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"As marketers, your job is to be creative, creative, and more creative. Before a campaign is even launched, you\u2019re already looking for ways to further the creativity and boost performance. Add to that those ideas that are churning around in your head about how phase 2 of said campaign can be even more creative, or the upcoming summer, or those year end goals, or, or\u2026\r\n\r\nNo one ever said that being the marketer in the company was the easy job, and you\u2019ve always got to be on the lookout for inspiration. Now besides the big ones; Christmas, national holidays, etc., when was the last time you looked to the calendar for inspiration?\r\n\r\nAudiences respond well to creativity, especially when there\u2019s a bit of factual information wrapped around it, so why not surprise and delight them with some offbeat holidays? Be it a social media item, an newsletter lead in, etc., put your creativity to use, and celebrate the oft less celebrated with your audience!\r\n\r\nComing up in June:\r\nFirst Friday in June (June 1): National Doughnut Day\r\nYes, there is a national doughnut day, and no, Homer Simpson has nothing to do with it. Originally founded to recognize the Salvation Army \u201CLassies\u201D who bravely took to the front lines to provide doughnuts and a morale boost to the troops.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re in the food service industry, this should be a no brainer. If not, there are plenty of pop culture references to celebrate doughnuts. Alternatively, here\u2019s a golden moment to bring a box of doughnuts to the team and feature a group photo on your social media channels. To boost fan interaction, toss out the, \u201CWhat\u2019s your favorite breakfast food?\u201D question, or perhaps find out what their favorite Homer Simpson moment was. These questions might not have any specific relation to your product, but you never know what customer insight you might gain, and be able to use in the future.\r\nJune 5: World Environment Day\r\nSupported by the United Nations, World Environment Day is used to spotlight important environmental issues. Each year, the organization takes on a different theme, with 2012 focusing on the Green Economy.\r\n\r\nDid you miss Earth Day? Is your organization leading the charge on green technologies? A hot topic, and a dedicated day \u2013 this is your opportune time to focus on what your organization is doing to help the environment. Furthermore, this is a great time to point your community towards outside resources that support this theme.\r\nJune 6: Yo-Yo Day\r\nCelebrating the birthday of the Duncan Toys Company founder Donald F. Duncan, Yo-Yo day spotlights, what else\u2026the timeless classic Yo-Yo. Speculation places the Yo-Yo approximately at 3 to 4 thousand years old, with civilizations including the Greeks and Chinese spooling string and shooting the moon. And sorry Mr. Ma, but this day is not about you.\r\n\r\nThere are a number of ways you could go with this one. If you\u2019re a solutions provider, the \u201CUps and downs\u201D of everyday business life could be a focus. Likewise, an, \u201CAt the end of your rope?\u201D theme can draw customers in. If you\u2019re in the entertainment biz, perhaps talking about one of the oldest amusements on the planet might be the way to go.\r\nJune 9: Donald Duck Day\r\nAn internationally beloved cartoon character, June 9 celebrates Mr. Duck\u2019s first appearance in \u201CThe Wise Hen,\u201D June 9, 1934.\r\n\r\nBe careful with this one, as Mr. Disney and his organization aren\u2019t exactly keen on copyright infringement, but there\u2019s no stopping you from celebrating! As kids (and grownups) who doesn\u2019t love a good animated cartoon? Use this date as a chance to celebrate your inner child and what keeps you motivated, innovating, exploring, etc.\r\n\r\nLittle known fact: Donald Duck\u2019s middle name is Fauntleroy. Who in your organization has the most unique middle name?\r\nJune 10: National Iced Tea Day\r\nIn 1904 tea plantation owner Richard Blechynden was set to sell his wares at the St. Louis World Fair. Unfortunately, it was an extremely hot day, and fair goers were in the mood for something a bit cooler than a cuppa. Blechynden took a risk, poured his hot tea over some ice, and thus \u2013 Iced Tea was born.\r\n\r\nIced Tea makes us think of the lazy, hazy days of summer. And although summer hasn\u2019t officially started yet (see below), National Iced Tea day can be a great time to kick off your summer campaigns, or start reinforcing previously stated messages. Food industry marketers can seize this moment and offer deals to patrons, \u201CC\u2019mon in for a free Iced Tea on National Iced Tea Day,\u201D etc. As the invention of Iced Tea arrived under adverse circumstances, you can always play the \u201Cnecessity is the mother of all invention\u201D card as well. If you\u2019re particularly brazen, you can go out on a limb and bridge the gap between a century old beverage and semi-centarian musician Ice T.\r\nJune 13: Sewing Machine Day\r\nThe first records of a functional sewing machine date back to 1830, when Barthelemy Thimonnier created a machine that used a thread and a hooked needle to create the same chain stitched used in embroidery.\r\n\r\nNow I realize that bridging the gap between your brand and a sewing machine might be a bit of a stretch, but only if you make it. Sewing Machine Day is a perfect time to delve into the world of rapid advancements in technology, and how your organization has contributed to making the world a better place. Perhaps something along the lines of, \u201CStitching it altogether,\u201D can highlight your organizations\u2019 services or products?\r\n\r\nA sidenote: Thimonnier\u2019s factory was burned to the ground by a mob of French tailors who feared job security as a result of this new invention.\r\nWorld Juggler\u2019s Day: Saturday closest to June 17\r\nJust as the name suggests, World Juggler\u2019s Day is set to recognize the skill and talent of those that keep multiple objects spinning, rotating, and otherwise defying gravity.\r\n\r\nWhile the holiday is meant to celebrate those that can keep balls, pins, flaming batons, etc. in the air, there\u2019s a very clear tie in here to celebrate just about anyone who works for a living. We\u2019re all juggling multiple projects, tasks, appointments, people \u2013 let your community know about it, and better yet, what or how your products can better help them manage this balancing act.\r\nSummer Solstice: June 20\r\nSometimes referred to as Midsummer (as in A \u2026 Night\u2019s Dream), the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and is the official meteorological beginning of the summer season.\r\n\r\nChances are you\u2019ve already begun your summer campaigns, but June 20th is a great time to reinforce these messages. Perhaps a midsummer promotion is more to your liking? Celebrate the summer with fans with a, \u201C20% off all purchases on Midsummer with the promo code Puck\u201D and see who catches your literary reference. Leading up to the day, if your product or organization has something to do with the outdoors, you can always remind your audience that after this day, the days start getting shorter again, and which of your products they need to get the very best out of the summer.\r\nTake your dog to work day: June 22\r\nEstablished in 1999 by Pet Sitters International, Take Your Dog To Work Day is aimed at highlighting the fact that canines make for great companions, and encouraging their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters, and breed rescue clubs.\r\n\r\nAll memes aside, who doesn\u2019t love a cute pooch? Take your dog to work day can be another great opportunity to highlight staff members, and their canine friends of course. Do you sell a physical product? Could a staff member\u2019s dog have a good time with it, react to it, roll it around the office? Capture these moments and share them with your fans. You never know, you might end of with a new company mascot. But don\u2019t take my word for it, have a view of Beast\u2019s page and let the creativity fly!\r\nCamera Day: June 29\r\nWhile there\u2019s no official record of who started Camera Day, June 29th can serve as good a date as any to celebrate the camera.\r\n\r\nIf your industry is in any way related to photographic images, this is an absolute do-not-miss. If you\u2019re not related to a camera in any way, does your organization have an app? If so, there\u2019s a camera sitting right next to your app. Likewise, chances are your social media channels have a number of images, either of your product, consumers, office team, etc. Camera Day can be a great way to encourage your customers to share their stories and include a picture (or 20). Action sports video camera maker GoPro capitalizes on the power of imagery every single day with their \u201CPhoto/Video of the Day\u201D series \u2013 do the same here and encourage your fans to contribute with the content, perhaps even offering a prize to the top shutterbugs.\r\n\r\nI\u2019m sure one or more of these offbeat holidays have touched a nerve in your creative center, and now it\u2019s only up to you to put this spark of inspiration to good use. Be they social media items, blog content pieces, a lead in to a newsletter, etc., surprising your community, and providing them with a bit of factual information, all the while driving your message home is a win/win situation for both parties!\r\n\r\nChris leachman\u00A0via shutterstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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