Celebrate National Coffee Day with these buzzworthy SMS marketing ideas.

Whether you prefer your coffee iced or hot, with sugar or without, get your favorite mug ready. In the US and Canada, many will be celebrating their favorite caffeinated drink during National Coffee Day on September 29; if you live in other parts of the world, like the UK, International Coffee Day falls on October 1.

National Coffee Day (and/or International Coffee Day) is a fun and unique marketing moment to engage with your subscribers, drive in-store traffic, and boost revenue—even if you don’t sell coffee.

From conversational quizzes to exclusive “perks,” check out how you can make National Coffee Day an event that new and loyal subscribers will love.

‍

La Colombe: Gamifying promotions with two-way messaging

Cafe and coffee brand La Colombe Coffee Roasters took a gamified approach to National Coffee Day by quizzing their mobile audience of coffee enthusiasts using Two-Way Journeys™.

If subscribers responded with the incorrect multiple-choice option, La Colombe instantly shared a helpful hint or offered encouragement to keep trying. After completing the quiz, the brand rewarded subscribers with a limited-time discount code. They specified the discount details in the text message to drive urgency, and shared a direct link to make it easier for subscribers to claim their prize.

‍

Wren + Glory: Raising their mug to engaged subscribers

Wren + Glory saw National Coffee Day as the perfect opportunity to launch their new coffee mugs. The apparel brand—known for their painted denim—tied their timely mug launch to National Coffee Day as a clever way to introduce their non-apparel products and brew up some buzz.

The brand sent the early access offer to their engaged segment of subscribers—those who’ve interacted with their text messages before—and subscribers who’d recently opted in for SMS. This exclusive messaging (“before we tell the rest of the world”) made subscribers feel in the know, inspiring them to claim their mug before anyone else. 

‍

Raw Jūce : Perking up in-store traffic

Raw Jūce drove both in-store traffic and app downloads by offering a free cold brew on National Coffee Day. The day before, the juice bar chain announced the deal to SMS subscribers to build excitement. They also encouraged subscribers to download the brand’s app, where they could redeem their free coffee offer.

On the morning of National Coffee Day, Raw Jūce reminded subscribers to claim their reward with limited-time messaging (“today only”). Not only did these messages drive foot traffic, they also encouraged the mobile audience to discover new products and in-app offers.

‍

YSL Beauty: Showcasing coffee-related products

YSL Beauty took a different approach to the national holiday by promoting their coffee-scented Black Opium Eau De Parfum to their SMS subscribers. For one day only, the brand offered a product accessory and mini version with purchase of the larger bottle.

The seasonal image highlighted the key ingredient and elegant packaging, inspiring subscribers to click the link and learn more. By including a free product accessory and smaller bottle with every full-sized purchase, customers could feel like they get more value from their purchase while exploring new scents.

‍

Coffee Beanery: Boosting mobile revenue with flash sales

Coffee Beanery—an online coffee and tea brand—celebrated National Coffee Day by giving their SMS subscribers early access to their limited-time sale. SMS made it the perfect channel to communicate this time-sensitive “surprise,” since most of us tend to read our text messages right away. 

The vibrant GIF highlighted one of the brand’s best-selling bagged coffees and emphasized the promo code details. Customers could instantly use the relevant promo code for 29% off, a clever tie-in to the September 29 event. 

‍

Tips for other upcoming fall holidays:

• National Taco Day (October 4): Celebrate this tasty holiday by sharing a BOGO offer for tacos that subscribers can redeem in-store or with their delivery order. 
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 10): Highlight Indigenous communities that are making a difference, and let subscribers know you’ll donate a portion of every sale to organizations supporting and celebrating their work. 
• National Dessert Day (October 14): Help subscribers indulge their sweet tooth by offering a free dessert to enjoy with their next online or in-store order. If you’re not a food brand, try “treating” subscribers to sweet steals like a free gift with purchase.
• National First Responders Day (October 28): Celebrate frontline workers and encourage subscribers to shop by donating a percentage of every purchase to a charity that supports them.
• Halloween (October 31): Share a special “treat” with your subscribers via text messaging by offering a percentage or dollar amount off to help them celebrate.
• End of Daylight Savings (November 6): As the clocks fall back, invite your subscribers to shop a playful “25-hour flash sale.” Highlight seasonal clearance items and encourage them to shop before they’re gone. 

For more tips and key marketing dates, check out our 2022 text messaging calendars—one for Retail & E-Commerce brands, and one for Food & Beverage brands. And find more inspiration for National Coffee Day and other holidays in our SMS gallery, Texts We Love.