Summer might end on September 22, but Labor Day Weekend is the unofficial end of summer for many people. It’s also the last long weekend of the summer. And, in the cannabis industry, that can make a big difference.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Our analysis of cannabis summer sales trends found that long weekends often drive stronger sales. Summer Fridays, in general, see around 41% higher sales than the daily average of the rest of the year.&nbsp; &nbsp;Labor Day Weekend is the second highest sales day of the summer season after Memorial Day Weekend. Overall, by looking through Surfside data across millions of cannabis transactions from last year, we found that sales increase by 65% on the Friday of Labor Day Weekend compared to the daily summer average.&nbsp; &nbsp;Labor Day 2022 is right around the corner. So now’s the time to start thinking about how you can create the right strategy for cannabis consumers that are going to be in market around Labor Day. Here are three strategies for cannabis brands and dispensaries to connect with those buyers:&nbsp; &nbsp;<h2>1. Plan Your Big Sales for Friday, Not Monday.&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;On certain big cannabis sales days like 4/20 or 7/10, we can see a definite sales increase on the day of a holiday. That’s not true for a holiday like Labor Day, which falls on a Monday. When we analyzed the data from last year, we found that Labor Day sales are mostly flat, likely because consumers are enjoying the holiday, instead of specifically buying cannabis.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Friday before Labor Day is when we see 65% higher sales than the September daily average. This is an indicator that consumers stock up for the long weekend.&nbsp;Our Takeaway: Even a great discount might not be enough incentive for customers to buy on Labor Day. Offer a deal within the week before Labor Day, not just on Labor Day, to give consumers the chance to buy beforehand.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h2>2. Refresh Your Ad Creative to Make it Relevant.&nbsp;</h2> Holidays and major events are opportunities to connect with consumers who are planning something for that specific occasion. Before you launch a Labor Day ad campaign, consider refreshing your ad creative with relevant imagery and copy.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3EflDnUF6254BvF3dwXzXZK4HUpQgdGJFwcjvnp6i83YeAxOL4mUGjo4EWyLHAQCgLWR8Jc-QpYk83uVi_d6GHlQ3a-G6XzkVFlfcxfJq5z5xkcHyHKzgSd4VqYp0O3TSBByBXnY4N6EfIMlltA8nE"></figure>&nbsp;In this generic example, Surfside’s in-house creative services team shows an easy way to refresh your ad creative for Labor Day by changing the copy and adding a new graphic element to make it pop. The team maintains brand consistency by showing a clear logo and brand palette while highlighting the offer and product front and center.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our Takeaway: Personalization matters. Consumers that see a highly relevant ad are more likely to engage and convert with the brand, so when your ad creative speaks to an event that’s already top-of-mind for your audience, you’re likely to see higher engagement and more sales.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>3. Get into Market Early.&nbsp;</h2> You know what they say - failing to plan is planning to fail. Don’t try to rush through the planning and strategy part of your ad campaign to launch it in time. If you miss crucial details or your campaign is delayed, your ads will get into the market later than they should and you could end up missing potential sales.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;In our <a href="https://surfside.hubspotpagebuilder.com/summer-2022-cannabis-ad-planner">Summer 2022 Cannabis Ad Planner</a>, we recommend a two-week timeline:&nbsp;- August 18: Finalize your Labor Day ad strategy.&nbsp;- August 22: Start designing your Labor Day ads&nbsp;- August 25: Set your goals- August 29: Launch your campaign&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Our Takeaway: Start planning your Labor Day ad campaign now, so you can make sure that everything is ready to launch in time for your offers before the holiday, not just in time for it.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h2>The Returns of an Ad Refresh&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;When marketers change ad creative, we call it “refreshing” the ad creative. It’s an important best practice for all ad campaigns. Consumers often start experiencing ad fatigue when they see the same ad over and over and, after a while, you have to change out the ads for something new. It can be a challenge to think of new ad concepts to replace current ad creative, but seasonal sales opportunities like Labor Day Weekend can be an easy way to check all the boxes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Want to learn more about how Surfside can help with cannabis advertising strategies? <a href="https://surfside.io/demo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sign up for a demo.&nbsp;</a>

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