Summer 2016 will be the Summer of…

Memorial Day is first and foremost a time when we remember and commemorate those lost at war. The soldiers that gave us the freedoms we enjoy today.

Memorial Day weekend kick starts all that is synonymous with summertime.  If you’re lucky, this brings with it summer Fridays, long weekends filled with beach time, family time, BBQs and an overall sense of freedom and fun.

While technically it’s the unofficial start of summer, when it comes to marketing, this is the industry’s OFFICIAL start of summer. It’s defined by those 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.

To celebrate the official unofficial start of summer, our talented team of consumer marketing experts shares their predictions for the top five things that will define summer 2016.

Greg Tarmin, EVP and Consumer Practice Director

  1. This summer will be the summer of a singular news story.  THAT STORY… THE FALL ELECTION.

“Whether you are on the left or right side of the aisle, whether you are asking the question ‘Are these our choices?’ or whether you are Googling ‘How to immigrate to Canada,’ people won’t know what to do with the unprecedented tsunami of news coverage that the conventions and debates will offer us.”

trump clinton

Rachel McPherson, Account Executive

Oh and also CAMPAIGN TEES.

“It’s an election year, friends. So whether you’re rocking a “Babes for Bernie” t-shirt or showing your support for another candidate, you won’t be alone this summer. Nothing goes better with a pair of denim shorts or boyfriend jeans. And of course, canvasing wouldn’t be complete without some cute canvas totes (says a total bag lady).”

campaign tee

Mariam Quadri, Senior Account Executive and Media Relations Rock Star

2. This Summer Will Be the Summer of OLYMPIC OBSESSION.

“The summer Olympics dominate and everyone will have their eyes on a few key sports – gymnastics in particular. Also, swimming and track. The 2012 team made an impact and the memes/gifs will be everywhere. For example, remember the ‘I’m not impressed face.’”

obama olympics

Laura Schultz, Account Executive and Writing Maven

3. This will be the summer of BEER YOGA.

“The ‘beer yoga’ trend has taken off, especially in metro areas like New York City. It combines two big consumer trends; the fitness enthusiast craze and the explosion of craft beer in recent years. This movement will only grow during the warmer weather seasons. Namaste and bottoms up!”

beer yoga

 

Emily Valentine, Director

4. “This summer will be the summer of MOSQUITO REPELLENT, because fear is a great motivator, uncertainty breeds fear, and who the heck knows what is going on with the Zika Virus.

The CDC says bug repellent is an essential to preventing mosquito bites and in April, Consumer Reports issued its ratings for ‘Mosquito Repellents That Best Protect Against Zika.’ Products containing deet and picaridin never had it so good.”

Olivia Tornick, Account Executive and Michelle Amoroso, Director

5. This summer will be the summer of SNAPCHAT or more like when SNAPCHAT GOES MAINSTREAM.

As in, everyone from kids to grandparents will learn how to use the communication and entertainment app. Thanks to the unique filters, people come back to the platform every day to see what’s new and snap pics. The allure of Snapchat is becoming more and more universal and summertime will only fuel this allure.

As a marketer, now is when the getting is good. Snapchat just raised 1.8 billion in funding and has big plans to further monetize its platform. This means organic reach will go down and will come at a higher price. This summer Snapchat is still cool. Ultimately, teenagers and young adults will make their exit to something else their parents don’t use or know about. But for now, this summer will be the summer of Snapchat.

snapchat

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