Autumn is here and, in most parts of North America, the leaves are just about ready to turn to shades of orange, red and brown. As the joke goes, pumpkin-spiced everything returns to stores near you.

So far we've started to see the pumpkin spice mania take its usual forms, with Starbucks offering its popular lattes and other drinks, while fast food chain McDonald's followed suit, pairing National Coffee Day offerings with their own festive fall menu items and "free swag" at locations around the U.S. Even in places like the "High Desert" area of Victor Valley, California and South Florida — areas where the leaves don't really turn — fall marketing and promotions are in full swing.

But it's not just baked goods, hot beverages, beer and even breakfast cereals showing up on your local grocery shelves that carry the cozy smells of the season. Just like summer, back-to-school and the winter holidays, the return of fall now seems to constitute an occasion for businesses to recharge their marketing efforts.

The Washington Post recently tried to explain how pumpkin-spice everything has transcended its seasonal flavor status to become an annual marketing occasion that is here to stay.

"The nostalgia surrounding the return of fall and pumpkin spice is hard to beat," The Post writes. "Combine that with the ultimate marketing tool — the limited-time offer (LTO) — and you’ve just created a must-have product." The Post also wrote that tying a special offer to a season or a holiday, for many businesses, tends to create interest in the companies as well as new product excitement. Emotions come into play too.

But what if "pumpkin spice" marketing ideas don't exactly fit into the repertoire of your customers? Well, fret not. The arrival of fall still offers opportunities for companies of all kinds to gain customers through some creative marketing.

One of the main sectors Idea Customs Solutions works with — distributors of promotional products, wearables, printing, awards, signage and more — can benefit greatly. Certainly, fall-themed marketing isn't just an occasion for big businesses to rally their customer base. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can also get into the game.

For this reason, it's essential to talk to your customers about what's going on in their businesses and see where you can add value.

Changing Seasons

Depending on what kind of small business you are talking to, the arrival of the fall season can mean different things. For retail shops and service businesses in a small town or college hamlet, fall marks the return of football. In some areas of the country, fall might just signal the nostalgia of seasonal activities like hayrides or outdoor activities like hunting or camping.

In both of these cases, SMBs can capitalize on autumn and the change of the seasons with wearable promotional products, including everything from warm outerwear to shirts that tap into the return of football and fan excitement much in the way that professional and college football teams and their vendors of gear and football-themed accessories do.

Emotional Connections

Don't forget that the fall months are also important occasions for women's health and health awareness. Specifically, the color pink and the iconic breast cancer awareness ribbon together have become not only a symbol of hope, but also a branding campaign that capitalizes on emotional resonance.

Likewise, businesses and institutions of all kinds have used pink to show their support while promoting their brands on everything from t-shirts and other wearables to product packaging as well as soaps, beer glasses and even one realtor's "for sale" signs. Whether your existing customers prefer pens, shirts, drinkware or desk toys, they can easily add visibility to their brand while showing support for a good cause by "going pink" this fall.

Distributors of promotional products don't just sell goods to businesses. Part of their job is also to make sure their SMB customers aware of trends and marketing possibilities. Whether it’s football, cooler weather or even pumpkin-spiced everything in autumn, talk to your customers about seasonal marketing opportunities. Look to Idea Custom Solutions as your partner for the vector artwork and embroidery digitizing you need to decorate items and graphic design for marketing materials.