Brand a Day!

Branding a product or service is very common, but how about branding a day? Well, it can be argued that some holidays are surely branded besides having a historical or religious base, but other branded days are purely commercial.

Just a couple of weeks ago couples around the world celebrated Valentines Day putting a smile especially on the face of florist, chocolate manufacturers, jewellers, and restaurant owners. However, in some countries this is taken even further and in Japan White Day is celebrated on March 14th. The Japanese celebrate Valentine's Day in a rather unique fashion, with women giving the men chocolate as well as other gifts. But there is more to it, the gifts of chocolate are divided into two types: giri choco (obligatory chocolate) and honmei choco (chocolate for the man the woman is serious about). Giri choco is given by women to their superiors at work as well as to other male co-workers.

On March 14th, exactly one month after Valentine's Day, men who were lucky enough to receive gifts of chocolate have the chance to return the favor by giving the women who gave them gifts of chocolate a more expensive box of chocolate or sweets, as a sign of love.

There are a few theories on how White Day started and according to wikipedia:

“White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association (全国飴菓子工業協同組合) as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day. In 1977 a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura Manseido (石村萬盛堂), marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー).

Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing white chocolate. Now, men give both white and dark chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry or objects of sentimental value, or white clothing like lingerie, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. If the chocolate given to him was giri choco, the man as well may not be expressing actual romantic interest, but rather a social obligation”.

I just thought this is an interesting example on how smart marketers can brand a day and assure a huge seasonal spike in sales. How about branding a day yourself, any ideas. This might just make sense to Seinfeld lovers, but remember George Constanzas fathers holiday called “Festivus”. Well, Festivus for the rest of us!