7 Events You Must Put on Your Calendar in 2016

In an increasingly noisy world, getting media attention for your brand can be challenging. But savvy marketers understand how to ride the publicity train by being aware of what everyone is talking about and discovering how to ride the buzz. Every year has a series of events that you can tie to your business and win publicity. Here are seven to look out for in 2016. 1. Party Primaries (February 1st – June 14th) The primaries will run through almost half a year, from the Iowa Caucus on February 1st to the DC primary on June 14th. Some of those days will be more important than others. New Hampshire goes to the polls eight days after Iowa, and Super Tuesday on March 1st is the really big one. But every election and every caucus gives your business an opportunity to cash in on the news — especially when it comes to your state. Tell the press how your customers are reacting to the political news or what businesses like yours think candidates should be discussing, and you’ll have shot at turning a dull but important story that reporters have to cover into an interesting and fun article people will actually want to read. 2. Superbowl 50 (February 7th) Right after the Iowa caucus, attention will shift to Santa Clara and Superbowl 50. Every Superbowl is a huge occasion but the number makes this one even more special. Only the biggest companies get to buy an advertisement during the game but anyone can parody a top ad and put it on YouTube. Be quick and you can win views from someone else’s budget. 3. Spring Break (March) Every year, news sites and local newspapers have a chance to show pictures of young people having fun. And to judge them for having fun. They’ll look for an opportunity to make the most of it. Give students at your local college a special offer for spring break, and you can tell the local media about it. Connect your product to the parties and you can pitch for a place in the news. You’re not going to make the front page, but if you can give reporters an excuse to talk about a fun occasion you can land some attention and some extra sales. 4. New iPad Launch (March?) By mid-March 2016 it will be 500 days since Apple updated the iPad Air, its main tablet computer. The previous longest gap between updates came between the third and fourth generations when we had to wait 374 days. Rumors suggest a new iPad in March… although it could be September. Whenever the release takes place, it will be a huge media event. In the past, companies have used the occasion to offer new iPads as competition prizes but it’s also a showcase for any business in how to launch a product with the biggest fanfare possible. Even if you’re not upgrading, watch and learn. 5. European Soccer Championships (June 10th – July 10th) Last summer’s victory by the US women’s soccer team in the Women’s World Cup final was watched by 26.7 million viewers in America, a record for a US audience. Soccer might not be up there with the NBA or NFL but it is a game that’s played by millions of kids every weekend. This year, many of the world’s best players will be competing in the European championships, an event held, like the World Cup and the Olympics, every four years. That’s a month of publicity opportunities and sporty tie-ins. 6. Start Of The Academic Year (September) Just as students not going to school can be a media opportunity, so can students traipsing back to their dorms. They’re going to be carrying all sorts of products with them, from computers and tablets to duvet covers and rice cookers. Offer tips to help students get the most out of their stay, including with products from your industry, and you’ve given reporters an easy, fun story about a topic that always captures the public’s attention. 7. Presidential Elections (November 8th) 2016 starts with an election and it will end with one. In the past local businesses have won publicity with straw polls of customers, but you can also tell the press how your business might change depending on the winner or hold an event to bring together opposing groups of voters once the counting has been done. No media event will be bigger than the presidential election this year so, as always, if you can find a way to slip your business into a story the media has to cover, you’re in the press.