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MAY TRENDS REPORT: PRODUCT AND MARKETING IDEAS FOR MAY HOLIDAYS

April 6, 2021
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May is a time to celebrate! The days are warm and long, snow has melted in even the chilliest places, and flowers are everywhere. People shake off any remaining gloom from the winter and start looking forward to summer. May is a great time for print-on-demand businesses because people are always looking for new products to celebrate spring and summer. Here are some May trends you should take advantage of.

May Trends to Take Inspiration From

We thought it would be fun to focus on the lesser-known holidays in May for our May trends. If you want to learn about how to market and sell for Mother’s Day, check out our selling guide.

May 1: Free Comic Book Day

Start off the May trends with Free Comic Book Day. Free Comic Book Day celebrates comic books and their readers. More than 2,300 comic stores participate each year!

In 2001, retailer and writer Joe Field noticed that comic book sales rose with each new comic movie blockbuster for the summer. In Comics, & Games Retailer Magazine, he proposed the idea of Free Comic Book Day.

The first official Free Comic Book Day was in 2002 as a tie-in with the new Spider-Man movie’s opening.

Product Inspiration

Comic lovers have to have a way to hold their comics after getting them, right? Tote bags are perfect for this holiday. We have three different size options you can put your designs on. Your designs can have a comic book theme by using bright colors, bold lines, dots of varying sizes.

white arm hold out a white tote bad with "KABOOM!" in red with a yellow starburst behind it

You can also celebrate this holiday with wall art, that way customers can celebrate all year long. You can pick from posters, canvas, and even metal plates as selling options.

Marketing Inspiration

in 2019, Comic and graphic novel sales hit 1.21 billion. That’s a lot of potential customers.

Show off your products on social media, use #FreeComicBookDay when you post. Interact with other comic book lovers, ask them what their favorite book is.

Reach out ahead of time with emails and offer the tote bags as a way to hold all their comics as they shop. Maybe even offer a promo code for comic-themed products.

May 2: World Laughter Day

Who doesn’t love to laugh? World Laughter Day shows off all the benefits of laughing. It releases endorphins that make you feel good, ease pain, reduce stress, and make you grow closer to people.

It was founded in 1998, by Dr. Madan Kataria, a family doctor in India, as a way to bring people closer together. It also promotes peace and positivity.

Product Inspiration

People tend to celebrate this holiday with others, so take advantage of that. Make a funny t-shirt, mug, or even wall art, that way the laughter can last the rest of the year. There are many different ways to be funny, you can be silly, sarcastic, or even use puns.

Bright green background with a white mug with the word "Tea-Rex" in black with a dinosaur tea bag in green underneath it

Who doesn’t like puns?

Marketing Inspiration

Many people are trying to forget about 2020 and make 2021 the best year ever. Use that as a way of marketing your products to attract impulse buyers.

Make a joke and use #WorldLaughterDay on social media. Show off your products and ask your audience if the products made them laugh. You can even ask your audience for their favorite joke to have more interaction on social media.

May 15: International Day of Families

This holiday is organized by the United Nations and it’s meant to highlight the importance of family in international communities and society. It celebrates all families both traditional and nontraditional.

Product Inspiration

People tend to celebrate this holiday by organizing activities with their families. Try selling t-shirts that everyone in the family can wear. Offer customization so customers can put their names on the shirts.

Another product that would be great for this holiday is a puzzle with an image of their family on it. Not only is it a great activity for everyone to do together, but once it’s done, it can be framed and be a family photo.

A photo of a white family riding bikes in a field with the sun setting behind them

Marketing Inspiration

Focus on social media sites that adults tend to use more, like Facebook. Make sure to have ads and posts in place for at least a week before the actual day arrives. Do a family day-focused email a few weeks before and highlight customization as a way to show your customers your products can be a great souvenir for that day.

May 20: National Rescue Dog Day

This is one of the easier May trends to promote. National Rescue Dog Day is all about encouraging people to “Adopt, not shop.” It also spreads awareness about how important spaying and neutering your pets is.

Product Inspiration

Help people show off their beloved rescue dog. Home decor is a great way for people to show off their love every day. Create a cute image of a dog or a catchy slogan to make the perfect products for the day.

a white doormat with pink hearts all over it with "The world's cutest dog" in black at the top, underneath is a simple dog mouth holding a black bone, and underneath that "lives here!" in black and underlined

Marketing Inspiration

This holiday is easy to market for, just talk about dogs!

Ahead of time, create an email campaign explaining the holiday and what it means. Use the word “dog” somewhere in your subject line to catch people’s attention, and offer your products as a way to celebrate.

May 25: National Wine Day

National Wine Day is one of the last fun May trends to jump on. It’s a day to appreciate wine and the science and art of creating it. This is not to be confused with National Drink Wine Day which happens on February 18th.

A winery thought to date back to 4300 BC was discovered and is believed to be a place where wine was made. This is because scientists found cups and jars, wine presses, and fermentation vats.

Product Inspiration

Let’s be honest, who’s not going to drink wine on National Wine Day? Offer wine glasses with your design or a funny phrase about drinking wine.

White travel wine glass with a yellow crown above "Wine" in blue and "Diva" in pink, next to the text is a black wine glass that's half full

Maybe cross-sell a blanket so that they can curl up while they enjoy their wine. Imagine being warm and cozy while drinking wine for the evening. Sounds good to us!

Marketing Inspiration

Have fun with marketing this holiday! Show off your wine glasses on social media. Make sure that you have links that will take customers straight to your store. Social media, especially places like Instagram and Pinterest are your best bet for this specific audience.

May calendar with the holidays mentioned in the article