September may feel like a dry month to marketers who have recently emerged from the success of their Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan campaigns. But don’t be mistaken; this month brings marketing opportunities aplenty!

Here’s what you can look forward to:

1. National Nutrition Week, 1^st -7^th September

Aim: To create awareness about nutrition and healthy eating habits.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Ways to make nutritious food tasty for children

Infographic: X Healthy snacks to curb those cravings

Listicle idea: X Quick and healthy breakfast recipes

Podcast idea: Myths about healthy foods and eating habits we’ve grown up believing

Brand campaigns that worked:

Like many healthcare brands, Get Healthy San Mateo County chose to grab the eyeballs of its sugar-addicted audience by shocking them with a hard-hitting fact. The campaign was aimed at three US counties with the highest rates of obesity.

(Source)

In 2016, Big Bazaar, one of India’s largest retail brands, celebrated National Nutrition Week by organising a campaign labelled H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating & Active Living). Over a week; the campaign initiated activities such as setting up a counter where customers could sample healthy foods such as fruits, pieces of soya etc. Consumers could also avail of offers on numerous health foods.

2. Janmashtami, 2^nd September

Aim: To celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Butter-based dishes to prepare at home

Infographic idea: Food items you must try during Janmashtami

Listicle idea: X Cities that hold the biggest celebrations for Janmashtami

Podcast idea: Why fasting occasionally is a good idea

Brand campaigns that worked:

Janmashtami saw a number of brands create their campaigns around the festival. However, unlike the majority, Mumbai Indians understood the spirit of Dahi handi best.

(Source)

For them, it portrayed teamwork and brotherhood. The handi was shown as yet another trophy that the team endeavoured to win, with others that had been won in the past, strung along the rope.

Dahi handi has also brought out the lighter side of brands such as Fevicol. Known for its relatable and impactful imagery, the adhesive brand chose to liken the binding strength of its glue to the resolute structure created by the human pyramid during celebrations.

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

On account of Janmashtami falling on 2^nd September, buzz around the festival has already generated a user engagement of 29,215 in August 2018.

(Source: Buzzsumo)

Past trends show that a general article performs exceeding well for Janmashtami.

3. World Coconut Day, 2^nd September

Aim: To emphasise its role in poverty reduction.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Best coconut dishes from across the globe

Infographic idea: X Benefits of coconut water

Listicle idea: X Home remedies that use coconut oil

Podcast idea: Why you should include coconut in your diet

Brand campaigns that worked:

Think coconuts, think oil.

Think coconuts, think chutney.

Think coconuts, think… beauty?

“Of course!” says beauty brand Kopari Beauty, who took World Coconut Day as an opportunity to market its coconut oil-based products.

(Source)

Nutrition brands stand to gain the most out of World Coconut Day by catering to the health-conscious urban audience. Perhaps following the health-tech start-up Grow Fit?

(Source)

4. Teachers’ Day, 5^th September

Aim: To mark Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday and celebrate the work of teachers.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Movies with the most inspiring teachers

Infographic idea: X Perfect gifts to give on Teachers’ Day

Article idea: Why animals are the best teachers of compassion

Podcast idea: ‘To my teacher, with love’, an open letter to all teachers

Brand campaign that worked:

Gatorade India reversed the traditional sentiment associated with Teachers’ Day to catch the attention of its audience, most of whom would possibly have a similar story to share. The campaign shows the training regimen of ace badminton player PV Sindhu. It documents the strenuous physical training she was put through by her coach, Pullela Gopichand.

The campaign reinforces that the hard work every player hates to put in eventually leads to success. As a vendor of energy drinks, this is the spirit the brand salutes. The message of the brand is woven with a sentiment that is relatable and universal among all who endeavour to achieve a chosen goal through hard work.

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

September 2017 garnered a total user engagement of 24,947.

(Source: Buzzsumo)

Facebook appears to be the preferred platform for Teachers’ Day messages.

(Source: Google Analytics)

The first week of September is usually when buzz generates around Teachers’ Day.

5. International Literacy Day, 8^th September

Theme of 2018: Literacy in a digital world

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Ways to use digital media for education

Infographic idea: X Open learning courses you must check out

Article idea: How technology has helped the spread of literacy

Podcast idea: Why is it important to educate our future generation?

Brand campaign that worked:

When brands create content ideas to celebrate literacy, their campaigns are primarily targeted towards children. However, blended Scotch brand Bell’s took the theme of adult education and built their campaign around it.

A father looks at his son’s published book with justifiable pride. However, his illiteracy prevents him from reading it. The video campaign shows his journey from learning the alphabets to eventually reading his son’s book; it creates a narrative portrayed with sensitivity and sophistication.

6. World Alzheimer’s month, 9^th – 30^th September

Aim: To raise awareness about Alzheimer’s, especially by dispelling the myth that dementia is a normal part of ageing.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Do you know these 7 stages of Alzheimer’s?

Infographic idea: X Biggest breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research

Listicle idea: X Foods that can help you fight Alzheimer’s

Podcast idea: How to care for someone with Alzheimer’s

Brand campaigns that worked:

This image campaign from Alzheimer’s Society UK chose to break through conventional Valentine’s Day content by reinforcing the sentiment of eternal care rather than evoking the stereotypical sentiment of puppy love.

While Valentine’s Day is an easier social phenomenon to create a campaign around for Alzheimer’s, some marketers have shown a more enhanced sense of perceptive empathy through the content visualised by them.

This Christmas themed campaign, for instance, plays out a hypothetical scenario where Santa, a widely-loved childhood favourite, experiences a setback after developing dementia.

The animated narrative reinforces the need for recognising empathy and timely treatment as ways to cope with the resultant effects of the disease.

7. World Suicide Prevention Day, 10^th September

Aim: To prevent suicides by raising awareness

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Times when a suicide prevention hotline saved a life

Infographic idea: Shocking facts about suicides in India

Listicle idea: X Reasons why mental health awareness is crucial

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

A campaign that has done its bit:

An American non-profit organisation, To Write Love on Her Arms, released a video that was centred on a simple message: stay. Viewers were compelled to stay to discover and celebrate the reason for their being; to find out ‘what they were made for’.

8. Ganesh Chaturthi, 13^th September

Aim: To celebrate the Hindu God Ganesh’s birthday

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Easy modak recipes for this Ganesh Chaturthi

Infographic idea: X Pandals that host the biggest celebrations for Ganesh Chaturthi

Listicle idea: X Songs for every dandiya event

Podcast idea: How you can celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

Brand campaigns that worked:

Mother Dairy Ice Cream’s marketing connect with Ganesh Chaturthi appears to be a natural one, given Lord Ganesh’s fondness for sweets.

(Source)

Retail brands have been making the most out of festivals that evoke the strength of a familial bond, and Amazon India is no stranger to this trend. Their 2016 campaign for Ganesh Chaturthi portrayed the relationship between a brother and a sister.

The brother is shown to honour the religious sentiment of his sister who associates good luck with the blessings of Lord Ganesh. Through the precise service of Amazon India, he gets his sister the appropriate gift without her knowledge.

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

On account of the festival falling on August 25 last year, brands garnered the most engagement (95,542) around Ganesh Chaturthi in August 2017.

(Source: Buzzsumo)

While videos are generally considered the go-to format for social media content, they seem to have garnered the least amount of user engagement for Ganesh Chaturthi.

9. International Red Panda Day, 15^th September

Aim: To reduce the illegal trade of Red Pandas and ensure their safe habitation

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Why the Red Panda is an endangered species

Image series idea: What you can do to help save Red Pandas

Article idea: Why Red Pandas are essential to the ecosystem

Podcast idea: How reducing deforestation can save X kinds of species

10. Ozone Day, 16^th September

Aim: To protect the ozone layer by reducing the production of ozone-depleting byproducts such as chlorofluorocarbons.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: How you can minimise the use of CFCs

Infographic idea: X Life-threatening effects caused by the depletion of the ozone layer

Listicle idea: Ways in which you’re contributing to global warming

Podcast idea: How you can get your political leaders to act on climate change

Brand campaign that worked:

In a bid to create awareness around the day, the United National Environment Programme (UNEP) hit upon the idea to rope in Marvel comic heroes. They created an interactive campaign, in which people could discover their superpower through a quiz that simultaneously educated them about the ozone layer. With their recently discovered superpower, quiz-takers were labelled as ‘Ozone Heroes’ to relate them to the depleting ozone layer around the earth.

What would conventionally be seen as a social and environmental issue that’s often only talked about in a serious setting was turned into something relatable by a younger audience.

11. Oktoberfest, 22^nd September – first weekend of October

Aim: To celebrate the world’s largest Volksfest (a combination of a beer festival and a travelling funfair.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Reasons why you should be attending Oktoberfest

Infographic idea: X Best hangover cures

Article idea: All you need to know about Oktoberfest

Podcast idea: What each Oktoberfest tent holds for you

Brand campaigns that worked:

Pantene creatively wove its brand presence into Oktoberfest through simultaneous offline and online engagement. Its stall encouraged people to join the festivities by having their hair braided and uploading pictures of the same to social media.

German actress and host Palina Rojinski also contributed to the buzz through her presence. The campaign was promoted through clever wordplay on the Bavarian phrase shouted to mark the first stein of beer, ‘O’Zapft is’. Pantene turned the same into ‘O’Zopft is’ where O’Zopft means braid.

There’s nothing that enthusiasts love more than themed products. And that is what Adidas leveraged to reach its target audience at Oktoberfest. It produced Oktoberfest-themed trainers that equip the festive drinker with alcohol- and puke-proof footwear.

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

It might be time for Indian content marketers to train their attention on Oktoberfest, an event that managed to garner a user engagement of 1,289,922 in September 2017.

(Source: Buzzsumo)

Why-Posts gained the most consumer attention for Oktoberfest in 2017.

(Source: Google Analytics)

The conversation around Oktoberfest spans across a good month or so. Early September marks the beginning of these conversations which run right into October and beyond.

12. Autumnal Equinox, 23^rd September

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: All you need to know about the equinox

Infographic idea: X Myths about the equinox debunked

Listicle idea: X Places to visit on the arrival of the Autumnal equinox

Podcast idea: How climate change has affected different seasons

Brand campaign that worked:

The Autumnal equinox marks the start of autumn, and has come to serve as one of the symbols of the approach of Halloween. One of the most innovative Halloween ad campaigns has surprisingly come from an automobile brand.

Škoda helped its target group find the spirit of Halloween by reminding them that it’s not only a younger audience that can find joy in innovation during the festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpVFniVJukA

The video campaign draws a parallel between an automobile mechanic creatively carving a face in his car and a young boy doing the same with a pumpkin.

13. International Week of the Deaf, 23^th –30^th September

Started by: World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)

Aim: To emphasise the human rights of deaf people including early access to sign language and availing of services through it. (Read more)

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: X Basic phrases in sign language that you should know

Infographic idea: X Early symptoms of hearing disabilities

Article idea: Representation of the hearing impaired in films

Podcast idea: How technology has helped aid the hearing impaired

Brand campaign that worked:

Sometimes brands that are least expected to contribute to a social movement share the most impactful message. Such happened to be the case with Wells Fargo, an American multinational financial company.

Through a bold narrative that portrayed a lesbian couple preparing to adopt a hearing-impaired child, Wells Fargo established itself as a pillar of support to the socially marginalised who are looking to make a place for themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDsx8HfXEk

14. World Tourism Day, 27^th September

Aim: To spread the cultural, economic, and social value of tourism across nations.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: How to travel light

Infographic idea: The importance of tourism in developing nations

Article idea: Highest-paying careers in travel and tourism

Podcast idea: How to tackle cultural barriers while travelling

Brand campaign that worked:

Ola outstation is a provision launched by the company which allows customers to take a cab to over 1000 locations within India. On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Ola ran a campaign to encourage their customers to travel responsibly through the campaign #GhoomoResponsibly.

This campaign was undertaken in partnership with 7 Indian states. Further, actress and travel vlogger Shenaz Treasury joined the campaign through her travel to these seven states. Her journey was spread over 14 days and took her to lesser known places. The campaign highlighted the need to respect local culture, maintain cleanliness, and appreciate the heritage of the country.

15. World Heart Day, 29^th September

Aim: To create awareness about cardiovascular diseases and risk factors that can be avoided.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: How regular physical activity keeps your heart healthy

Infographic idea: X Foods to avoid for a healthy heart

Article idea: How to recover after a heart attack

Podcast idea: Premature heart attack: everything you need to know

Brand campaigns that worked:

On World Heart Day, Saffola employed an innovative campaign to reinforce the importance of maintaining good health. It aimed to educate people by underlining the health advantage of something as simple as standing, walking, or deep breathing, in contrast to merely sitting at most times. This campaign created a connect with most working people, given their sedentary lifestyle while in the office or while travelling.

Healthcare app Practo contributed to the conversation through a series of illustrations that highlighted some relatable guilty pleasures that create a risk factor for the heart.

(Source)

Check out how Scatter has helped the healthcare industry stay on top of the game.

16. International Translation Day, 30^th September

Aim: To recognise the role of professional translators in uniting nations.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: Reasons why you should learn another language

Infographic idea: Skills required to become a good translator

Listicle idea: X Most translated languages you can learn

Podcast idea: What makes a career in translation a lucrative option

Brand campaign that worked:

How can you vouch for a lesser known service against a more popular one? Through a real-time test; that’s how translation agency ElaN Languages did it. And it worked! By simultaneously following a recipe translated by both ElaN and Google Translate, the agency gave people a tangible result to judge the translation capabilities of the two tools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY2cBUMFF48

17. Must-watch movies this month

Johnny English Strikes Again: The third movie in the series, it begins when a cyber-attack reveals the names of all undercover agents. Johnny English is the secret service’s last hope to save the day. Bringing Rowan Atkinson back to cinemas, this will be a fun movie to watch!

The House with a Clock in its Walls: A little boy goes to his uncle’s creaky old house where a strange ticking can be heard through the walls. Starring Kate Blanchet and Jack Black, this is a fantasy horror movie based on a book for young readers.

Smallfoot: An animation movie where a Yeti discovers something unknown to his community: humans. With the Yeti voiced by Channing Tatum, Smallfoot will be an entertaining movie to watch with your children.

Night School: A man’s life turns around after he accidentally blows up his workplace and is forced to attend a night school. Starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Hadish, this movie will be relatable to many who have just joined the workforce.

Robin Hood: Based on the story of the legendary outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, this movie is an action adventure with battleground exploits, nail-biting action choreography, and timeless romance.

Drive: an upcoming Indian action-comedy film which is a remake of Hollywood film Drive starring Ryan Gosling. The movie is about a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver.

Paltan: This is an upcoming war drama based on the 1967 India-China skirmish on the Line of Actual Control. It has been directed by JP Dutta and stars Jackie Shroff, Arjun Rampal, and Esha Gupta in lead roles.

18. Sports events

Asian Games Closing Ceremony 2018

The continental multi-sports event is scheduled to close on 2^nd September. As one of the first five founding members, India has often been at the forefront of creating ad campaigns that help consumers feel they are a significant part of the sporting event.

For instance, for the 18^th Asian Games, Sony Pictures Networks India launched a campaign labelled #KoiKasarNahi. The brand has attempted to motivate Indian athletes through messages from sports fans. Each message put out on any social media platform under the same hashtag makes the fan flame (reminiscent of the torch from Asian Games) on SPN’s microsite burn brighter.

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Buzzsumo)

August 2018 has already garnered a user of engagement of 9,848,577 around the Asian Games.

(Source: Buzzsumo)

Brands may combine Why-Posts and lists to get the best of both out outperforming content formats.

Formula One World Championship (three F1 races on 2^nd, 16^th and 30^th September)

This is the first year that Formula 1 has released a global marketing campaign. As brands become more consumer-oriented, F1’s campaign too has attempted to put fans at the centre of the action by shooting a fast-paced rapidly shifting race from their point of view.

Davis Cup semifinals (14^th-16^th September)

Despite being one of the premier international men’s tennis events, Davis Cup often finds it challenging to gain attention. The International Tennis Federation set the benchmark for brands struggling with consumer engagement through a campaign that was not only successful but also managed to get shortlisted for a Sports Industry Award for Best International Marketing Campaign.

ITF’s ‘Show Your Colours’ utilised resources both online and offline to gain a 91% hike in social media followers.

US Open Tennis Championship (27^th August – 9^th September)

The US Open is a place where tradition has met innovation for many years now. And that’s the sentiment that can be capitalised on by anyone looking to start a conversation with their target group. Consider this crisp 30-second video that invokes everything that the tournament stands for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8bLhGIZiEo

Now let the numbers do the talking:

(Source: Google Analytics)

It is evident that the best time to start a conversation about the tournament is from the beginning and to the middle of September.

UEFA Nations League phase (September kick-off times to be confirmed)

An annual continental football competition, UEFA gives football enthusiasts another chance to come together despite the geographical and demographic divides that separate them.

UEFA.tv looked to highlight the same spirit through their 2017 campaign labelled #EqualGame. It featured football players such as Messi, Ronaldo, Hegerberg and Pogba alongside numerous sports fans spanning age groups and genders.

Content marketing ideas:

Video idea: A day in the life of a professional football player

Infographic idea: X Most inspiring sports biopics

Article idea: Which professional sportspersons earn the most?

Podcast idea: Why cricket trumps over other sports in India

19. Celebrity birthdays in September

• Charlie Sheen- 3^rd
• Beyoncé- 4^th
• Paul Walker- 12^th
• Ayushmann Khurana- 14^th
• Tom Hardy- 15^th
• Narendra Modi- 17^th
• George R.R. Martin- 20^th
• Kareena Kapoor- 21^st
• Will Smith- 25^th
• Manmohan Singh- 26^th
• Lil Wayne- 27^th
• Ranbir Kapoor- 28^th