Off-the-Wall Father's Day Marketing Strategies

Father's Day presents unique marketing opportunities that can increase brand recognition, boost sales and generate free publicity. Forget sales on ties and penny loafers - June is the time to make your mark by creating an annual event that you'll reap rewards on for years to come. For inspiration, try these off-the-wall Father's Day marketing strategies.

Sponsor a sporting event

Part of the challenge (and the fun) of marketing any business is to connect with your customers. Your first step is to know exactly who your target audience is so you can market directly to them. Remember that on Father's Day your audience is split into several segments: fathers, sons who buy for them, daughters who buy for them, mothers who buy for them, and a host of generational segments. Thus, you can hold a Father's Day sporting event that brings your specific target audiences together. Ideas include a father/son or father/daughter challenge day, where teams compete against one another in a variety of fun, family-friendly challenges. You could also host a father/son or a father/daughter golf outing or fishing derby. To help you cover the costs, partner with complementary but non-competing businesses to give away prizes and foot the bill for printing postcards, posters, flyers, banners and advertising to market your event. Don't forget to alert the press before and after your event to generate free publicity!

Publish a Father's Day gift guide

Print your own Father's Day gift guide booklet complete with photos, descriptions, customer reviews, and fun and interesting facts to promote your wares this Father's Day. Mail your booklet to potential customers, both fathers and their children, and offer helpful hints throughout to help your customers make the best gift-buying decisions. Be open and honest so that your annual guide becomes a useful resource that customers look forward to receiving year after year. For best results, tailor your catalog to your target audience. A sporting goods store, for example, might print a booklet titled "Best Father's Day Gifts for Golfers." Be sure to send a copy to relevant publications and local press to get free media coverage.

Host a Father's Day family picnic

Fire up the grills and bring out the fun and games for a free Father's Day picnic for local families. Invite other businesses to co-sponsor your event or sell vending space to cover your costs. Have plenty of events on-hand: live music, volleyball, a talent show, rides, games and anything else that will keep the entire family engaged. Make sure you set up your own booth and have plenty of banners, flyers, and posters posted throughout the picnic area to brand your company. If your event is fun and engaging, it could become a cash cow for decades both in terms of immediate purchases and long-term residuals.