Most people, even those who claim otherwise, like birthdays. They
provide an opportunity to take stock of one’s life, pat oneself on the
back for accomplishments, and give thanks for years past.

For marketers birthdays are an opportunity to
reach out to current, former, and prospective consumers. The message
might be one of congratulations and best wishes, but it’s also part of
a personalization program. It reminds the customer that you (and your
products) are there.

Birthdays are the interactive media equivalent of celebrating an
anniversary or holiday by tucking a catalog clipping of the object of
your desire inside a card.

Birthdays are perhaps most evident in e-mail marketing, as we often
have access to birthdates through subscriber profile data. Given the
challenge in e-mail campaigns of delivering a subject line and message
that escape the delete button, birthdays open the door to a friendly,
and usually welcome, correspondence.

Consumer birthdays are also an excuse to offer a one-time promotion,
free trial, or product coupon designed to encourage brand loyalty or
later transactions. Your local bar will pour you a free drink on your
special day. Ice cream seller Baskin-Robbins will serve up a free
scoop, and Applebee’s will give you a free dessert.

Through e-mail or a mobile message, hair stylists can offer a free
bottle of conditioner on a customer’s next salon visit. An epicurean
property might send a link to a recipe for a sumptuous birthday cake to
prompt a site visit, while a lifestyle site might do the same by
delivering a few teaser tips for planning the party. This sort of
approach is popular among parenting sites as well. Consumers provide
their children’s’ birth dates when opting in to receive age-specific
baby and child development reports, and publishers like BabyCenter mark
little ones’ birthdays with tips for pulling off a smooth celebration.

Regardless of the offer, companies make a point of making it
relevant, particularly to the consumer’s special day, individual
product or service interests, and time of year. Consumers love to be
treated to something exceptional, and recognizing their birthday
reminds them that you, as a company, care about them enough to gift
them with something timely and appropriate.

Continue reading here: Happy Birthday, Mr. Consumer – ClickZ.