Hallowe'en & Bonfire Night Focus
This might come as a shock - though hopefully a nice one. Hallowe'en is now the third-biggest party date in the calendar.
Last year people in the UK spent £120m celebrating it - up from a paltry £12m in 2001. Scary statistics, and they clearly mean a great opportunity for pubs.
Sparkling fruit drink Schloer is one brand seizing the day this year, distributing special ghoulishly green point-of-sale (PoS) material to pubs and bars and encouraging licensees to make something of it.
"Hallowe'en has suddenly become the third-biggest event after Christmas and Easter," says Shloer managing director Mike Coppard. "The average household spent something like £65 on it last year, which is a pretty substantial considering it's only for one day.
"I think we've been influenced by all the stuff that goes on around it in the States. But people like any excuse for a good time and Hallowe'en has caught on because it's a good, fun event.
"Theme nights for events like this are a great way to get consumers into pubs - visibility and good use of PoS displays are very important to make it work, though."
Wychwood Brewery was associated with Hallowe'en well before it became so fashionable, and this time around it's sponsoring its annual pumpkin carving competition in association with The Publican.
"It's in the lead-up to Christmas, at a time when people are feeling slightly betwixt and between," suggests Wychwood spokesman Rupert Ponsonby.
"It's a chance to get your promotional brains together and really think about your food and drinks offer. It's also a good time to get your staff thinking about promotions and how they're going to make the most of them.
"Hallowe'en can be a very colourful event for pubs and something to enjoy and celebrate - and it's not expensive to do.
"We're hoping licensees hold pumpkin carving competitions in their pubs this year," he adds. "It's a bit of fun and adults can bring their kids and show them how to do it. The other bonus for pubs is that a carved pumpkin with a candle inside looks so good. It really transforms an ordinary pub into something very special, for as long as 10 days.
"Pubs are perhaps not making the most of Hallowe'en yet, but it's growing extra-fast. If you have things like 'extreme pumpkin carving' with power drills in your pub it's certainly something a local paper would cover, which obviously means more publicity for the pub."
One licensee already on board with the Hallowe'en opportunity is Elicha Pickering, manager of the Brook Green in Hammersmith, West London.
"We're holding a Hallowe'en ball on Friday 26, and the main attraction is a young up-and-coming band," she says. "We'll be promoting a new gin with a gin bar outside alongside a barbecue, apple bobbing, staff in fancy dress - and hopefully the customers will dress up too.
"Friday 26 is also the end of British Summer Time, so we'll be celebrating that as well. We've got a lovely Mediterranean garden so we'll have pumpkins, punch and candles outside.
"The pub I used to manage was in a small village, and Hallowe'en was a fantastic event, especially for children," she adds.
"They can have fun in a safe environment and adults like the chance to dress up too. Basically anything that stops it being just another Friday night down the pub is great."
