Easter is this weekend and the only candy besides chocolate that can be in the same sentence as Easter is Peeps! You know, the marshmallow treat that is shaped like a chick or bunny.

This amazing little gift has been around for 56 years! 1.2 billion of them are sold worldwide every year! And sales are INCREASING!

So what marketing lessons can we learn from these little gifts (and his company, Just Born)?

1. Take advantage of a vacation!

Peeps are most popular around Easter time. After all, its two most famous forms are chicks and bunnies. This is a great example of how to take advantage of a vacation.

Like I said before, peeps are the ONLY other candy associated with Easter besides chocolate. And to prove it, listen to this: On average, every American consumes 2.3 peeps!

You may not be one of them … but that leaves me more (wink, wink).

GOAL Easter isn’t the only holiday that Peeps maker Just Born has taken advantage of. They also sell cats, bats, and pumpkins for Halloween. They also sell stars for the 4th of July. And they also sell gingerbread men, trees, and snowmen for Christmas.

Talk about taking advantage of a vacation … in your case all vacations !!!

So my questions to you are: What vacation are you taking advantage of? What are you doing to increase your sales this Easter?

2. Test your market.

In 1954, Just Born became the world’s largest marshmallow producer. After testing their market for 5-6 years, they began to develop other seasonal forms (as mentioned above).

They didn’t just jump into these other shapes … they tested their market. Now, maybe it took them 5-6 years due to technology (1950s and 1960s) … but once they found their winner, they continued to expand their products based on what they were selling.

Two points I want to emphasize here:

To. You don’t have to take 5-6 years to try your product. The technology we have today makes testing quick and easy. Just don’t wait … technology will now pass you by if you pause for a second.

B. Just Born expanded its product line based on RESULTS. Without guessing. If they made money off a product, they kept doing it, as well as venturing into other avenues (like their new flavor this year … chocolate mousse).

So my questions to you are: Are you testing different products / services to see what your target audience wants? Are you listening to your audience and expanding where they want you to be?

3. Expand and redesign your business.

Just Born didn’t make Peeps when they started. They made chocolate. It wasn’t until they acquired another company, Rodda Candy Company, that they refocused their business on marshmallow treats (and jelly beans … which we won’t be looking at here).

You see, they found a product that people wanted and they reinvented their entire business around that product. Then they expanded that product line … and they still continue to expand that product line.

So my question is: How can you redesign your business for this new economy (aka the recession)?

As you can see, there are many marketing lessons to learn from Peeps and Just Born. They have stood the test of time. They have redesigned their business and expanded it based on results. They have taken more than a small glimpse into their industry (and around the world).

Are you ready to do more than just a peep? Hey, if a marshmallow maker can do it … so can you!