Tuesday, January 19 is National Popcorn Day across America, with many of the major brands in comfort snacks staging promotions, from education programs in the media for the health of the snack to giveaways by brands like Popcorn, Indiana on the streets of New York and Los Angeles. Movie chains run online couponing for discounts for those attending films during the weekend, all to support the corn lobby and what could possibly be, with some air popping, a little butter and less salt one of the healthier snack foods around.
Still with some of the hoopla it seems like sports misses the boat. Here is a time for college sports, the NHL and the NBA, all of whom have popcorn as a staple on their consumer menus, to jump on board and stage some fun mid-winter promotions on line and in arena for a low cost staple to the in game ritual. Offer a discount or some free giveaways, work with an education brand to offer up some tips in broadcast, in arena or online, and maybe even have a little fun on air with talent or athletes and some popcorn eating. For those teams not in season, especially baseball, maybe it would have been a simple call to action with some couponing to remind fans in the dead of winter that the joy of summer is not too far away. Do a little giveaway with some street teams for fans, with a little gift for fans using popcorn as a reminder of the great days ahead of summer.
Alas, National Popcorn Day will come and go, probably a missed opportunity. The Tuesday following a long weekend is not great, but there is no reason the promo couldn’t be advanced or extended. Maybe it can be re-staged in the summer or spring, when street teams are not frozen to the core with giveaway bags on street corners. Maybe it is more relevant for some teams when they are looking for a little more added value if the season seems lost and tickets are more distressed. Maybe it’s even better tied to a specific brand of snack food, vs. just popcorn in general. Regardless, popcorn is high volume, low cost and an easy one to celebrate. Hopefully it makes it on to a few promo calendars next winter for teams. Now when is National Cotton Candy Day?
