Did you know that Halloween is the third largest party occasion, after New Year’s and The Super Bowl? Halloween generates $2.5 billion in sales … $500 million are spent on costumes alone.

Wondering how you can make sure your coffee business gets a sweet piece of that treat? Here’s a little list of marketing ideas to get you started:

1. Donate coffee and refreshments to the radio staff at the biggest Haunted House (or hayride, or corn-maze, Halloween attraction whatever it is) in your area … you’re bound to get mentioned on air.
2. Really play on the “I’m a Zombie before My First Coffee” theme … how far can you take that idea and run with it?
3. Give away a free pound of coffee to anyone coming in on Halloween in a costume that ties into your branding, or whatever theme you choose … make sure you’re pretty specific on what the costume can and can’t be and don’t forget to take plenty of photos to post into social media.
4. Have a Great Pumpkin donation/giveaway contest:  For a $1 or more donation, customers get to enter their name in a giveaway of a giant pumpkin (proudly displayed in your shop until it’s won). All donations go to a local charity in the spirit of the season.
5. Host a Halloween Party … with contests for best/scariest/creative costumes of course. Try to get some neighboring businesses to join with you and make it a block party that the kids can go from business to business trick or treating.
6. Throw a Haunted Halloween Sale … from Midnight until 2am, 31% Off!
7. Promote a “Coffee Killer” video contest where entrants submit their “coffee killer” themed videos to your YouTube channel and the winner gets a very nice Grand Prize … like a trip to an origin country and visit to a coffee farm.
8. Send out a few costumed employees to hand out Free Drink coupons.
9. Decorate everywhere for Halloween. Don’t stop with store decorations, put Halloween stickers on to-go cups, give your website a Halloween touch, and don’t forget your email marketing campaigns … give them trick or treat discount codes. Get creative … draw a skeleton hand on the sidewalk pointing into your shop … or a chalk outline of a dead person with a spilled coffee facing away from your shop.
10. Give out chocolate covered coffee beans to any adults in costume on Halloween.
11. Why leave the gift baskets to Christmas? I say buy a few skull and pumpkin mugs and make up some Halloween baskets!
12. Have your baker make special pastries that are ONLY available during the last 13 days counting down to Halloween (Lady’s Fingers anyone?).
13. Create 13 Spooky Specials … for 13 days counting down to Halloween have a different Spooky Special of the Day.