When most people think of Halloween-related marketing campaigns, the candy industry is probably one of the first things that pops into mind. With a presence on television, social media and even on the radio, the candy industry’s campaigns are as ubiquitous as candy corn, and no wonder – Halloween is huge.
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And with our nation’s economy  slowly staggering back to its feet, analysts predict that this year consumers will spend more in the weeks leading up to October 31<sup>st</sup> than they have in a decade. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2012 Halloween Consumer Spending Survey, total US spending for the holiday is projected to increase to an unprecedented $8 billion, the largest amount since the survey was started 10 years ago.  The overall popularity of All Hallows Eve is supposed to rise this year as well, with a record-breaking 170 million Americans planning to celebrate in some way. Such enormous market participation presents extremely attractive opportunities that are too good to pass up. Not wanting to miss out on the action, other seemingly unrelated industries have begun to take advantage of the holiday over the past few years.  Progressive Auto insurance has launched a “Dress Like Flo” campaign, encouraging participants to don the bright red lipstick and retro hairstyle of the company’s infamous fictional character and submit their photos online.  And through prominent Facebook “Like” buttons and constant pop-up ads, the insurance company makes sure to keep current and potential customers engaged with their brand. The auto industry has also tried to get in on the action, Honda being one example. In years past, Honda has put the spotlight on their fans and customers by creating a Facebook album where they could upload photos of Honda-inspired jack-o’-lanterns and share them with the world.  From candy to cars, it just goes to show that marketers from all backgrounds are keen to capitalize on the Halloween spirit, and with the haunted holiday’s growing revenue and popularity, this is one trend that seems to be less trick and more treat.
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