St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on March 17th every year. It is named after Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland. Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated as a symbol of Irish identity and culture, and it is a popular holiday around the world.
Behavioral Audience:
St. Patrick's Day is a holiday celebrated in various countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and Ireland, with the holiday evolving over time into a celebration of Irish culture and heritage. The holiday is known for its association with alcohol consumption among the 21+ crowd in the U.S., with NielsenIQ finding it as the highest-grossing day of the year for U.S. bars and restaurants. This year, St. Patrick’s Day is anticipated to see a rise in popularity, with 61% of consumers planning to partake in the festivities, spending a total of $6.9 billion — $1 billion more than last year, an average of $43.84 per person. Among celebrators, 28% intend to gather with family/friends, while 27% plan to eat or drink out. 36% plan to purchase alcoholic beverages, with beer being the most popular choice (70%), followed by spirits (34%) and wine (29%). It's estimated that globally, 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patrick's Day alone. Bringing to light the rich source of opportunities for U.S. bars and restaurants. Another common way to commemorate the holiday is to dress in green - in 2022, 80% of Americans wanted to wear green to mark St. Patrick’s Day.
Top purchase categories on St. Patrick's Day are food (58%) and drinks (46%), followed by apparel/accessories (32%).
11% of consumers do their St Patrick’s day shopping online
29% find online retail stores inspiring
45% search online to research in-store purchases
49% head to grocery stores for their St. Patrick’s Day items
To drive awareness and loyalty pre-purchase, brands should step up their game with digital promotions and online experiences that inspire and inform consumers.
Market Research:
Men: Throughout the years, men have consistently spent more than women on St. Patrick's Day festivities, and this year is no different, with an average spending of $48.71 compared to women's $39.15. Although women buy more of every category except for beverages (women are more likely to buy food 59% and men are more likely to buy drinks 49%).
Young Adults: Younger consumers (21-44) are the most likely age group to participate in St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The latest figures released by the NRF reveal that those between 18 and 44 spend the most, with the age group 35 - 44 being the biggest spenders with an average spend of $49.27. However, the number of individuals aged 35 and above planning to celebrate the holiday is increasing. St. Patrick's Day sees increased bar/restaurant visits, with a 9% rise from 2021. Brands should offer engaging in-person experiences and consider CPG/FMCG promotions. 45% of those aged 65+ make a special dinner
Families: Consumers with children are not only celebrating St. Patrick's Day at higher levels than those without kids, but they're also finding ways to make the holiday extra special (74% vs. 54%). Furthermore, those with kids spend significantly more on apparel, accessories, decorations, and candy, in addition to buying more food, to make the holiday more enjoyable for their little ones.
Marketing during St. Patrick's Day presents a unique opportunity for businesses to engage with their target audience through email, social media, and digital advertising. By anticipating customer needs and providing personalized promotions, such as deals on food, drinks, and merchandise, businesses can capture their share of the audience's spending on this celebration day. Some ideas include:
Use email, social media, and digital advertising to engage with your target audience.
Personalized promotions: Anticipate customer needs and provide personalized promotions such as deals on food, drinks, and merchandise to capture a share of the audience's spending on this celebration day.
Stock more, earn more promotions: Offer financial incentives to retailers that stock more of your products to increase brand exposure and sales.
Layered promotions: Combine promotions with partner brands to enhance engagement. Layer promotions with different tactics and mechanics, and reward on-premises purchases with new product gifts with purchases to enhance sales.
Immediate gratification: Combine the immediate gratification of an instant win prize (like a free drink or appetizer) with exclusive, high-value rewards (like a brewery tour) to increase engagement and participation.
User-generated content: Encourage consumers to share their experiences with your products on social media. Reward consumers who share their experiences to sell more while letting customers express themselves.
Inspirational giveaways: Help customers express their individuality through giveaways, trials, and freebies that encourage new routines. Harness digital innovations like social sharing, and digital apps to increase engagement.
By combining these ideas, businesses can successfully engage with their target audience during St. Patrick's Day and increase brand exposure and sales.