7 things to avoid and be wary of in your Halloween PR campaign.

With Halloween a firm fixture in the events calenda – with costume dramas, trick-or-treaters, carved pumpkins and haunted house decor – it’s very easy for brands to get carried away in the midst of this commercial celebration.

So how can you engage your audience and ensure it isn’t a fruitless effort?

Here, Lucy Capaldo, head of communications at Champions marketing and PR agency, shares her expertise and shortlists the common mistakes brands make when trying to tap into Halloween…

1. Don’t get involved if your product doesn’t lean into this spooky-themed event

“One of the biggest things is making sure you’re not just jumping on a seasonal event because it’s there,” highlights Capaldo.

“So, if you haven’t got an authentic brand tie-in with Halloween, or something you can hook to Halloween, consumers will just see that as bandwagoning.”

Moreover, she says: “It’s deciding whether there is an authentic reason for your brand to be connected to that seasonal event, and then working out a campaign around it, so it’s authentic.

“Also, you’re not going to get any traction if there isn’t a reason. That’s the key thing. So, it won’t work and it’s a waste of time.”

2. Not keeping your campaign age appropriate

“Halloween is primarily a family and children’s celebration. It’s important to keep it age appropriate, so you’re not trying to shoehorn your way into a family-focused children’s event,” says Capaldo.

“And if there isn’t a good brand fit, then it will just fall on deaf ears, it won’t work.”

3. Don’t leave your advertising too late

“Start early. I always say this about seasonal campaigns and events,” advises Capaldo.

“Consumer magazines will plan months ahead, and if you’re selling a product, or even if it’s a Halloween event – lots of country houses do Halloween events or tours with light nights that time of year – you need to get in really early with the travel journalists, shopping editors or consumer journalists and get your products or events on their radar in time.

4. Don’t underestimate the importance of timing in the build-up

“I think Halloween’s getting bigger and bigger. And as a mum, my kids go crazy for Halloween – trick-or-treating, costumes, decorating the house, that kind of thing,” says Capaldo.

“The build-up to Halloween is getting earlier, like Christmas. I’ve seen some Christmas stuff already, and whilst we might hate it, other brands will be going earlier.

“So, you’ve got to get the timing right and do it a bit earlier because people might start decorating their house from September onwards. I think that’s a consideration… looking at the calendar, how it connects with autumn, and maybe you can get in there earlier, too.”

5. Not taking into account costs and sustainability

Capaldo advises: “If you’ve got a really good message around the sustainability of your product; or if you’re running some kind of Halloween-themed event, what are the sustainable messages you can put out there to give you a bit of differentiation?

“Things like costumes that are made from sustainable materials, and quite well made, so you can hand them down to other kids,” for example.

“Or is it an event where the profits will be ploughed back into the venue, for instance. Or say it’s a country house or something, will they go towards the upkeep of the house?

“I think for consumers that’s a really big selling point. I keep thinking about this as a consumer as well. I hate throwaway things nowadays, so it’s bearing that in mind and reading the room – what’s the current temperature?”

She continues: “People haven’t got as much disposable income, so they’re going to be a bit more careful about where they’re spending the money.”

6. Ignoring health and safety and fire hazards with Halloween costumes

Unfortunately, with naked flames on Halloween-themed tablescapes, tea lights in Jack-o’-lanterns, and sparklers comes the risk of costumes catching on fire, especially with anything synthetic…

In 2014, TV presenter Claudia Winkleman’s daughter Matilda, then eight, was injured at a Halloween event when her witch’s outfit brushed against a candle and caught fire.

“It was awful. And then Claudia Winkleman did some campaigns around fire safety with Halloween costumes.

“You’ve got to be thinking about the safety aspects,” warns Capaldo.

7. Being insensitive

“Maybe this is me again as a mum, but not doing anything too gory, shocking or scary,” warns Capaldo. “And making sure whatever you’re doing is family friendly.”

Stressing the importance of sensitivity, she adds: “It could be taken badly, or upset someone, in which case you could get a big brand backlash from that… something that was upsetting or insensitive you could really suffer.”

As Capaldo points out: “In this day and age, the general public have so many avenues to vent their thoughts on things like social media.

“So, if it doesn’t go down well, it will be really obvious; it will be widespread and it will be loud. So just being careful.”

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