The new year always brings a new set of opportunities–and challenges–for new brand owners. Knowing the best time to take on these opportunities is essential to starting a new brand strong. That’s why you’ll need a new marketing in 2025; a reminder of the most important dates to prepare your next hype cycle for.
The Ultimate Marketing Calendar in 2025
While all brands focus on big holidays and special seasons, apparel brand owners also use the marketing calendar in 2025 to decide on their newest lineups. You wouldn’t sell winter coats during the summer or tank tops in the winter, after all. This look into the marketing calendar in 2025 will let you know what to sell, when, and what to expect for the next year.
January – March: Quarter 1
January to March is the transition from winter to spring season in many countries. Singapore will start coming out of its rainy season after January, while Western countries will usually remain chilly until March. This is the last opportunity to sell out thicker clothes–coats, sweaters, and others–from 2024 and trade it in with some lighter wear.
More importantly, though, Q1 is a continuation of numerous celebrations from Q4. The Christmas blitz is followed up by both New Year’s festivities and Chinese New Year’s red envelopes. Your audience will have a lot of money to spend, and a lot of places to spend it in, so it’s the best time to start your brand strong.
Here are the dates to keep in mind for this quarter:
- January 1 / New Year: A no-brainer celebration. If you sell accessories, flashy 2025 glasses or gimmick accessories will be great at this time, but they won’t last as long. Focus on posting New Year’s celebrations on social media platforms, and fishing engagement through New Year’s Resolution posts or questions.
- January 29 – January 30 / Chinese New Year: These are special occasions for Singapore especially, as many ethnic Chinese residents will be celebrating. Many people will be meeting family and giving and receiving red envelopes, so it’s a great time to market high-end red clothes.
- February 14 / Valentine’s Day: While not a national holiday, Valentine’s Day is a special time for brands, especially those aiming at a younger, more romantic market.
- February 28 / Ramadhan: The start of the fasting season for Muslims. Can often come with more marketing opportunities as families prepare for Eid Al-Fitr celebrations.
- March 31 / Eid Al-Fitr: One of the two major holidays celebrated by Muslims, Eid Al-Fitr or Hari Raya Puasa is the end of the Ramadan fasting. It can be a great time to market white apparel or other religious garb. The main focus is on posting celebrations for the season.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to prepare for most of these events by November 2024.
April – June: Quarter 2
The second quarter is mostly a Spring season around the world, while some parts will start moving towards Summer. The warmer weather comes with lighter clothes, brighter colors, and a more positive, festive attitude to the year. This is the cheeriest and sometimes lightest season in the marketing calendar in 2025.
Here are some of the dates to think about during Quarter 2:
- April 1 / April Fools: A light-hearted day where brands can start posting silly jokes and not be taken too seriously. Bring out the office clown for some wacky, shocking announcements for your company here.
- April 18 – April 20 / Good Friday & Easter: An important holiday for Christians around the world. Younger audiences might appreciate cheery imagery like the Easter Bunny, while older audiences like formal wear and religious commemoration.
- May 1 / Labour Day: A working-class holiday celebrating workers around the world. Great for apparel brands with more progressive audiences.
- May 12 / Vesak Day: A Buddhist holiday for Southeast Asians and South Asians. Think bright colors and lights for posts and celebrations here.
- June 7 (tentatively) / Eid Al-Adha: The second, and arguably biggest holiday of the year for Muslims. Most Muslim families will be getting together and giving gifts, so it’s a great time to promote sales and prepare clothes for travel.
It’s a good idea to start preparing for the more important holidays from January to February 2025 here.
July – September: Quarter 3
The third quarter is the start of summer vacation season for kids, which leads to a more relaxed vibe in drops. Many people will be going out on long trips and will want to look good while traveling. In September, the fall season will also kick in, starting a new wave of thicker apparel to prepare for the cold. This can often be one of the busier seasons in the marketing calendar in 2025.
Special dates during the third quarter are more sparse, but here are some to keep in mind:
- Mid-June to August / Summer Vacation Season: This is usually the start of most student’s summer vacations. Prepare to hype up summer wear for vacations.
- Late July or August / Back-to-School: With students preparing to head back to class, this is a great time to start selling formal outerwear or other casual campus outfits.
- August 9 / National Day of Singapore: Singapore’s Independence Day! A very patriotic day that’s usually perfect for special-day sales and deals.
You should start preparing for these seasons from April to May. This is usually some of the busiest times of the year for apparel brands since you’ll be preparing for numerous sales. You’ll also be preparing for the most important quarter of the year:
October – December: Quarter 4
The cold season might be in but the sales have just begun. Many brands make more this quarter than the rest of the year combined, making it extra important to prepare. Bring out your thicker apparel, and darker or more earth-toned colors, and start preparing for the holidays!
Here are some of the dates you need to keep in mind:
- October 20 / Deepavali: The Hindu festival of lights, and probably one of the most important days for Hindu believers.
- October 31 / Halloween: Spooky season! While not celebrated in many Southeast Asian countries, it’s still a good marketing day to post friendly ghosts or costumes.
- November 28 / Black Friday: A mostly American retail day where numerous sales for items go viral. It’s a time of promotions and a little chaos just before the real holiday season starts.
- December 1 / Cyber Monday: A follow-up to Black Friday but for e-commerce platforms.
- December 25 / Christmas: The most popular holiday, with many people from all walks of life preparing to give gifts to their loved ones during the season.
- December 31 / New Year’s Eve: Preparations for the next year. Great for fireworks and reflections.
Most people will start preparing for the holidays in this quarter in September, August, and even July. It’s a big moment for brands, and you won’t want to miss it.
Need help preparing for this marketing calendar in 2025? Check out Shirtual’s one-stop solutions for photography, production, packaging, and worldwide distribution. Focus on your brand–let us help handle the rest.
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