Why Father's Day Is an Important Marketing Opportunity
Honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society, the origins of Father's Day can be traced back to the early 20th century in the United States. The first recorded celebration of Father's Day took place in 1908 in Fairmont, West Virginia, when a church held a special service to honor fathers who had lost their lives in a mining disaster. The idea gained momentum, and in 1910, Sonora Smart Dodd, a woman from Spokane, Washington, proposed the idea of a national Father's Day to honor fathers in a similar way to Mother's Day.
After years of campaigning, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation in 1972 making Father's Day a national holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Today, it’s celebrated in many countries around the world, typically on the third Sunday in June (although some countries celebrate it on different dates or at different times of the year).
Fortuitously, Father's Day is also a big opportunity for business — a special occasion that people celebrate by buying gifts and showing appreciation to and for their dads, a time when people are actively looking for the perfect present to give to their fathers or father figures.
Social Media Ads for Father's Day
Between the universality of Father’s Day and the fact that the occasion only occupies one day annually, businesses have a unique (and time-sensitive) opportunity to launch creative Father's Day marketing campaigns that resonate with customers and increase sales, build brand awareness, and/or create customer loyalty.
As you’re likely aware, big-league social media platforms, such as Snapchat, provide businesses with an efficient, effective way to connect with customers and create engaging content that resonates with their interests — in this case, treating their dads to something special.
Offering special deals or creating engaging ads can distance your business from the rest of the pack and, as a result, attract new customers. A successful Father's Day campaign can also lead to positive word-of-mouth advertising, which can further boost a business's reputation and sales.
Snapchat, in particular, has become an increasingly popular platform for businesses to advertise on, particularly if they’re marketing to younger audiences. With our creative tools and targeting capabilities, we help businesses craft unique and engaging Father's Day ads that appeal to their audiences and drive results.
Tips for Creating Engaging Social Media Ads for Father's Day
So you’ve got plenty of highly motivated customers and a crafty idea to get the word out about your products or services — what’s next?
To build effective Father's Day ads, focus on creating visually appealing content that grabs the viewer's attention. Images or videos within your ads should be compelling enough to help instill a sense of urgency and excitement around the holiday, ultimately driving viewers to action.
For Father's Day social ads in particular, you should also focus on incorporating humor or showcasing personal stories — two well-performing perennial methods for creating an emotional connection with the viewer and making an ad more memorable.
In short, incorporate this roundup of tips into your campaign ads to get what you want out of them:
Use high-quality images or videos to rise above the rest of the field and get noticed.
Incorporate humor or personal stories to bond with the viewer.
Include a clear call-to-action to encourage viewers to take action.
Highlight any special deals or promotions to create a sense of urgency.
Use targeting capabilities to reach your ideal audience.
Test and refine your ads to improve performance.
Father's Day Marketing Campaigns
While social media ads are an effective way to reach your target audience, creating a comprehensive Father's Day marketing campaign can provide additional benefits, further advancing your quest to build awareness of your business, drive online sales, and build customer loyalty.
To plan and execute a successful Father's Day marketing campaign, first set clear goals and identify your target audience (with Snapchat, you’re able to define your target audience based on location and demographics, and/or you can create custom audiences as needed). Determine what you want to achieve with your campaign, whether it's to increase sales, drive traffic to your website, or simply create buzz around your brand.
Once you have your goal and target audience in mind, you can start brainstorming creative ideas that will resonate with your target audience, including the social ads we just covered. Some examples of doing it right:
“Best. Dad. Ever." campaign by Best Buy: Best Buy’s campaign included a series of TV commercials and social media posts featuring real dads and their children. Best Buy also created a dedicated landing page on their website where customers could shop for Father's Day gifts.
"Dad Jokes" campaign by Jimmy John's: This savvy campaign included a series of humorous social media posts featuring dad jokes and puns related to Jimmy John's sandwiches. The campaign was a big hit with customers, and helped to increase brand awareness and engagement on social media for the company.
When planning your Father's Day campaign, don't be afraid to get creative and think outside the box. Along with the pointers mentioned earlier, consider coloring your ads with heart-warming and/or funny personal stories, or partnering with influencers or other brands (particularly if they sell products or services father’s enjoy, of course) that make sense to reach a wider audience.
Make the Most of Father’s Day Advertising with Snapchat
Ready to make a splash? Snapchat is a great platform for businesses looking to run Father's Day ad campaigns for a few reasons:
The Snapchat community represents a younger demographic, which can be beneficial if your target audience is Millennials or Gen Z (in other words, teens and young adults).
Snapchat's advertising tools allow for highly targeted campaigns based on factors such as location, interests, and behaviors, which can help ensure that your ads are seen by the right people.
Snapchat has a variety of creative tools that your business can use to make your ads stand out, including filters, lenses, and augmented reality experiences that can be customized to fit your brand and message. Fusing these elements into your Father's Day Snapchat Ads campaign can help you arrive at engaging and memorable content that your audience can relate to and your business deserves.
Start building your Father’s Day social marketing success story on Snapchat today.