island OH, Six Flags Magic Mountain in TX GA CA, Busch Gardens FL and Hersheypark PA (but that’s my list, you can change it if you wish).

Now that you know when you want to run a promotion and what prizes will be the most appealing to your brand and your customers, let’s take an eagle’s view of the promotional tactics available (which we can administer for you of course).

• Sweepstakes are fun and an easy way to increase traffic and sales during the holidays, it can be a straight enter for a chance to win, or include a sweepstakes qualifier such as a voting or polling feature. For more information and interesting ideas, please read “5 Fast Sweepstakes Ideas – That are Easy and Inexpensive to Deploy” as well a “Case Study: Western Union American Dream Sweepstakes”.
• Instant Win Games are all about instantly rewarding your customers and fans so please take a look at “5 Things to know about running an Instant Win Game” for more info and to try our Instant Win Game Demo. We specialize in building custom instant win games both online and offline, for use on-pack, via mail, at events, at conferences and whatever other scenario you can dream up. We are the Betsy Ross of instant win games.
• Social media sweepstakes and contests are a cost effective way for your brand to gain followers and increase sales without setting up a special website or sophisticated data collection process. Read how to “Use the Marden-Kane Social Tracker Tool for a Successful Hashtag Contest” for some ideas. #freedom #independence
• Contests may not yield as many entries as a sweepstakes but they are a lot of fun to enter and to administer. Just think about all of those cute baby photo and pet photo contests out there, it doesn’t matter if everyone has done it already – people just can’t get enough of them. We all want another chance to show off our babies. Dress them up like Uncle Sam and you’ll surely have a winner in your hands.
• Special offers and giveaways are always on trend for holiday shopping. Give your customers the incentive to purchase your product over everyone else. So, in the pursuit of happiness, stand out by offering special in-store events, surprise and delight offers and even mystery shopper rewards.

Before I start singing the National Anthem, I hope that through my good-natured levity I was able to provide you with some thought starters, insights and resources that (if I say so myself) were truly illuminating.

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