Industry Viewpoint: Create a plan for back-to-school marketing

The weather is starting to warm up and I am looking forward to natural vitamin D from the sunshine, cookouts, beach trips and enjoying lazy summer evenings.

From a digital marketing viewpoint, I’ve already skipped over summer and am planning for back- to-school. This planning is in full force, but the groundwork was actually set last November. Right now, in May, I’m identifying trends and predictions for the upcoming back-to-school season, known annually to impact billions of consumers in a big way.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), families with children in elementary school through high school spent an average of $848.90 per family on back-to-school shopping in 2021, up from $789.49 in 2020. This includes expenses such as clothing, electronics, school supplies and other items.

Statistic after statistic shows the significant impact that back-to-school shopping has and highlights the importance of effective marketing strategies during this time. It’s a time for regrouping and a fresh start. At Healthy Family Project we believe that back-to-school time is more than just packing lunches; it’s figuring out busy mornings, meal-prepping for dinner, adjusting to new sleep schedules, mental health awareness, navigating multiple sports’ schedules and more. It’s a lot for parents to handle and many are just looking for tips and hacks to make it through.

During ou Back-To-School Campaign we create a national buzz around all these important topics by sharing our experiences, utilizing the expertise of our registered dietitian team and creating authentic digital content to elevate our health-minded brand partners. Our campaigns are category-exclusive to ensure that partners receive the most amount of personalized representation.

In 2022, we received more than 150,000 visits to the Healthy Family Project website during the Back- To-School Campaign and reached over 24 million people on social media.

In the United States, the back-to-school shopping season generally begins in July or August, with peak shopping occurring in early to mid-August. As such, it’s recommended that companies start planning their back-to-school campaigns as early as March or April.

Effective back-to-school marketing campaigns often involve creative promotions, targeted advertising and special offers to attract customers. Social media and influencer marketing are also popular tools used in back-to-school marketing campaigns to reach audiences.

By targeting families and students with strategic marketing tactics, businesses can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to their stores and websites, and ultimately increase sales during this busy shopping season.