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Have you ever said…
“I’m going to start that on Monday”?
OR
In December, thought, “I’m going to make that my New Year’s resolution… I’ll start next month”?
Yup! Me too.
Whether it’s kicking off a new fitness routine, giving up drinking, launching an exciting project, or enrolling in a course… you name it.
There’s something about Monday that makes it feel like the right time to begin something new, isn’t there?
Like, somehow, Monday’s got this magical power to cleanse your procrastination sins and suddenly make you more motivated.
**I see you nodding your head**
BUT!! It’s not just Mondays.
Think about it… Monday, January 1st, or even the first of the month, they aren’t just days.
They’re symbols of fresh starts, moments when we believe we’re ready to make a change.
It’s why you see gyms jammed packed with new members every January… “New Year, New Me” resolutions are just psychology at play #sorrytoburstyourbubble.
Because this idea of “perfect timing” is something your brain loves to latch onto.
It’s a form of mental preparation, a narrative you create where that new cycle kicks in and it’s go-time.
It’s The Fresh Start Effect.
The Fresh Start Effect works because our brains love a good reset.
But not on any old day.
When you hit a big date, like the start of a new year, month, season, or even just a Monday, your brain gets a dopamine boost that makes you feel motivated and ready to tackle new goals.
These new cycles, or temporal landmarks, act as psychological “fresh starts”.
They help you mentally separate from past mistakes, giving you a clean slate to focus on the future… like shifting from the “old you” who binged Netflix to the “new you” who’s going to run that marathon… starting Monday.
Our brains actually prioritise and plan better around these specific times, which is why we’re more likely to stick to new things when started at the beginning of a new cycle.
Fresh starts, aligned with a temporal landmark, also helps lower stress by giving us a sense of control, like we’ve got our act together… at least for a little while.
It’s because this “perfect” timing helps you feel more prepared, boosting your confidence and commitment to follow through on your goals.
Weight Watchers (now WW) knows their customers inside and out, and they’ve got the Fresh Start Effect down to a science.
They understand that their members are most motivated to make a change when life gives them a natural reset button… like New Year’s, the start of summer, or even just a Monday morning.
That’s why you’ll see WW ramp up their marketing around these peak times, knowing full well that a fresh start is powerful enough to inspire someone to finally ditch the late-night snacks and get serious about their health.
Their weekly Monday meetings are like mini fresh starts too, giving members the chance to say, “Okay, this week, I’ve got this,” no matter what happened last week.
WW’s strategy is all about knowing when their customers are ready to commit, and they tie goals to specific dates (like fitting into those holiday clothes) so members always have something to aim for.
Plus, they’ve nailed the flexible mindset, reminding people that a stumble doesn’t mean failure. After all, there’s always next week’s fresh start!
The key here is to align your marketing efforts with moments when your audience is most motivated to seek change or improvement.
💸 PERFECT PRODUCT / SERVICE LAUNCH TIMING
Aligning product or service launches or promotions with these fresh start periods can help increase engagement. For example, launching a wellness product at the start of the summer when people are thinking about health and outdoor activities is more likely to influence positive decisions and drive action.
For new courses, launching at the start of a new month or a new financial or calendar year can tap into the same psychology.
💸 CREATE RECURRING CAMPAIGNS
Take advantage of regular fresh start moments by developing recurring campaigns that tap into customers’ motivations throughout the year. Weekly or monthly promotions timed around common reset points, like the beginning of the week or the first of the month, keep your brand front-of-mind when customers are naturally inclined to make changes or set new goals. This steady presence helps you stay relevant and maximises engagement year-round.
Monday.com knows that Mondays are when we all promise ourselves we’ll finally get our act together, so they cleverly run recurring campaigns that pop up just in time to catch us in that moment of motivation.
Their ads and emails cheerfully urge us to “Start your week off strong,” which is a much nicer way of saying, “Hey, remember all those things you didn’t finish last week? Now’s your chance!”
By hitting us when we’re most eager to be productive (or at least pretending to be), Monday.com manages to stay top-of-mind and boost engagement, especially when we’re mentally resetting at the start of each week.
💸 TAP INTO BEHAVIOURAL TRIGGERS AND DEADLINES
Strategically placing deadlines around fresh start moments, such as the end of a quarter or just before a new season, can heighten urgency and drive conversions.
By creating time-limited offers or aligning promotions with personal goal deadlines (e.g., “Start the new financial year on the right foot” or “Get summer-ready”), you can tap into customers’ natural motivation to achieve milestones.
This combination of behavioural triggers and timely offers creates a powerful sense of momentum, encouraging customers to act now and reinforcing their desire for a fresh start with your product or service.
Timing is everything.
So, when you’re planning your next campaign, don’t just think about what you’re offering… think about when you’re offering it.
If you can link your product or service to that perfect “fresh start” moment, you’re tapping into something powerful – that little voice in your audience’s head saying, “Now’s the time to finally do this!”
And if you nail the timing, the results can be game-changing.
It’s not just about launching something new… it’s about doing it when people are most ready to take action.
P.S!! Want to find out how you can get closer to your audience by learning more cool stuff like this… so you can become more persuasive and sell more? Here’s how I can help:
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THE fACE BEHIND “TAKE MY MONEY”
I’m a dog loving, tea drinking extraordinaire, and the ultimate geek when it comes to all thing’s marketing, consumer behaviour and buyer psychology.
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