It may seem a little early. But you know that old saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." As part of the monthly newsletters, I'll share campaign ideas several months in advance so you have plenty of time to implement your plans.
From July 1, these strategies will be part of the Premium Subscription and available in our Hospitality Marketing Hub, but for now, please indulge in our all-you-can-read buffet with my compliments.
The weekly marketing round-up newsletter will always be on-the-house
What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada that celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year.
Thanksgiving in America dates back to the arrival of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620 and their settlement in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After a successful corn harvest in 1621, Governor William Bradford organised a three-day feast with the local Wampanoag tribe, now known as "America's first Thanksgiving."
The tradition spread as a national holiday, with George Washington's call for a day of thanks to Abraham Lincoln's proclamation of an annual Thanksgiving celebration.
According to a recent survey by The Vacationer, nearly 29% of American adults plan to spend over $500 to travel for Thanksgiving this year. However, the rising food and travel costs due to high inflation affect many Americans' Thanksgiving plans.
As for hotel and restaurant trends, reservations for short-term rentals are up by 377% compared to last year.
Did You Know? $96 million is spent on stuffing, and 80 million pounds of cranberries are purchased.
When is Thanksgiving?
In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November; in Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October.
United States
November 23, 2023
November 28, 2024
November 27, 2025
November 26, 2026
November 25, 2027
Canada
October 9, 2023
October 14, 2024
October 13, 2025
October 12, 2026
October 11, 2027
How Do People Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated by gathering with family and friends for an enormous feast, often consisting of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and other traditional foods.
Many also watch American football games, participate in parades, or engage in other festive activities. In addition, some families have unique traditions, such as sharing what they are thankful for or volunteering at a local charity.
In recent years, some people have also started acknowledging Thanksgiving's history and its impact on Indigenous peoples.
Thanksgiving Customs, Food and Drink
The holiday is also often associated with orange, brown, and yellow, commonly found in fall (autumn) foliage and decorations.
Symbols
Turkeys
Cornucopias
Cranberries
Corn
Pumpkins
Traditional Food & Drink
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Cranberry sauce
Green beans
Pumpkin pie
Cornbread
Candied yams (sweet potatoes)
Pecan pie
Apple pie
Thanksgiving Food Trends
Some new Thanksgiving food and drink trends include
Charcuterie boards for everything from appetisers to desserts.
Apples and pears in drinks and alcoholic treats.
Takeout Thanksgiving meals or dine-in options
Gluten-free and plant-based Thanksgiving meals
Thanksgiving Social Media Content & Tactics
Here are some of the most popular Thanksgiving marketing trends for social media campaigns and how you can leverage them to boost brand awareness, increase engagement and drive sales.
Facebook
Use a Thanksgiving-themed Facebook cover or post template incorporating your brand's logo or name.
Share Thanksgiving recipes on your Facebook page to attract food lovers.
Create a Thanksgiving-themed cocktail or mocktail and promote it on your page.
Offer a special Thanksgiving discount or package for customers who book in advance.
Post pictures of your venue's Thanksgiving buffet or special menu items to entice customers.
Highlight your staff's favourite Thanksgiving memories or traditions.
Partner with a local charity and promote a Thanksgiving donation drive on your page.
Share behind-the-scenes content of your venue's preparations for Thanksgiving.
Run a social media ad campaign targeting people searching for Thanksgiving dining options in your area.
Instagram
Set up a dedicated Thanksgiving selfie area to encourage user-generated content.
Host a Thanksgiving-themed photo contest where your followers can share their best holiday photos and tag your hotel or restaurant.
Advertise a Thanksgiving-themed package with a special menu, accommodation, and holiday activities.
Use polls and sliders to get feedback on special offers and F&B options.
Showcase your hotel's or restaurant's Thanksgiving menu in an Instagram carousel with delectable food photos.
Share behind-the-scenes content of your staff preparing for the Thanksgiving rush on your Instagram stories.
Post testimonials from previous Thanksgiving guests to showcase the positive experience they had at your hotel or restaurant
Run an Instagram Reels campaign showcasing different Thanksgiving traditions worldwide and how your venue celebrates the holiday.
Pinterest
Create a Thanksgiving-themed board with decorating ideas, recipes, and entertaining tips.
Partner with influencers to share their Thanksgiving content on your boards.
Share recipes for Thanksgiving dishes that guests can recreate at home.
Create a board showcasing your hotel or restaurant's Thanksgiving events and specials.
Create a board featuring local charities and organisations that your venue supports.
Share photos of your venue's fall-inspired cocktails and beverages.
Create a board featuring local fall activities and attractions near your hotel or restaurant.
TikTok
Using relevant hashtags such as #Thanksgiving, #Thankful, and #TurkeyDay can help your content reach a wider audience.
Participate in social media holidays like the #ThanksgivingChallenge.
Create a Thanksgiving-themed dance challenge and encourage users to participate by offering a prize for the most creative video.
Showcase your Thanksgiving menu items in short and visually appealing videos to entice customers to come and try them.
Share pictures and videos of your restaurant's Thanksgiving decorations and ambience to excite customers about dining with you.
Create a funny skit or parody video about Thanksgiving and share it on your TikTok account to highlight your restaurant's personality.
Encourage customers to share their Thanksgiving experience at your restaurant by using your restaurant's branded hashtag and offering a discount on their next visit.
Twitter
Create a Twitter thread highlighting the story of how your hotel/restaurant promotes Thanksgiving.
Tweet Thanksgiving trivia questions and offer a prize to the first person who answers correctly.
Share a video of your chef preparing a turkey or other Thanksgiving dish.
Run a Twitter poll asking followers to vote on their favourite Thanksgiving side dish.
Tweet a link to your Thanksgiving-themed blog post.
Share a customer's positive review about their Thanksgiving experience at your hotel/restaurant.
Live-tweet your hotel/restaurant's Thanksgiving Day preparations and festivities.
Host a Twitter chat about Thanksgiving traditions and tips.
Tweet Thanksgiving jokes or memes about your hotel/restaurant's offerings.
Share a video of your staff expressing gratitude for their jobs and customers.
Thank your Twitter followers with a special Thanksgiving discount or offer.
YouTube
Create a Thanksgiving recipe video featuring dishes from your restaurant
Share your restaurant's story and how it celebrates Thanksgiving
Offer a Thanksgiving cooking tutorial featuring one of your chefs
Create a "Thanksgiving Day in the Life" video showcasing the hustle and bustle of the day at your venue
Share customer testimonials about what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving
Create a Thanksgiving-themed music video featuring your staff or customers
Create a "Meet the Chef" video showcasing the head chef and their Thanksgiving specialities
Host a Thanksgiving-themed virtual event and promote it through a YouTube video
WhatsApp
Create a Thanksgiving menu and send it to your customers via WhatsApp Business, with photos of the dishes and prices.
Offer exclusive Thanksgiving discounts to customers who book their tables through WhatsApp.
Host a Thanksgiving trivia game on WhatsApp Business, with prizes for the winners.
Create a Thanksgiving-themed photo contest and ask customers to submit their best Thanksgiving photos. Share the best pictures on your social media channels and offer prizes to the winners.
Send a personal message to your customers on Thanksgiving day, thanking them for their support and wishing them a happy holiday.
Partner with a local florist to offer Thanksgiving centrepieces for customers who book a table, which they can take home afterwards.
Create Thanksgiving-themed GIFs and stickers to share on WhatsApp Business status updates and in messages.
Snapchat
Send Thanksgiving-themed snaps to your followers.
Share exclusive discount codes or coupons with your Snapchat followers
Collaborate with local influencers to promote your venue on Snapchat.
Run a scavenger hunt-style contest that takes customers around your venue to find hidden items.
Use Snapchat's geo-filters to create custom filters for your venue.
Partner with a local charity to donate a percentage of your sales to a worthy cause.
Offer a complimentary dessert to customers who snap a picture of their
Thanksgiving meal and share it on Snapchat.
Use Snapchat's "Snap Map" feature to show customers the location of your venue.
Take-Away
As one of the most cherished holidays in the United States, Thanksgiving offers a unique opportunity for businesses to connect with their customers through social media marketing campaigns.
By staying up-to-date with the latest Thanksgiving food and drink trends and using them creatively in your content, you can drive engagement, increase brand awareness, and ultimately boost sales.
Whether through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, Snapchat, or any other platform, countless ways exist to connect with your audience this Thanksgiving and make a lasting impression.
Embrace the season's spirit and start planning your Thanksgiving marketing campaign today!
Here's to Your Success 🥂