27+ January marketing ideas for your business

14 min read

20 December 2024

New year, new you.

January is a metaphorical fresh slate—there’s something kind of satisfying about turning over the leaf on a whole new year. The Christmas shopping frenzy is over and it’s suddenly time to think about what you want to do for the rest of the year.

It can take a while to push through the festive fog, which is why we’ve pulled together a huge list of January marketing ideas to give you some new year inspo.

The biggest UK awareness activities in January

January is the month of no booze, long, cold, dark evenings, and finally starting the health kick we’ve been promising ourselves since…well, last January.

There are also some incredible awareness events happening throughout the month that aim to shine a light on the country’s biggest issues. While jumping on every awareness trend can be tempting, it’s a good idea to cherry-pick those most relevant to your brand and customers.

Here are some of the biggest awareness events happening in the UK in January.

Dry January encourages people to take a break from alcohol for the month. If your business has anything to do with health, wellness, or social connection, you can join the conversation by offering support, sharing mocktail recipes, or promoting events that don’t revolve around drinking.
Human Trafficking Awareness Month is a time to shed light on a global issue that many organisations in the UK work tirelessly to address. Partner with charities, donate a portion of your January sales, or simply use your platform to educate your audience about the realities of trafficking and how they can help.
Blue Monday, the third Monday of January, is often labelled as the “most depressing day of the year.” While the science behind it is debatable, it’s an opportunity to focus on mental health. Share tips for staying positive, promote products or services that support well-being, or run a campaign to lift spirits during the winter gloom.
Big Energy Saving Week in mid-January highlights practical ways to save energy and cut bills. If your brand aligns with sustainability or home improvement, this is your moment to share helpful content or spotlight products that make energy saving easier.

In this email campaign, see how wellness franchise Sauna House shares why they hold a soft spot for Dry January.

Source: Sauna House

Key themes for your January marketing ideas

There are a lot of obvious January marketing ideas—resolutions, new starts, health, and fitness, you know the drill. The difficulty is figuring out how to align these themes with your brand, products, and customers.

Here are some key themes to inform your January marketing ideas.

Health and fitness

With New Year’s resolutions in full swing, health and fitness dominate January. Gym memberships shoot up, people stoically try to stick to meal plans, and social feeds are filled with advertising from wellness apps.

Regardless of what you sell, this is the time to connect with people who want a healthier lifestyle by:

Sharing fitness challenges
Promoting health-related products
Highlighting your own New Year’s resolutions
Teaming up with influencers in the wellness space
Highlighting discounts on items like fitness gear or supplements

New Year, new habits

January is the prime time for habit building as people focus on self-improvement. This can include anything from mindfulness practices to decluttering their home (in fact, #CleanOffYourDeskDay takes place on the second Monday in January).

Help people celebrate their new habits and turn over that fresh leaf by:

Creating content around building positive habits (like free printables, goal-setting templates, and how-to guides)
Promoting products like planners and meditation tools
Running contests or polls to find out what matters most to your audience

Most brands can get involved with this—including pet brands, like Smalls, which set up a quiz for cat owners to figure out what healthy benefits their precious pets needed.

Source: Smalls

Financial wellness

Post-Christmas budgets can be tight, and many people are thinking about how they can tighten their purse strings over the coming months. Consider how you can help people set financial goals for the year ahead, like saving more or spending less.

Get on the budget bandwagon by:

Running campaigns around budget-friendly products
Hosting a savings challenge
Sharing financial education content
Offer promotions that help your audience feel like they’re getting the best value

Sports and active lifestyles

January is packed with sporting events, from Premiership football games to the Six Nations Rugby Tournament. It’s also a time when people look for ways to stay active despite the cold weather.

You can capitalise on the competitive nature of January by:

Tailoring campaigns to fans of big events
Promoting products like winter sports gear
Highlighting workouts that can be done at home
Sharing your predictions on upcoming sporting events

Self-care and mental health

Once the bright lights and festive cheer of Christmas are officially over, the darker, colder days of January can weigh heavily on mental health. January is a great time to encourage self-care by:

Sharing calming content, like relaxation tips or mindfulness practices
Promoting and supporting mental health charities
Spotlighting self-care products, like candles, cosy blankets, and bath salts
Checking in with your audience and helping them feel less alone

Vegan and plant-based eating

Veganuary has become synonymous with the start of the year, with plenty of people ditching meat in favour of plant-based plates in January. It’s a really good opportunity for food brands in particular to connect with consumers trying new recipes or making lifestyle changes.

Jump on the trend by:

Sharing vegan recipes
Running discounts on plant-based products
Showcasing how your brand supports sustainability
Introducing limited-time vegan products

For example, Notorious Nooch offered 24% off vegan products in January 2024, brought home with eye-catching visuals and enthusiastic copy.

Source: Notorious Nooch

Winter survival and comfort

A lot of people just want to get through January. It’s peak winter, so people are looking for ways to stay warm and cosy until warmer, lighter days feel less than a million miles away. The “winter survival” theme works across most industries, and you can get involved by:

Promoting sales of winter must-haves, like blankets, heaters, or warm drinks
Sharing tips for creating a cosy home or dressing for the cold
Pairing your marketing with images of comfort and warmth

20 top January marketing ideas

January overfloweth with opportunities to connect with your audience, inspire them, and drive sales.

Here’s a list of January marketing ideas to get your year off to the best start.

1. Run a “New Year, New You” sale

January is a time for change. People are ready to shed their 2024 skin and re-emerge as someone new. This means they’re often open to trying new things, which is a great way to promote new products, offer discounts on items tied to self-improvement, or launch online courses or guides that help people stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

Here, see how personal grooming brand Wilkinson Sword runs a promo encouraging people to get rid of the old and get in with the new.

Source: Wilkinson Sword

2. Embrace winter wellness

Cold and flu season is rife in January. There’s always something “going around,” and people are often looking for ways to boost their immune systems and stay healthy for at least a week or two.

Get involved by promoting immunity-boosting products, like vitamins and warm teas, or sharing wellness tips in your content.

3. Share a Christmas round-up

The festive season might be over, but you can keep some of the cheer going by sharing your Christmas wins. Consider highlighting your most popular product or spotlighting members of your staff who worked extra hard or raised money for charity.

In this email, Methodical Coffee shares a round-up of its bestsellers from the previous year.

Source: Methodical Coffee

4. Help customers get organised

The whole “new year, new you” narrative means January is prime time for decluttering and planning. Help shoppers clear their spaces by promoting organisational products, like storage solutions or planners, and sharing content about getting tidy and setting goals.

5. Nurture new shoppers

There’s a good chance you landed some new customers over Christmas and, now the frenzy is over, you can spend time nurturing them so they come back. Try running social media challenges to keep engagement high or creating a post-purchase sequence that introduces them to other products you sell.

Edinburgh-based brand Kudd.ly found that shoppers were buying their famous weighted blankets for winter—and then disappearing for good. To solve this problem, the brand created post-purchase sequences that educate customers on complementary products, like silk pillowcases and wellness accessories.

Source: Kudd.ly

6. Host a January clearance sale

January is a fresh start for you, too, and that can mean clearing out your leftover Christmas inventory. Get stock off the shelves by discounting classic winter items like coats, boots, and wrapping paper. You can always frame it as a chance to grab a deal before spring stock arrives.

7. Help customers save money

Money is always tight in January—no surprise, since most people clear out their bank accounts during the merriment of Christmas. But this presents a great opportunity to help customers claw back some money via affordable bundles, free shipping, or content about saving money.

Here, see how greeting card brand Porky Penguin share examples of personalised gifts in this Instagram post to offer free shipping on items throughout January.

8. Highlight sustainability

January is also a time for reflection. People may be considering their impact on the planet and looking for better choices. Help them out by showcasing eco-friendly products or highlighting any sustainability initiatives you’re part of.

9. Encourage indoor activities

Cold weather and empty wallets mean a lot of consumers spend January inside. Tap into this trend by promoting puzzles, games, and craft kits that can keep families entertained. Or, if you’re a food and drinks brand, share cocktail recipes and dinner menus people can make from the comfort of their own homes.

10. Run a “refresh your space” campaign

Lots of people focus on redecorating in January. They want to finish up all those niggly DIY bits and give their space a new lease on life. You can get involved by marketing home decor products, like candles and lamps, or creating mood boards and gift guides that introduce shoppers to your full range of products.

11. Celebrate Burns Night

The key Scottish celebration takes place on 25 January and is a prime time for promoting whisky, selling traditional Scottish foods, and hosting themed events online or in-store.

Here, luxury drinks brand Moët Hennessy Assemblage shares beautifully-shot themed Burns Night cocktails on Instagram complete with ingredients as part of their year-end celebrations.

12. Host a giveaway

Who doesn’t love a giveaway? This is a fun way to re-engage shoppers after Christmas and keep interest high. Consider offering a prize tied to January themes, like wellness or fitness, and use social media to spread the word.

13. Launch a subscription box

January is a time for trying new things, and many shoppers are on the hunt for a way they can stick to their new year goals. Subscription boxes are a great way to help them do that—they can receive monthly top-ups of their favourite skincare products or healthy food items to keep them on track. Consider offering special January discounts to lock in subscribers for the rest of the year.

Here, luxury department store Liberty London uses an Instagram video to share a deep dive into its January subscription box.

14. Promote small wins

Let’s be real here—January can feel overwhelming. There’s always so much we want to do and a lot of pressure to get it done. Instead of buying into the panic, help people feel good about their goals by selling small, feel-good items (like stationery or affordable accessories) and positioning them as “little wins” for the new year.

Other January marketing ideas include sharing your wins and encouraging shoppers to share theirs via email or on social media.

15. Run a back-to-work campaign

The work grind picks up after the holidays, and lots of people don’t feel ready for it after a couple of weeks of mulled wine and mince pies. Help them ease back in by promoting office supplies, professional clothing, or productivity tools that will give them the best start possible.

16. Encourage shoppers to explore hobbies

As January is the time to try new things, why not encourage customers to give a new hobby a go? Food and drinks brands can encourage shoppers to get into a certain type of cuisine, craft brands can promote new craft kits or online classes—the possibilities are endless. Anything can become a hobby if you position it in the right way.

17. Spotlight romantic gifts early

The next big shopping event is Valentine’s Day, and with a month to go, people will be on the lookout for the perfect gift for their loved ones. Consider promoting early-bird deals for romantic or self love-themed products, and sharing gift guides to help people decide.

18. Run flash sales

January can feel slow for everyone. It’s a good time to create a sense of urgency with some flash sales (which can also help clear out old inventory). Host limited-time sales on popular products to create a buzz around your brand or offer steep discounts to your most loyal customers to say thanks for sticking around.

For example, Canyon Coffee ran a limited-time sale on its products in the first week of January.

Source: Canyon Coffee

19. Promote gift card redemption

How many gift cards get forgotten about? According to research from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association, around 6% of vouchers and gift cards go unused every year. Help shoppers avoid this by promoting offers for gift card holders or offering a “gift card bonus” where shoppers get extra discounts or perks when they use theirs.

20. Partner with charities

People are often looking to give back after the self-indulgent Christmas rush. Consider donating a portion of your sales to a good cause or partnering with a charity to amplify awareness of their initiatives.

January marketing calendar: key dates to remember

There are plenty of holidays and awareness days in January to take advantage of.

A good tip is to add them to your marketing calendar and plan content ahead of time, whether it’s an educational piece of content for the International Day of Education on the 24th or a pie recipe for National Pie Day on the 23rd.

Here are some key dates to add to your January marketing calendar.

National holidays

1 January: New Year’s Day (Bank Holiday)
2 January: Bank Holiday (Scotland only)

Awareness days and quirky celebrations

Dry January (all month)
Veganuary (all month)
4 January: World Braille Day
17–23 January: Big Energy Saving Week
16 January: National Nothing Day
20 January: Blue Monday/Brew Monday
23 January: National Pie Day
24 January: International Day of Education
25 January: Burns Night
26 January: Australia Day
27 January: Holocaust Memorial Day
27 January: Chocolate Cake Day
28 January: National Lego Day
29 January: Chinese New Year
29 January: Lunar New Year
31 January: Hot Chocolate Day

Health and social awareness

National Mentoring Month
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Start the year off the right way

January is a whole new start. New year, new you, new ways to connect with your audience and set the tone for the year ahead.

Whether you’re leaning hard into New Year’s resolutions, tapping into seasonal themes, or planning ahead for upcoming trends, the key is to stay relevant and authentic.

Here’s what to keep in mind:

Plan around resolutions and fresh starts. Align your campaigns with the “new year, new me” mindset to engage audiences looking for solutions and inspiration.
Use seasonal trends. Highlight winter, goal-setting, or back-to-work themes to stay timely and relevant.
Focus on connection over promotion. Be helpful, genuine, and aligned with your audience’s needs rather than pushing sales too hard.
Experiment with new formats. January is a great time to try different content styles and product types, such as video or interactive tools, or subscription boxes.
Think ahead. Lay the groundwork for Valentine’s Day, tax season, or other early-year milestones so you’re ready to hit the ground running.

Additional resources for holiday marketing

Grow your business on your terms in 2025.

Try Klaviyo

Lizzie Davey

Lizzie Davey is a freelancer who specialises in helping technology companies tell compelling, engaging, and rich stories. She is proficient in SEO, thought leadership, email, and content strategy. Lizzie is based in Brighton.