It just so happens that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving both happened to be on November 28th this year. To celebrate this phenomenon, many decided to call this day ‘Thanksgivukkah.’ You can bet there was a huge marketing frenzy surrounding this day.

For example, there was a 9-year-old boy in New York City that created a “menurkey,” a turkey-shaped menorah, and actually got the funds to created it from a Kickstarter campaign. Or Dana Gitell, who decided to trademark the word after snapping up the Twitter handle and creating a Facebook page. Even Los Angeles geared up to create a festival around this holiday.

Looking to cash in on this once in a lifetime opportunity?

Collaborate

Thanksgivukkah paves the way for people to buy products they normally wouldn’t buy, such as people who celebrate Thanksgiving buying menorahs, or a Jewish mother buying a cornucopia.

In the same way these people were able to take two holiday relics and mash them together, you too can do the same. Find a way to create a special version of your product by incorporating it with a holiday like Thanksgivukkah or other special times (remember when people freaked out over the impending doom of the year 2000?). Neiman Marcus collaborated with Target, and the two chains were able to connect with customers that otherwise would not have been able to afford their products. Finding ways to take advantage of special occasions will help you connect with potential customers that don’t normally purchase your product.

Play Hard to Get

Thanksgivukkah is literally a once in a lifetime holiday. The last time this time it occurred was in the 1800s, and it won’t happen again for another 79,043 years. This is a goldmine for marketers because it allows them to create all sorts of limited edition products. Think of ways to put a special spin on your product and make it even more unique. For example, perhaps you can take your tablet device and create special etched designs, creating only 100 of them to sell? Starbucks has seasonal coffees and tumblers that they sell during holidays, and they always go like hotcakes. The more unique your product seems, the more demand there will be, particularly if there is only a certain amount sold.

Create Sentimental Value

Surely, you must have seen those Hallmark commercials where people tear up or embrace a loved one after opening up one of their cards. Other special times can bring about one of those moments as well. Holidays are all about spending time with friends and family, and reminding ourselves of how grateful we are. Most of the products created for Thanksgivukkah had to do with special food items. Meals gather people together, right? So can your product, even if it seems a bit far-fetched. Apple products keep pushing FaceTime in previous commercials. Sure, iPads have lots of cool features, but they really tug at the heartstrings (and probably sell a ton of units in the process) when they show users keeping in touch with loved ones all around the world.

About the Author: This article is written by Ilan Nass, Director of Marketing at Fueled. Fueled’s talented tech people develop iPhone and Android apps.

Photo credit: Wikipedia