End 2023 with a big bang; the year's final quarter offers plenty of opportunities. In addition to the numerous festivities, nature also provides interesting PR and activation themes. In this way, you will generate publicity during Q4 and a full business during rainy autumn days.
From a lavish summer to a cosy autumn. People increasingly seek comfort indoors, and terraces are traded in for homey pubs. With some luck, we'll get a sun-drenched, colourful and magical autumn, but it could also just as easily be a grey and dreary one. But in both scenarios, there are some certainties you can use to end the year in style. And after rain comes sunshine!
- Think ahead
Before we start with our practical tips, it's necessary to think about timing. And no, it's not too early to get out of your chair for November and December. Glossy monthly magazines are already planning their Christmas and New Year issues. Do you want to end up on their gift lists? Or be among the 10 best places for a Christmas dinner? Now is the time to act. Think about what you have to offer. A romantic Christmas venue? An elaborate Christmas menu? The most incredible New Year's Eve party? The finest bottle of rum for under the Christmas tree? Online titles are less in a hurry, but content is being planned there too. Now is the perfect time to approach them with your Sinterklaas campaign or new autumn cocktail menu. Also, make sure your social media accounts are up to date. Schedule a shoot for cosy, warm and autumnal images that capture the imagination. - Weather
The weather may not be the first thing you think of using, but it can be an excellent inspiration for successful initiatives, PR and activations. It does require some attention because nothing's so changeable as the weather. To respond swiftly to what's happening in the sky, you must be alert and quick. And have the right connections. A week full of hefty cloudbursts could be an opportunity for you to put yourself into the spotlight as an expert by experience, as an entrepreneur for whom the weather significantly impacts sales. Grain shortages due to hailstorms? Let the news media know you are available as a gin producer (or any distillate) to share your views on the survival of your business. Journalists always look for ways to deepen current affairs, so make your move.
The weather also causes a shift in the needs of your guests. And while the amount of sunshine or precipitation can vary greatly, it's at least a certainty that it will get colder and darker. Capitalise on this by making your restaurant, hotel, or bar a pleasant, homey haven. Adjust your interior and decoration, organise game nights and create an autumn menu. - Chestnuts and cocktails
Autumn brings lots of tasty goodies. Create a delicious autumn menu with comfort food. Roast chestnuts on the doorstep for some much-needed scent marketing, and use pumpkins, mushrooms, seafood, and autumn fruits such as plums, pears, figs, and persimmons in your dishes. Launch your new menu with much fanfare so people know where to go. Make sure they have a chance to enjoy what autumn offers us. This can be something other than food, though. Look at your drinks menu too, and create delicious autumn cocktails with warm flavours and seasonal produce. Like coffee, rum, cinnamon, star anise, chestnut, ginger, liqueurs, dark beer, vermouth, fig... By doing so, your business will become a warm, comfortable retreat where your guests can cosy up while the wind blows off the final leaves from the trees outside.
Recipe NAAM
50 ml Bareksten Botanical Gin
20 ml pumpkin puree
20 ml lemon juice
10 ml cinnamon syrup
Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until the cocktail is well chilled. Double strain into a coupe and garnish with a cinnamon stick and a slice of dried pumpkin. - Holidays
OK, here's the list: Oktoberfest, Halloween, Sint Maarten, Sinterklaas, Christmas and New Year's Eve. The last quarter of the year is full of celebrations and ideal occasions for great activations and initiatives that provide the necessary extra traffic, but also offer opportunities in terms of PR. Editors and journalists always look for great tips, from events and products to recipes and hotels. But also, remember your own website or socials. Write a fun blog for Halloween about 'The scariest guests' or 'Kitchen nightmares'. Make sure they're written with humour and are usable on multiple channels. Other holidays, such as Sint Maarten and Sinterklaas offer the chance to attract families with entertaining activations. Crafting lanterns, putting shoes, making marzipan... And we already briefly mentioned Christmas. Start now because deadlines, especially those for the holidays, wait for no one.
Sounds all great, but do you lack time, energy, or expertise? We get it. Contact us to help you be seen and fill up those seats during the upcoming autumn season.
