How to Market Your Brand This June (10+ Campaign Ideas)

The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and the mercury is rising. Summer is upon us. There is excitement and positive vibes in the air as your customers prepare for summer vacations, hiking adventures, and outdoor events. But how does your brand ride the wave of positivity that comes with summer? What campaigns can you launch in June to engage with customers and improve your goodwill in the market? Here are some June marketing campaign ideas to get the ball rolling.

Make it hot

As I said, the mercury is rising… June is the first month of summer, so why not adopt a summery theme for your marketing campaigns? When I think of summer, I think of the sun, the beach, the water. It takes me back to memories of playing in the yard until my siblings and I were called for dinner. As an adult, summer is a time to socialize with friends, go on hiking adventures, and reminisce on the back porch as the sun goes down. Yes, summer may mean different things to different people, but there is something nostalgic about it. Many of our fondest memories are of summer vacations or days out running amok in the warmth. You can use this sense of nostalgia to connect on an emotional level with your customers in June. Give away a summer getaway as a prize in a contest, ask participants to share their fondest childhood memories of summer vacations, or simply re-brand for the summer and distribute some product merch to grow awareness. Starbucks runs an interactive experience for rewards members called the Starbucks Summer Game - it’s essentially an instant-win contest. The prizes on offer include up to 30,000 Stars (rewards points), free drinks, summer merchandise, and a range of other instant prizes.

Another amazing example of a summer-themed marketing campaign comes from Sunny Co Clothing. It’s “famous” for its red bathing suit, and in the lead-up to summer, they run a crazy giveaway where;“EVERYONE that reposts and tags us in this picture within the next 24 HOURS will receive a FREE Pamela Sunny Suit.”They literally give away over 50,000 swimsuits a year! But can you imagine the brand exposure?

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Think about the environment

June is home to several environmentally-friendly events, including World Oceans Day, Global Wind Day, and World Environment Day. If your customers are passionate about the environment, it may be worth running a campaign that supports these important days and spreads the good word. Marketing campaigns inspired by the environment aren’t only for brands with eco-friendly products, either. For example, Lacoste replaced the famous crocodile icon on its clothing with a series of endangered species to raise awareness and funds for the cause.

Another example of a brand embracing the eco-friendly theme is Dunkin’ Donuts. They created the #HomeThatRunsOnDunkin - a tiny house powered by re-used coffee grounds - in collaboration with actress, activist, and coffee enthusiast Olivia Wilde. The campaign generated an enormous amount of positive press for the company.

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These two examples are relatively big initiatives with widespread appeal and impact on the perception of these brands in the market. However, your June marketing campaign doesn’t need to be at such a large scale to show your customers you care about the environment. For example, you could plan a team beach, river, or underwater cleanup for World Oceans Day to create social media content, such as photos and videos, to use in your marketing efforts. You’re only limited by your creativity.

Connect to a cause

As well as the environmental events I’ve mentioned, June hosts a range of other cause-related days that could suit your marketing efforts. Here are just a few examples:

• World Day Against Child Labor - 12th
• World Blood Donor Day - 14th
• International Men’s Health Week - 15-21st
• World Refugee Day - 20th
• UN Public Service Day - 23rd
• International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking - 26th

Depending on your brand and its customers, not all of these causes will be relevant. But with some creative thinking, they could be precisely what you’re looking for. For example, UN Public Service Day is particularly significant in 2021, given the widespread impact of the pandemic on frontline service workers. How can your brand support this community? There are also many ways you can support Men’s Health Week. Perhaps you could partner with a health institution, encourage your male customers to get active or create some educational content about mental wellbeing. Whichever path you choose, supporting a cause important to your customers helps you connect with them and build positive brand perceptions.

Have some fun

Not everything needs to be serious; June has tons of opportunities for FUN marketing campaigns, too. If your brand has a “fun-loving” style, then Bathing Day (14th), Day of Yoga (21st), Bring Your Dog to Work Day (26th), and Social Media Day (30th) could all be a great fit. Fun comes in many forms as well. You could run a hilarious personality quiz for Bring Your Dog to Work Day, such as “What Kind Of Dog Are You?” - like this example from BuzzFeed:

Another idea is to gamify your marketing with an interactive experience. Interactive experiences such as multi-step surveys, interactive emails, video walkthroughs, or user-choice giveaways are among the most engaging campaigns in your arsenal. Interactive giveaways alone have several different forms, with multi-prize calendars, puzzle games, scratch and win experiences, and voting contests or possibilities.

‍Fun marketing campaigns have a way of sticking with people - they’re exciting, engaging, and highly memorable. They’re perfect for increasing brand engagement and recall. As summer hits, there is no better time to have fun with your customers than in June!

Conclusion

As you prepare your marketing campaigns this June, think outside the box. Sure, you can ride the wave of popular themes like summer vacations and World Environment Day. But don’t discount doing something unique or quirky, like celebrating Bathing or Bring Your Dog to Work Day. The way you market your brand is not only about how customers perceive it but also how your shareholders and employees relate to the business. Aligning your marketing efforts with causes and events that depict your brand personality and purpose is critical. It’s not all about quick wins and overnight spikes in sales - consider the long-term.