7 Fun and Meaningful Campaign Ideas For April

Are you looking for April contest and campaign ideas?

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Coming up with unique ways to engage your customers can be challenging (and tiring). That’s why, each month, I put together a round-up of ideas to help get your creative juices flowing.

Every month of the calendar year is unique. There is typically a dominant worldwide event, such as Christmas in December, and numerous lesser-known events, all that can provide substance and inspiration for marketing campaigns.

In this article, we’re focusing on April. Without a doubt, April’s big event is Easter. You’ll be surrounded by bunnies, chocolate, religious affairs, and Easter egg hunts.

Yes, I’ll cover some campaign ideas for Easter (jump to number 7). But there are also some other great opportunities to promote your brand in April.

Let’s take a look.

#1. April Fools’ Day

The day of the prankster. The first of April provides an opportunity for practical jokers to trick their friends and family with some light-hearted fun.

April Fools’ Day jokes can range from something as simple as hiding someone’s favorite coffee mug in the office to a fully-fledged multi-person stitch up on national TV.

For brands, the opportunities are endless. After all, everyone’s customers enjoy a laugh every now and then, even if you’re in a serious industry. It humanizes the customer experience.

Examples of April Fools’ Day marketing campaigns include silly new products, fake announcements, and unbelievable offers. PayPal, for example, received over 3,000 retweets for its “print money on your phone” joke on Twitter:

PayPal’s April Fools’ Day Tweet

Of course, be sure to avoid negative pranks that could damage your brand or mislead customers.

#2. Earth Day

Earth Day, on April 22nd, is all about environmental protection and saving the planet.

While environmental marketing messages are more suited to some brands than others, if you feel like your customers are passionate about this topic, getting involved could be a great way to connect with them.

Hyundai, for example, ran a social media contest for Earth Day in 2020 called the “Dark Selfie Challenge.” The idea behind the campaign was to encourage participants to take a selfie of themselves in the dark.

The concept of switching off lights and reducing the use of electricity is common with Earth Day as it helps minimize carbon emissions.

#3. World Book, Copyright and English Language Day

The 23rd of April is World Book and Copyright Day. It also happens to be English Language Day. Both events aim to encourage reading and publishing content.

Naturally, this is an excellent opportunity for publishers and book-related businesses to engage with their customers. However, the possibilities are only as limited as you make them. In reality, any company could embrace World Book Day if they feel like they have some readers in their audience.

For example, running a giveaway with a relevant book (or books) as a prize is an easy way to collect leads and reward customers.

#4. DNA Day

National DNA Day on the 25th of April commemorates the day in 1953 when the first paper was published on DNA structure.

It may sound like a left-field marketing opportunity, but perhaps you could use DNA Day to encourage customers to connect with their extended family or even just get in touch with their “true self.”

When it comes to photo or video contests, the family angle is extremely popular. For example, one small-town radio station received over 200,000 entries to a Mother’s Day photo contest. Participants submitted sentimental photos with their moms.

Photo Contest Example

View and Create Your Own

You could use a similar concept for DNA Day.

#5. King’s Day, Amsterdam

On April 27th, Amsterdam becomes a sea of orange (the national color) to celebrate the Dutch national holiday, paying tribute to King Willem-Alexander.

I’m not sure if it’s the vibrant culture of the Netherlands or the visual sensation of everyone in a city wearing orange, but something is invigorating about King’s Day.

How can you make the most of King’s Day for your marketing campaigns? You could use an orange theme, give away something Dutch, or simply use the King’s Day hashtags to connect with like-minded people!

#6. Jazz Day

On the 30th of April, International Jazz Day highlights the role of jazz music in bringing people together all around the world. Most major cities host jazz events to mark the occasion and get into the spirit.

From a marketing perspective, you can do the same. Run a jazz-themed campaign, give away jazz prizes in a contest, or collaborate with popular jazz musicians who resonate with your audience.

#7. Easter

Now for the big one – Easter.

Every April, families, and friends come together all over the world to celebrate Easter, share chocolate eggs, and run Easter egg hunts. It’s a sentimental and hugely popular event.

But why should you run an Easter marketing campaign? Well, the average American adult spends over $150 on Easter-related purchases, according to the National Retail Federation.

Easter campaigns can range from the simplest of storewide discounts to intensive multi-day competitions. It all depends on what you want to achieve.

One super-creative Easter marketing campaign is from Cadbury who partnered with Facebook360 to run a virtual Easter egg hunt with real chocolate prizes on the line.

A personal favorite Easter marketing campaign is from beer brand Carlsberg. They created a giant chocolate “bar” that was… actually made of chocolate and served Carlsberg beer!

For one last example, Dixie Crystals took a creative approach to the traditional Easter egg hunt by leaving a trail on their website for people to find “Bonnie the Easter Bunny.”

Creative Digital Easter Egg Hunt (Source)

Whether you want to go big, like Carlsberg, or just get into the Easter spirit with a chocolate-themed giveaway, it’s an unmissable opportunity to engage with your customers.

Conclusion

Whether it’s a prank, a meaningful cause, or an Easter egg hunt, April presents numerous opportunities to connect with your audience and market your brand.

These campaign ideas are just that… ideas. It’s up to you to run with the theme you choose, get creative with how it relates to your brand, and execute accordingly.

How will your marketing campaigns take shape this April?

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