Fall offers a fresh start for branding and marketing to finish the year strong

Emily Caswell

Summer is by far my favorite season, but I can’t help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement as fall rolls around. Trips to the cider mill, MSU tailgates, my birthday, my wedding anniversary — and most importantly — fall fashion are certainly contributing factors in that sense of excitement, but it’s more than that.

For years fall signaled the start of something new — a new school year. And while it’s been many years since I’ve been in school, that same sense of a new beginning hits me every fall season. It’s a weird dichotomy since in the business world, fall’s arrival signals that the year is near its end. There are still so many goals to hit, so much to accomplish and so much to prepare for 2026 that a sense of panic can set in when we realize we have about three months to do it all.

This fall, I’m going to approach these last two to three months differently. I’m going to tap into that new beginning feeling and not the sense of panic. Here are some ideas on how you can do the same.

Review your financial goals: An article from Forbes.com on the topic has some great advice when it comes to your fall financial goals. From the article, “The end of summer is a good time to assess the position of the business financially and plan for the future … You may need to cut back on spending to save for the lean months or increase your spending … as the holiday season approaches.”

Check in on your current marketing strategy: What you learn in your financial review may lead you to this step. If you started a new strategy or campaign at the top of 2025, I know you’ve been tracking results throughout the year, but you may wonder if it’s too late (or too early) to shift to a new strategy if you’re not getting the desired results. It’s never too late or too early to change direction. You may not have time to build a new 12-month plan, and that’s okay.

Instead focus on the next few months. Try a new message, try a new call to action, a new offer and/or lean into the upcoming changing seasons to shape the direction of your marketing. Be sure to stick to your brand standards to keep your marketing consistent and easily recognizable.

As the above tip alludes to, it may also be time to increase your marketing spend to secure your share consumer holiday and winter spending.

Plan ahead for the holidays: Speaking of the holidays, this was another tip from the Forbes.com article, and it’s great advice. If you’re like me and you always feel like the holidays sneak up on you, this is a great time to plan in advance. Along with ensuring your marketing is ready for the busy season, be sure you and your team are as well. Order your holiday cards, client gifts and start planning your holiday office party. If your business is like ours and requires special scheduling or planning for early deadlines around the holidays, now is a good time set that up too.

Focus on customer service: Another great tip from the Forbes.com piece has to do with focusing on the customer — a practice that’s in style every season. As we inch closer to the end of the year, certain habits like sending thank you cards can wane. Use the energy of the crisp fall air and the upcoming holiday season as an excuse to go above and beyond for your customers. Maybe even develop a special incentive or fall-themed gift for loyal customers.

Engage with the community: From the Forbes.com article, “With the approach of cold weather, people feel the need to get together, to be together, to share something. This means that fall is a perfect time to improve your business’s community engagement initiatives. Whether it goes to sponsoring local events, participating in charity events or even coming up with your own community events, it not only helps in creating goodwill but also helps your brand and your customers.”

Regular readers know the team at View Newspaper Group believes strongly in this tip. From hosting our own signature events to sponsoring events to attending networking events in every community served by one of our 22 locally-owned, community newspapers, engaging with the community is the core of our mission as Your Community Connection.

As an added bonus, engaging with the community also allows you to show off your new fall wardrobe.

Want to start fresh this fall and finish the year strong? Our team can help, contact me at [email protected].

Emily Caswell is the Brand Manager for VIEW Group, the branding division of View Newspaper Group.