The Marketing Pulse: Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to dive into the thrilling realm of Halloween marketing!

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to dive headfirst into the thrilling realm of Halloween marketing! As October creeps in, consumers are gearing up for all things spooky—whether it’s hunting for the perfect costume or stockpiling candy for eager trick-or-treaters.

Let’s be honest: Halloween is about more than just pumpkins and eerie decor. It’s a season of excitement and indulgence, where brands can cast their spells to captivate consumers. But are people ghoulishly eager to join the festivities, or are they simply tepid? How can brands make the most of this seasonal frenzy?

As Halloween approaches, both Americans and Brits are gearing up to embrace the spooky season, but their plans and preferences showcase some intriguing differences! So, grab your broomsticks and let’s stir the cauldron of data…

A transatlantic comparison

Overall interest in spooky shenanigans
In the States, nearly half are all in for Halloween, revelling in all the holiday has to offer. Meanwhile, in the UK, just 37% are ready to dive into full Halloween festivities, while 32% do not plan to celebrate at all.

Favourite parts of All Hallows’ Eve
The American crowd loves “everything” about Halloween, with 24% expressing an all-encompassing enjoyment of the holiday. “The treats” are also a big hit at 20%, followed by costumes and decorations. Over in the UK, the love for Halloween is reflected in preferences for horror movies and general festivities, both at 12%, but a sizable 31% show little enthusiasm for the holiday overall.

Tricks, treats, and thrills
When it comes to activities, watching scary movies reigns supreme, with 1 in 4 Americans choosing this as their favourite Halloween pastime. Handing out treats (15%) and dressing up (14%) are also popular. In the UK, watching scary movies is again a top activity, closely followed by pumpkin carving. Handing out treats and dressing up.

It’s all about the treats and no tricks…

Chocolate vs. Variety
Chocolate lovers, unite! 70% of Americans have a sweet spot for chocolate-based candies, with Snickers and KitKats reigning supreme. Meanwhile, while fun-size chocolate bars are popular across the Atlantic, most Brits can’t help but crave Drumstick lollies, Haribos, and Swizzles.

Walmart and Poundland cash in
Supermarkets are a Halloween hotspot, with 56% of American shoppers flocking to stores like Walmart. Brits also love their supermarkets (49%), but many hunt for budget-friendly treats at Poundland—about 1 in 4 do!

Wallets are feeling spooked
Let’s talk dollar! Most Americans plan to shell out between $11 and $30 on Halloween candy. In the UK, budgets are a bit tighter, with 30% aiming for the £6 to £10 range and a surprising 17% looking to spend less than £5.

And you are?

Donning those Halloween disguises!
Who’s dressing up this year? About 49% of Americans are getting ready to don their Halloween costumes, while 38% of our British friends are also eager to embrace the spooky spirit.

DIY or store-bought?
When it comes to costume choices, 36% of Americans prefer crafting their outfits from scratch, while 35% opt for the ease of store-bought costumes. The remaining 28% take a mixed approach. Over in the UK, 35% are making their own costumes, 33% choose store-bought, and 31% enjoy a blend of DIY and ready-made options.

Who’s going to be out?
Traditional favourites like vampires, witches, and ghosts lead the charge in US costumes this year, closely followed by characters from movies and TV shows. Meanwhile, the classic witch reigns supreme in the UK, along with a huge love for fictional favourites.

 

What haunting portions have brands added to their Halloween marketing campaigns for 2024?

As Halloween approaches, marketers are conjuring up spooky-good ideas—but are these campaigns treats or tricks for their audiences? We’ve crept into the eerie world of Halloween marketing to uncover the spookiest campaigns of 2024 and what consumers really think about them! 

This year, brands in the US are stepping in to save the day for those last-minute planners, offering convenient solutions just in time for the holiday rush.

🚙 Uber has partnered with Spirit Halloween to deliver costumes and decorations directly to people’s doors, making last-minute shopping a little less terrifying. But beware of the bumps—26% are already fully prepared for the spooky season, and 48% say they don’t see themselves using it.

🍫 M&M’s is also lending a hand to last-minute trick-or-treater givers with pop-up booths in Philly and Westfield, offering quick candy refills—and 68% love the idea.

🍩 Dunkin’ is all set for Halloween with a lineup of trick-or-treat essentials and more, including Potion Macchiatos, Spider Donuts, Munchkin Buckets, DunKing Tracksuits, and Dunkin’ scented candles. The Munchkin Buckets are casting quite a spell, with 64% saying they’re likely to grab one. 

🍒 And to join in on the Halloween fun, Airheads is taking “trick or treat, smell my feet” (quite literally) by launching a limited-edition cherry-scented foot spray. Reactions to the product have been mixed. 33% think it’s a clever idea, 34% find it a little strange, and another 33% say it’s fun but maybe a bit too much.

🧛🏻‍♀️ Opendoor’s Halloween-themed ad was crowned the spookiest of them all, with 80% of viewers finding it engaging. 63% thought the use of Halloween themes in a real estate ad was “fun and creative,” while 51% agreed more brands should get in on the Halloween action.

 

Meanwhile in the UK… 

 

🇮🇪 Did you know Halloween’s roots trace back to Ireland’s Celtic festival of Samhain? Surprisingly, only 1 in 5 Brits do! That’s why Tourism Ireland is bringing this ghostly past back to life in its 2024 campaign. So, what makes for a killer Halloween campaign? 45% want a blend of spooky fun and history, while 1 in 4 think adding cultural elements would make Halloween more enchanting.

🧅 Heinz has conjured up something wickedly *delicious* with their Pickled Onion Monster Munch Mayo! But will it be a treat or a trick? The verdict is split—46% of Brits all in for the daring flavour, while 54% are a bit too spooked by the combo to slather it on their sandwiches.

🍺 Heineken is brewing up some chills with their eerie new point-of-sale (POS) displays! While 37% of Brits support brands embracing Halloween marketing, others are more hesitant—32% think brands should stick to normal ads, and 31% want a mix of both.

 

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