The Setup #MarketingMixer is a chance for marketing leaders to connect, discuss, and learn. At previous Mixers, we’ve hosted a number of panelists, held a marketing agency showcase, discussed burnout and business matchmaking, and even facilitated Marketer “speed-dating.” 

We love the opportunity to bring together the best and brightest minds to share their experiences and, in this case, we heard from three unique brands about their perspective on “The Seasonality of Marketing.”

A number of brands attended from companies like The Honey Baked Ham Company, Zep Inc., Reverie, Curative, and Piedmont Healthcare. Our three featured panelists were: 

• Lisa Hake | Vice President Marketing & Communications, Great Clips Inc. 

• Catie Gillis | Vice President of Slot Marketing, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

• Angela Johnson | Chief Innovation Officer, Edible Brands 

The discussion led to the leaders sharing their tips, lessons learned, and advice when dealing with seasonality.

Organizational Tips to Deal with Seasonality

Mastering Technology

Lisa Hake shared that Great Clips leans on technology to provide a seamless experience for the consumer. Their mobile website and their app allow consumers to check on wait times in advance so expectations are in line, and they can plan their haircut accordingly. The documentation process also allows stylists in any location to track the details of the consumer’s cut so that it can be replicated at any store. This ensures that expectations are always met when entering a Great Clips. 

Databases and detailed CRMs that track the customer’s behavior allow companies like Great Clips and The Venetian to send regular promotional deals. Automation also helps companies like Edible Brands keep tabs on their consumers.

Angela Johnson also mentioned how evaluating processes to make them more efficient using technology innovation can help meet demand. For example, Edible Brands is experimenting with robotic arms for strawberry dipping in order to free the employees’ hands to manage other tasks during demanding seasons. 

Maintaining a Baseline Calendar

Seasonality can be unexpected and fickle, but having a general knowledge of when to expect peaks and valleys is super helpful. For Lisa Hake with Great Clips, in addition to holidays, back to school is usually a big surge in business. So they undergo system level planning where, once back to school is over, they start planning for the next year. Great Clips specifically plans so far in advance because they are a franchisee company and need to communicate the strategy across the business. Hake did share that agility is super important because the marketing budget does ebb and flow. 

The “Baseline Calendar” for The Venetian revolves around historic events and conventions that take place in Las Vegas. Gillis generally knows that holidays and weekdays are when people are not going to be there, but knowing when big events, like the Super Bowl in 2024, are going to happen makes planning easier. Her team usually plans marketing campaigns three months in advance because of the uncertainty.

For Edible Brands, there are two days in particular that stick out as big holidays: Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. These are the busiest times of the year. The team plans a year in advance and, from these two days, can predict their revenue and bonuses. 

When Dealing with Seasonality, Focus on…

Knowing Your Audience 

Once you know who you’re targeting, everything falls into place. 

Johnson knows that anyone purchasing a product from Edible Brands is either a planner or a procrastinator since Edible Brands is known for same day or next day delivery. 

She also thought outside of the box when defining her customer. For the longest time, Edible was only considering the purchaser as the customer, but the gift recipient is also a potential customer, and they offer a new chance to market to and influence. Think outside of the box and consider all of the different people influenced by your product when defining your audience. 

Gillis defined her audience as people who enjoy the game of gambling and have fun losing. So she is challenged with making sure that, even when people lose, they have a good enough time to come back. 

Developing Loyalty

All three marketers emphasized how important a good experience is to the customer. Gillis is tasked with making people fall in love with Las Vegas. Hake and Johnson are all about creating a long term relationship, providing a service and product that the customer can count on and return.

Evolving Expectations 

Seasonality can force you to be stuck in a lane. While it’s important to optimize your strengths, you can also use your current success to grow. Angela Johnson is working to make Edible Brands an everyday brand instead of an occasion brand. She is doing this by using the revenue from big holidays like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day to support advertising for other holidays like Thanksgiving and Father’s Day, so that any big occasion in someone’s life can include Edible. 

3 Lessons about Seasonality in Marketing 

1. Catie Gillis - Not every customer is the right customer. Be smart about who you’re bringing in as a customer and provide them with the best experience possible. 

2. Lisa Hake - Embrace peaks by starting more conversations during that time, create your own holidays, use lower funnel marketing tactics to drive traffic, and focus on experience.

3. Angela Johnson - Simplicity is key. Don’t overcomplicate it; just understand what the consumer wants. 

3 Last Pieces of Advice about Seasonality in Marketing

The conversation ended with each panelist sharing one more piece of advice. 

1. Catie Gillis - Get someone from the outside to bring in new freshness, a new perspective to your strategy and have boots on the ground to truly understand and connect with the consumer.

2. Lisa Hake - Embrace the seasonality, but then really follow through to drive loyalty.

3. Angela Johnson - Rethink what you’re doing, and see things from a new perspective.

We are so fortunate to bring together marketers from all corners of the US to share their story, advice, and time with one another. If you are interested in attending a future #MarketingMixer, keep an eye on our Events page. If you are a marketing leader on the brand-side local to Atlanta, consider joining us for an in-person #MarketersBreakfast in 2023. You can find the dates and RSVP also on our Events page.