St. Patrick’s Day Marketing Ideas to Boost Online Sales

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide. It’s a big deal for the Irish diaspora in many countries, particularly in the United States, where many people have Irish ancestry. People worldwide wear green clothes, buy food, and use decor for the lucky holiday. Brands have a great opportunity and potential to boost online sales during the lucky period. According to Adobe Analytics, online holiday sales are projected to surge almost 5% over last year’s 3.5% growth rate. We will guide you with useful data, tips, and St. Patrick’s Day marketing ideas to help your business sell more.

Table of Contents:

1. When is St. Patrick’s Day 2024?
2. St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Statistics
3. Consumer Behaviour and Spendings During St. Patrick’s Day
4. Where Do Consumers Shop For St. Patrick’s Day?
5. Tips On How To Prepare Your St. Patrick’s Day Promotions
6. St. Patrick’s Day Marketing Ideas To Get Inspired

When is St. Patrick’s Day 2024

Every year, March 17th marks the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, a cultural and religious holiday that holds significant importance, particularly in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora worldwide. Despite its steadfast date on the calendar, the day of the week on which St. Patrick’s Day lands varies annually. This year, it falls on Sunday.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Statistics

Let’s see key statistics before diving into St. Patrick’s Day marketing ideas and tips.

The Celtic Fringe: The Irish diaspora

The global Irish community is about 65 million people all over the world. Most concentrated in the US, Europe, Canada, and other countries. The biggest Irish community is located in the US. According to the US Census and Forbes Magazine, 22 million US citizens call their primary ancestry Irish, with at least 13.5 million Americans who say they have some Irish ancestry.

NRF: Annual St. Patrick’s Day spending survey 2023

Statista shows that 61% of adult Americans celebrated paddy’s day last year. Based on the NRF research, the celebration plan for St. Patrick’s Day is extensive. Most people prefer to wear green to plunge into the holiday spirit. About one-third make a festive dinner, decorate their home or office, and attend parties.  

Consumer Behaviour and Spendings During St. Patrick’s Day

NRF: Annual St. Patrick’s Day spending survey 2023

In 2023, on St. Patrick’s Day, total US consumer spending amounted to 6.9 billion dollars and ran an average of $43.84 per person. NRF reveals men spent substantially more than women during the St. Patrick’s Day holidays. Last year, they spent 48.71 dollars, almost 10 dollars more than compared to women’s 39.15. About half of the consumers without children (54%) celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, compared with 74% of those with children. While non-parents lead in food purchases, households with children outshine them in every other aspect, notably splurging more on apparel, decorations, and candy to infuse the holiday with extra excitement for their young ones. Let’s dive deeper into each consumer preference: 

NRF: Annual St. Patrick’s Day spending survey 2023

• Food. St. Patrick’s Day is known for food and drink. 50% of consumers buy food to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Consumers often seek out recipes and products that evoke the flavors and traditions of Ireland. 
• Beverages. It’s the second preference to purchase, with 41% of consumers. Based on the MikMak Shopping Index, whiskey is becoming a popular item that shoppers add to their baskets.     
• Apparel or accessories. 29% of consumers gravitate towards dressing in green attire and accessorizing with shamrock-themed items to showcase their Irish spirit and enjoy the festive atmosphere. 
• Decorations. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations’ hallmark is about decorating homes, offices, and public spaces into festive havens. 26% of consumers embrace various decorative elements, including green banners, shamrock garlands, leprechaun figurines, and themed tableware. 
• Candy. During St. Patrick’s Day, 18% of consumers indulged in a wide array of themed confections, from green-tinted candies and chocolates to shamrock-shaped lollipops and rainbow-colored sweets. Revenue and unit sales for this category increased by 60%.
• Greeting cards. Sending heartfelt messages of luck and goodwill is a cherished tradition during St. Patrick’s Day. 9% of consumers purchase greeting cards with Irish blessings and whimsical illustrations. 
• Gifts. With 5% of consumers who embrace the spirit of generosity during St. Patrick’s Day by exchanging gifts, St. Patrick’s Day becomes more than just a traditional holiday. 

Where Do Consumers Shop For St. Patrick’s Day?

In 2023, the top 5 places for shopping were grocery stores, discount stores, department stores, bars/restaurants, and via the Internet. Consumers aren’t just browsing; they’re also making purchases online, whether they choose BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) or buy via eCommerce marketplaces. 

The figures speak for themselves; almost half of consumers prefer searching online to research in-store purchases, with one-third finding online retail stores inspiring. Doing shopping online as a plan around St. Patrick’s Day shows year over year growth, increasing from 11% in 2020 to 14% in 2023. 

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the major selling holidays for retailers on Amazon. In 2022, Shamrock decorations’ sellers earned just under 600,000 dollars in Amazon sales between March 1 and March 8. How are other St. Patrick’s Day-related product sales in the run-up to the holiday on Amazon, for example, in 2022?  

Does it sound impressive? Despite not having the highest share of online sales, businesses can drive growth due to the expanding consumer interest in digitalization. 

These stats can help you better understand your audience to arrange your promotions utilizing the best St. Patrick’s Day marketing ideas.

Tips On How To Prepare Your St. Patrick’s Day Promotions

Think of creating a promotion (offering a discount, selling green merchandise or eco-friendly green products, providing giveaway, launching social media contest or limited-time special offers) and advertising it on your website and social media pages. Follow these steps to be prepared well in advance and make the biggest impact on your consumers.

• Develop a comprehensive strategy  

Identify your target audience, outline clear goals, and conduct comprehensive research. Determine online channels that best reach your audience. 

• Create themed content 

Incorporate engaging content marketing ideas for your website and blog. Boost your social media post with catchy must-have images, green logo and seasonal hashtags. Enhance email marketing with patrick’s day email subject lines. The goal is to resonate with the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day.

• Use relevant keywords

Conduct thorough Patrick’s Day-themed keyword research to identify best phrases that align with your promotion. Integrate keywords strategically into your website, blog posts, social media captions, and advertising campaigns to improve your visibility in search engine results and attract relevant traffic.  

• Optimize your ads 

Ensure your advertisements are visually appealing, on-brand, and tailored to the preferences of your target audience. Experiment with different ad formats (static images, videos, carousel ads, etc.) to define the best one for your audience. Remember to use targeting options advertising platforms provide to reach your audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. 

• Measure performance 

Continuously monitor and analyze your digital activities’ performance to refine the approach, maximize ROI, and grow sales. Don’t forget to utilize best practices and collect data at every stage of the shopping journey. 

Expanding upon each point provides more actionable insights and guidance for preparing your online promotions for patty’s day.

St. Patrick’s Day Marketing Ideas To Get Inspired

St. Patrick’s Day marketing from Guinness

The company has gone above and beyond preparing for St. Patrick’s Day. Their extensive efforts encompass a variety of initiatives, such as tailoring their website with dedicated pages for a holiday, crafting emotive commercial advertisements that resonate with the diligent American populace, and providing Irish culinary delights and beverage recipes through their mobile application. Guinness stands out as a frontrunner among all the companies vying for attention on St. Patrick’s Day.

McDonald‘s for St. Patrick’s Day promotions

The brand goes all out when it comes to promoting its Shamrock Shake. You can find them across various platforms, including their active presence on social media channels and their pervasive television and radio commercials. As St. Patrick’s Day draws near, McDonald’s intensifies its marketing efforts, employing a full-court press strategy to ensure the Shamrock Shake captures consumers’ attention everywhere. 

Coca-Cola and St. Patrick’s Day advertising

The lucky theme with special edition packaging or limited-time products tied to St. Patrick’s Day. This could include green-colored packaging, special labels featuring Irish-themed imagery, or even special flavors. 

Which one of these St. Patrick’s Day marketing ideas excites you the most?

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