Guest Author – Eve Cale, Founder Giftwrapped by Eve
We all know Christmas is the biggest shopping season of the year here in the UK. But it’s not the only time people are looking for thoughtful gifts. Occasion marketing is all about spotting those smaller moments throughout the year — birthdays, new homes, thank-yous, Halloween, or “just because” treats — and showing customers how your products fit in perfectly.
When you start thinking beyond December, you’ll find fresh opportunities to connect with your audience and boost your sales all year long.
How You Can Use Occasions in Your Business
You don’t need a huge product range or big budget to make occasion marketing work. Start small:
· Think about when your customers are buying gifts and why and if you’re not sure, ask them! Use things like social media polls or surveys.
· Create a limited-time offer, seasonal colour, or themed bundle.
· Refresh your packaging or wrapping to suit the moment.
· Post on social media showing your product as the perfect gift for that occasion.
You’re simply helping customers connect what you sell with what they’re celebrating.
Small Businesses Doing It Brilliantly!
It’s one thing to talk about occasion marketing, but it’s even better to see it in action. Here are a few small businesses I work with who are doing it well!
· Mrs B’s Book Nook created Boo Boxes for October — fun, spooky book bundles that capture the Halloween spirit while keeping her customers engaged long before Christmas.
· Glassy Silver created a special set of keying designs for Father’s Day which can also be sold year-round as birthday gifts.
· Rachel’s 3Rs offered teacher thank-you gifts over the summer, tapping into the emotional side of gifting while helping busy mums find thoughtful presents for end-of-term moments.
Each of these ideas gives customers a reason to buy now, not later, and that’s what makes occasion marketing so effective
Keep the Gifting Spirit Going All Year
When you shift your mindset from “Christmas rush” to “gifting moments all year”, your business stays visible and relevant every month.
Customers start to see you as the go-to for thoughtful, ready-to-give gift, whatever the season.
Looking for inspiration?
At Giftwrapped by Eve, I help handmade and product-based businesses use gifting and eco wrapping to stand out all year round. Pop over to check out my free resources if you’d love ideas to make your packaging and marketing work harder for you.
