A marketer’s guide to Halloween

This year, 171 million Americans plan to partake in the festivities. It might seem as if the holiday is strictly reserved for companies that sell costumes, candy and party décor, but any marketers can get a taste of the Halloween candy haul.

Consumers are looking to have fun, show off their silly side and beat everyone when it comes to costumes, parties and pumpkin-carving skills.

Money spent on Halloween, according the NRF, will hit an all-time high at $8.4 billion—a $1.5 billion increase over the previous year. Breaking it down equates to $82.93 per average U.S. customer, up from $74.34 last year.

With money spent on Halloween increasing, brand managers must be equally aggressive in capturing the spooky hearts of partygoers who are looking for creative ways to get in on the holiday.

This year, 71 percent of consumers are handing out candy for Halloween, 49 percent are decorating, 47 percent plan to don costumes, 34 percent are throwing parties, 30 percent are trick-or-treating, 21 percent plan to visit a haunted house and 16 are dressing up their pets.