It's no secret that Halloween has often sat in the shadow of the far more popular holiday, Christmas.

So, brands (outside of confectionery) have much more reason to launch campaigns around the Christmas period targeted at holiday shoppers.

But this year, that might be changing.

In a post-Covid world, could the significance of Halloween be increasing? And what does this mean for advertisers?

Let's find out!

The search for Halloween

According to a recent study, more people are searching Halloween-related topics in the lead up to October 31st than this time last year.

The study reveals that searches for costume ideas and “how many days are there until Halloween” have grown globally (by 60% and 80% respectively) since 2020.

Similarly, image searches for group and family Halloween costumes have grown by over 90% globally.

And it isn’t just costumes or decorations that have us inspired. Globally, map searches for “pumpkin patch near me” have grown by a whopping 100% since the same time last year.

More than ever, consumers are excited for Halloween and what the holiday brings – creativity, excitement, and community. Three things that have been missing from our lives for some time now.

How brands can join in the fun

If Halloween is increasing its popularity with consumers, then how can brands get a slice of pumpkin pie?

As David Ogilvy said, "If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative."

Brands that use an innovative approach to stand out from their competitors and reach new audiences will be much more likely to reach this interesting demographic.

Become a resource for ideas

What many of the popular search queries have in common is that they involve the search for ideas.

Rather than looking for specific products, consumers want to research concepts for their costumes or decorations.

Simply put, much of the excitement of Halloween is the creativity that it brings out in people.

For this reason, brands that position themselves as an authority on Halloween, and as a provider of inspirational content that allows consumers to envision themselves or their children/families in a certain costume, or their home decorated a certain way, will be able to stand out and reach consumers in new and exciting ways.

While campaigns that position a brand this way may be done on almost any platform, one to consider is definitely Pinterest.

Colloquially dubbed as the hub of ideas, advertisers may be hard-pressed to find a better channel to reach those looking for inspiration.

Don't be afraid to "niche-down"

Judging by the specific search queries, it seems that people of all demographics are looking forward to Halloween, so don't be afraid to tailor Halloween content to specific niches.

Brands that already operate within a particular niche can be assured that the likelihood of a large portion of their audience is also interested in Halloween.

This year, people have been looking for in advance towards the spookiest season of the year. Brands that can optimise their content to target this interest will reap the benefits!

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