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HELEN MCINTEE is a Director of the Institute of Marketing inmyopinion
Management and President of the African Marketing
Confederation (AMC). She is also a business school lecturer, informed insight infront
published author and a public speaker. She has an MBA
from Wits Business School and is a Chartered Marketer.

Why occasion-based
marketing gives me an

uneasy feeling

Whereas the ‘international day of…’ once signified a worthy cause or important world
event, occasion-based marketing has now created a plethora of irrelevant ‘special days’

and implausible causes. Helen McIntee believes it does the profession no good.

DID YOU KNOW THAT MAY 4 creating consumer needs and wants and its raison d’être – it’s important
is Star Wars Day, July 7 is purely to fulfil profit targets. I vehemently to your brand’s credibility. Furthermore,
International Chocolate Day contend that consumers have the if you’re going to use social and
and 19 September is dedicated to inherent ability to choose how they charitable opportunities as a way of
those who want to Talk Like a Pirate? spend their hard-earned cash – unless of creating brand or product awareness,
course they have a particular addiction. those marketing programmes must be
Any marketer who does a bit of carefully thought out. Consumers need
Googling will almost certainly find a ? to trust that you really believe in the
celebration/occasion they can capitalise The wrong cause cause and your actions are not simply
on and devise a promotion around – harms credibility based on upping sales.
whether it’s a day celebrating coffee,
yoga, olives, puppetry, poetry, frogs or A WORD OF CAUTION Years ago I had the privilege of
left-handed people. And if you can’t find However, after becoming more working with the late Dr Ivan May, who
something suitable – create your own. acquainted with LPOs (limited period introduced the concept of MBM (mutual
offers) and OBM (occasion-based benefit marketing) to Nedbank. The
Many in the marketing field will be marketing), I have an uneasy feeling and basis was that many people wanted
rubbing their hands in glee at the want to caution that it is a very narrow to donate to a cause, but felt (in those
thought of a profitable 2017 promotion path we walk when taking advantage of days) that seeking out a collection
that will capitalise on a ‘day of occasion-based opportunities. box on a street corner for the SPCA,
something’. Given that most people are or finding the office number for the
a sucker for a good cause, an outdoor I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that African Arts Trust, was just too time
lifestyle brand/retailer might support International Chocolate Day falls on the consuming. So, for them, agreeing to a
the International Day of the Seal on 3 birthday of Milton Hershey, founder of donation of 50c per cheque transaction
March next year (yes, there is one), just the Hershey Chocolate Company empire, (… again, those were the days) to the
as a washing machine manufacturer for example. WWF or Lifeline was mutually beneficial
could utilise World Washing Day to its to the bank and customer. This was
own ends (…okay, I made that one up). If marketers are to select an not hard sell, but a truly inspired way
occasion, festival or celebration, first of supporting genuine causes.
But before we get carried away with look carefully into the chosen cause
this marketing bonanza, let’s slow down World Beer Day? Intellectual
for a bit of introspection. All my working Property Day? Marketers, let’s first
life I’ve defended the profession when pause for thought...
we’re accused of being unethical by

4 strategicmarketing October 2016 – January 2017