Halloween campaigns: ideas for a small business

Which Halloween campaigns are worth a look?

Heinz (2021) opened a pop-up store in Los Angeles and streamed a shoppable live show with influencers, with a costume kit made from its tomato sauce. What we like: it was not selling ketchup, it was selling the costume. What is hard to copy: the production. What you can copy: using your product as part of the party.

Tesco (2015) turned a supermarket into a “Spookermarket” with scares and recorded customers' reactions with hidden cameras, and also published videos so people could recreate the scares at home. What we like: the experience became content and the content brought people back to the brand. We think it works because it is honest about the date: it entertains first and sells later.

IKEA, in its “Fearniture” campaign in Italy, photographed shadows of furniture that look like scary creatures. What we like: a single visual idea, almost no text, with the product as the hero. It is the easiest to adapt: all you need is a good photo.

How do you bring those ideas to a small business without a big-brand budget?

The idea is to take the mechanism, not the budget. An experience can be a themed corner in your store; a live show can be fifteen minutes on Instagram showing your product; a visual idea can be a single well-thought-out photo. And we think something important: a small business gains more from a simple idea that fits its voice than from a big production that does not look like it.

How much does Halloween move in Colombia?

These are the figures from the Fenalco survey published by Portafolio in October 2025, the most recent national one we found. They help you understand people's interest, not project your sector's sales.

Where do people plan to celebrate?

If your business is not a shopping center, a restaurant or a costume store, the message is different: the date is a good excuse for people to think about gifting, sharing and going out.

• 26%: trick-or-treating with the kids.
• 24%: visiting shopping centers.
• 19%: themed parties.
• 8%: at school.
• 7%: at restaurants.

When is Halloween this year and what does it mean for your sales?

October 31, 2026 is a Saturday and November 1 is a Sunday. Because the All Saints' Day holiday moves to the following Monday under the Emiliani Law, Monday, November 2 is a public holiday: people who rest on Saturdays and Sundays get three days in a row.

Think about opening hours, inventory and WhatsApp support for those three days: if someone writes to you during the long weekend and nobody answers, the sale goes elsewhere.

And what should I post over these three days?

A simple plan with little material that you can produce with your phone. Adjust each idea to what your business actually sells.

How do I connect the date with ads and WhatsApp?

If you are unsure whether to advertise on Meta or Google, read which one suits your business.

• One ad with a single goal: that people message you on WhatsApp or buy.
• A pre-filled message with the date's offer, so you know which ad brought each contact.
• Your WhatsApp Business catalog updated with what you sell this season.
• A local audience, your city and surroundings, instead of the whole country.
• A small, steady budget instead of a single spike.

Which mistakes ruin a seasonal campaign?

• Showing up on the day with no plan and posting the first thing that comes up.
• Copying another brand's idea instead of starting from what you sell.
• Using music or images without permission: use the music the platform allows for business accounts and your own or licensed photos.
• Not deciding who answers messages during the long weekend.
• Not measuring: write down how many messages came in and from which post.

What if it is already too late for this Halloween?

Do the minimum you can still manage: announce your hours, post a reel with your product and have your WhatsApp replies ready. Then write down what worked and what did not, and build next year's calendar well in advance, starting with the next big date on the calendar.

If you would rather have someone organize it for you, at +Melo we plan and produce seasonal content for brands.