Aah, new year! A chance to start over. A time to put your daily worries aside as you bask in the winter sun, enjoying your holiday. Also, a time to look forward to the sales that offer products at prices too good to be true! And for a brand? It’s the perfect opportunity to start marketing for one’s consumers off with memorable content that accompanies them through the smallest and biggest celebrations of January.

So get planning!

1. New Year, 1^st January onward

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Restaurant-style recipes to celebrate New Year’s at home

Infographic idea: X Financial resolutions to make the coming year a success

Listicle idea: Homemade hangover cures to start the New Year afresh

Podcast idea: Here’s how you can start the new year right

Brand campaigns that worked:

Coming of age has often been associated with all the rights an individual gets to claim and all the opportunities they gain access to. But hardly ever does anyone speak of the responsibilities that come with becoming an adult.

That’s the space Durex decided to step into last January with a series of image ads. However, it was the following that we felt stood out the most:

(Source)

Another unconventional ad was released by HotelTonight for the holiday season.

Holiday adverts are known to go down the familiar route of celebrating togetherness and familial bonds. But HotelTonight wanted to be different. They wished to highlight how the holiday season can sometimes also mean meeting your not-so-fun relatives. Therefore, they created a multi-faceted campaign under the tagline ‘Visit, Don’t Stay’; this included image and audio ads, and social media-based initiatives.

For instance, followers on Twitter were encouraged to tweet with the hashtag #HotelTonight, while the brand got the ball rolling with tweets like the following:

(Source)

2. Winter vacations, 1^st January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Lip-smacking soup recipes to keep you warm this winter

Infographic idea: X Items you need to complete your winter wardrobe

Article idea: How to gauge good weather conditions

Podcast idea: How to get your family home safe on a foggy winter night

Brand campaigns that worked:

What’s the next best thing to seeing snowy mountains and soaring pine trees in real-time? Experiencing them through the magic of a 360-degree video, that’s what.

Canada Mountain Holidays (CMH) leveraged this virtual experience by creating 360-degree video ads that spread the word about their skiing and hiking trips, all of which included a helicopter drop-off.

The New York Times, USA Today, Kayak and Expedia hosted the ads on their websites to target adventure travellers.

While CMH’s elaborate campaign lies on one end of the creative spectrum, there’s the MINI Countryman’s image ad that stands poles apart.

Created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, the print ad announces the bigger four-door model by using the product to create a snow angel.

(Source)

 3. National Science Fiction Day, 2^nd January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Inventions you won’t believe actually exist

Infographic idea: Are you even a sci-fi buff if you haven’t watched these TV series?

Listicle idea: X Timeless reads for the sci-fi enthusiast

Podcast idea: How did science fiction come about?

Brand campaigns that worked:

Tech-based brands that are looking to achieve exceptional engineering should take a page out of Audi’s book.

By not staying limited to the realm of commercial dealings, Audi created a moon rover using the mechanisms that go into building its automotive products. The Lunar Quattro, that was scheduled to launch in 2018, was done justice through the following short but impactful advert:

The ad has gained over 4M view on YouTube itself.

A more tongue-in-cheek sci-fi themed ad was released by Budweiser during the early 2000s.

The ad showed a pet dog, beamed up by a spaceship, to be an alien in disguise. When asked by its brethren about what it learnt during its time on Earth, the creature drawled “Whassup?” while lolling out his tongue.

The ‘Whassup’ campaign won Budweiser numerous prestigious awards, including the international Grand Prix. The brand’s worldwide sales also grew by 96.8M barrels around that time.

4. World Braille Day, 4^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Public services and benefits for visually impaired people you didn’t know about

Infographic idea: X Fascinating facts about Louis Braille

Listicle idea: Emerging career options for visually impaired people

Podcast idea: How to become a teacher for visually impaired students

Brand campaigns that worked:

When creating marketing campaigns, Procter & Gamble have always prioritised inclusivity over the cost and complexity of creating a more accessible ad.

The same held true for the campaign they created around their product – the Flash Liquid Cleaner – in 2016.

Titled ‘Flash Ah-ah Dog’, the video was accompanied by visual and hearing aids through added signage and narration.

Another brand that has shown inclusivity towards the visually impaired is Maltesers. Their OOH advert involved the unveiling of a billboard written completely in Braille, and thus continued their campaign titled ‘Look on the Light Side’.

(Source)

5. World Hindi Day, 10^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Hindi songs you won’t believe are huge hits internationally

Infographic idea: Words in other global languages that are actually derived from Hindi

Listicle idea: X Underrated Hindi poems you must read right away

Podcast idea: What it takes to become a successful Hindi teacher

Brand campaign that worked:

Rajasthan Patrika, an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper, had launched a campaign celebrating Hindi back in 2015. Both their print advert and TVC was led by Deepika Padukone, who discussed the existence of Hindi not just as a language but also as a force that shaped culture and identity.

6. National Youth Day, 12^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Skills that India’s youth can learn online for free

Infographic idea: Here’s why we celebrate National Youth Day on Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary

Listicle idea: Financial schemes that can empower the youth

Podcast idea: Why today’s youth should pay more attention to their mental health

Brand campaigns that worked:

Nike understood the pressure felt by the youth to be great, especially in the field of sports. So, they chose to redefine and understand ‘greatness’ in a way that made it all-encompassing through a campaign titled ‘Find Your Greatness’.

It’s not that they wished to lower the benchmark for success. But they wished to break away from the restrictive and conventional idea of greatness that only recognises medals, fame, and those who go down in history.

In a bid to target a consumer group different from what is expected for National Youth Day, Volini celebrated youthfulness over age. Its pain-relieving product was shown as an enabler of a youthful life even during a person’s later years.

(Source)

7. Army Day, 15^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Can you survive this gruelling army obstacle course?

Infographic idea: Inspiring movies about the army that you must watch

Listicle idea: X Songs that will invoke patriotism in you

Podcast idea: Kargil stories that prove not all heroes wear capes

Brand campaigns that worked:

Ads about the Indian Army are created multiple times each year. But only some of those manage to stand out. Like Parle-G’s contribution last August.

An addition to their on-going series #YouAreMyParleG, the video depicted an army man on holiday, going through domestic motions with his family.

Through the figure of one such man, the campaign saluted every soldier in the Indian Army who continues to put his life on the line without chasing glory or public acknowledgement.

In a different, much simpler ad, the New Zealand army used toy soldiers to depict the different professions that form part of the armed forces institution. The image campaign was created to announce the recruitment in the army.

(Source)

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

8. NRI Day, 21^st January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Food items that NRIs have made famous abroad

Infographic idea: Ways in which NRIs can contribute to the economic development of India

Listicle idea: X Ways to earn money while studying abroad

Podcast idea: Here’s why Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated

Brand campaign that worked:

State Bank of India released a five-part mini-series that cleverly highlighted the different banking services offered to NRIs. The same followed the storyline of a brother who helps make financial contributions to his sister’s wedding with ease regardless of whether he is in India.

9. Netaji Jayanti, 23^rd January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Speeches by Subhash Chandra Bose you must listen to

Infographic idea: Lesser known facts about Subhash Chandra Bose that will surprise you

Article idea: Leadership lessons you can learn from Subhash Chandra Bose

Podcast idea: Here’s how Subhash Chandra Bose contributed to the nation’s development

10. National Girl Child Day, 24^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Signs that your child is asking for help

Infographic idea: What you should teach your daughter about good and bad touch

Listicle idea: Types of mood disorders mostly found in teenage girls

Podcast idea: Major biological changes you should prepare your daughter for

Brand campaigns that worked:

TATA Tea’s #JaagoRe campaign stood apart for its hard-hitting message about how casually ideas promoting gender inequality get injected into children’s minds as they grow up.

Their video showcased a girl winning a race, with a boy coming in second. The boy’s father did not seem to mind his coming second as much as his being beaten by a girl.

The campaign appropriately concluded with the tagline ‘inequality gets learnt, equality needs teaching’.

In another campaign, JK Laxmi Cement called for the need to encourage girls to take up professions like architecture, using the tagline ‘Let’s cement a strong foundation today for a bright future tomorrow’.

(Source)

11. Jaipur Literature Festival, 24^th to 28^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Stunning places you must visit when in Jaipur

Infographic idea: Here’s why Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India

Listicle idea: What to look forward to this Jaipur Literature Festival

Podcast idea: What it takes to become a successful author

Brand campaign that worked:

The Jaipur Literature Festival has established itself as one of the premier international literary events. The branding of the event is guided by a consistent theme that represents all things Indian and more so Rajasthani. The following is an example of one such promotional illustration from the previous years.

(Source)

Now let the numbers do the talking:

 (Source: Google Analytics)

12. National Voters’ Day, 25^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Is it time to bring back the ballot system?

Infographic idea: A step-by-step guide on how to apply for a voter’s ID card online

Listicle idea: Steps taken by the government to make voting accessible in remote regions

Podcast idea: Here’s why every vote counts

Brand campaigns that worked:

TATA Tea has always aimed to make its consumers more aware with every campaign release. One iteration under the hashtag #JaagoRe urged viewers to realise that if they weren’t voting on the day of elections, they were as good as asleep.

Sometimes, an informational campaign aimed at simply outlining the dos and don’ts stands out from other informational ads and messages. So did the campaign created by TIME magazine for National Voter Registration Day in the US.

It helped exceed the target of 3,00,000 registrations by well over double the number through basic tips for potential voters.

13. India Tourism Day, 25^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Transportation initiatives that have made travelling in India more comfortable

Infographic idea: X Popular tourist destinations in India

Listicle idea: Steps taken by the government to promote tourism in India

Podcast idea: When is the right time to travel in India?

Brand campaigns that worked:

‘Incredible India’ campaigns have become popular for the reality check they provide their viewers. One such advert from their series, titled ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ (Guest is equivalent to God), draws a contrast between two types of people found in India – the considerate half who make the country proud, and those who look to exploit unsuspecting tourists.

Another Incredible India campaign involved the release of an image series that captured a slice of the country and accompanied it with a witty caption. Here are two examples of the same:

(Source)

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Google Analytics)

14. Republic Day, 26^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Destinations you can consider for the long weekend

Infographic idea: Evolution of the Indian constitution over the years

Listicle idea: X Movies to watch this Republic day

Podcast idea: Who contributed to the writing of the Indian constitution and how?

Brand campaigns that worked:

A number of campaigns that run for Republic Day tend to go down the path of celebrating history without really considering the present state of things.

However, the campaign by United Colors of Benetton questioned the one-day patriotism syndrome this country’s citizens often display. Titled ‘The Day After’, it highlighted the same through the common and callous disregard displayed towards national flags after January 26.

A similar campaign by Videocon also called for progress by riding on the back of the national flag. Titled #FlagOffChange, the video featured an old retired teacher who is asked for a bribe in exchange for getting his work done at the administrative office. It is finally with the support of the flag that he is able to remind his fellow countryman of his duties.

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

15. World Leprosy Day, 27^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Herbal treatment options for leprosy that one can consider

Infographic idea: X Things about leprosy you must know

Listicle idea: Initiatives taken by the government to reduce the number of leprosy cases in India

Podcast idea: How to care for a loved one suffering from leprosy

Brand campaign that worked:

Novartis has been at the forefront of the fight against leprosy. Two of its major content-based initiatives that form the campaign include a video and an infographic. These were created with the aim of informing people about the disease and to seek their support in the fight against leprosy.

16. Martyrs’ Day, 30^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Movies about Indian martyrs that you should watch

Infographic idea: X Lessons you can learn from Mahatma Gandhi’s life

Listicle idea: Lesser known freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom

Podcast idea: Here’s what war heroes have to say about their time on the field

Brand campaign that worked:

Martyrs’ Day is observed to mark the day Mahatma Gandhi fell to the bullet fired by Nathuram Godse. This spirit of respect and remembrance was carried forward by Leo Burnett India and Bajaj V through a campaign that saluted the sacrifices made in the service of the country.

Titled ‘Postcards of Pride’, their video features a security guard who writes postcards to the families of different martyrs.

17. National Cleanliness Day, 30^th January

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Homemade cleaning remedies we’re sure you weren’t aware of

Infographic idea: Diseases you can prevent simply by maintaining good hygiene

Listicle idea: X Signs you may have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Podcast idea: Here’s why germophobes can’t be blamed for their paranoia

Brand campaigns that worked:

The biggies of Bollywood in partnership with ‘Aur Dikhao’ spread awareness about public cleanliness through an unexpectedly humorous campaign. Titled #DontLetHerGo, the video equated littering and polluting to driving Goddess Laxmi out of your life.

Because cleanliness is, after all, next to godliness.

In a different, more poignant campaign, Hindustan Unilever had an actor dress as Mahatma Gandhi and walk around Mumbai. Given the garb he wore, the actor made an impact – especially when he collected litter thrown by people.

Festivals

1. Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, 5^th Jan

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Mouth-watering Punjabi recipes to try at home

Infographic idea: Spiritual sayings by Guru Gobind Singh that can apply to modern life

Article idea: Here’s why we celebrate Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti

Podcast idea: Devotional Punjabi songs for every religious celebration

2. Lohri, 13^th Jan

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Indian cities that host the grandest celebrations for Lohri

Infographic idea: Basic ingredients you need to make any traditional Punjabi dish at home

Listicle idea: X Bonfire music fests that will warm your heart

Podcast idea: How to celebrate Lohri the traditional way

3. Pongal/Makar Sankranti, 15^th Jan

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Beautiful kite designs that jazzed up the sky on Makar Sankranti

Infographic idea: Melodious songs that’ll get your feet tapping this Makar Sankranti

Listicle idea: X Dishes to wow your guests with this Makar Sankranti

Podcast idea: Not just clothes; let’s also let go of old grudges this Makar Sankranti

Fun Days

1. Bloody Mary Day, 1^st Jan

2. JRR Tolkien Day, 3^rd Jan

3. Winnie-the-Pooh Day, 18^th Jan

4. International Customs Day, 26^th Jan

Sports

Football

1. FA Cup, 5^th Jan to 8^th Jan (third round)

2. La Liga, 4^th Jan to 27^th Jan

3. AFC Asian Cup, 5^th Jan to 1^st Feb  

Tennis

Australian Open, 14^th Jan to 27^th Jan

Cricket

India vs. New Zealand, 23^rd Jan to 6^th Feb

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Best match/tournament moments in the history of <name of sport>

Infographic idea: X Foods that should be in every sportsperson’s diet

Listicle idea: What you need to become a <insert category of sportsperson>

Podcast idea: How technology has revolutionised the world of sport

Other Content Marketing Opportunities for January

Popular formats

1. How-to content pieces

2. Listicles (include trends and predictions)

Topical ideas

1. Spring-cleaning

2. Healthy living

3. Habit-building/resolutions

4.New year sales/clearance sales

5. Finance

6. Pollution and smog

7. Winters

Popular hashtags

1. #NewYearNewYou

2. #FromWhereIStand

Events

1. Khatron Ke Khiladi 9 will be aired from 19^th Jan 2019

2. Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, 20^th Jan 2019

Television

1. Friends leaving Netflix on 1^stJan

2. Punisher Series 2 Is Dropping On Netflix In January

Birthdays

Vidya Balan – 1^st Jan

Eli Manning – 3^rd Jan

Isaac Newton – 4^th Jan

Deepika Padukone – 5^th Jan

Bradley Cooper – 5^th Jan

Diljit Dosanjh – 6^th Jan

AR Rahman – 6^th Jan

Stephen Hawking – 8^th Jan

Elvis Presley – 8^th Jan

Kim Jong Un – 8^th Jan

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – 9^th Jan

Farah Khan – 9^th Jan

Farhan Akhtar – 9^th Jan

Hrithik Roshan – 10^th Jan

Kalki Koechlin – 10^th Jan

Rahul Dravid – 11^th Jan

Zayn Malik – 12^th Jan

Swami Vivekananda – 12^th Jan

Jeff Bezos – 12^th Jan

Rakesh Sharma (Indian space traveller) – 13^th Jan

Javed Akhtar – 17^th Jan

Muhammad Ali – 17^th Jan

Betty White – 17^th Jan

Michelle Obama – 17^th Jan

Jim Carrey – 17^th Jan

Benjamin Franklin – 19^th Jan

Sushant Singh Rajput – 21^st Jan

Ellen DeGeneres – 26^th Jan

Lala Lajpat Rai – 28^th Jan

Oprah Winfrey – 29^th Jan

Major Somnath Sharma- 31^st Jan