A Wren Says

Today is December 26. Which gives me time to reflect on the holiday of Christmas. And instead I am just going to rant. Thoughtfully.

I admit, I enjoy the Christmas greetings I receive from brands and see them as additional Christmas cards. Ooo, what message will they have this year? What picture will they use? I had already been pleasantly surprised to receive from a skincare a paper greeting card, along with a $20 credit to use by December 24. As I checked my inbox yesterday, it was full of Christmas day emails from a variety of brands. Many of the greetings were just, “Merry Christmas” and just kept it moving. Aw, such a pretty picture. A beautiful message. And while they included a link to their websites or encouragement to share on social media, the gist was to take a pause and thank the client for their support throughout the year and wish season’s greetings. However, other emails I received were just a push to get a jump shopping their end of year sales. That to me felt tone deaf. I try not to use the word lightly, but frankly it was offensive.

After a month, nay months, of encouragement to buy Christmas gifts with them, it was as if they didn’t want to acknowledge the holiday existed.  Though even just 12 hours prior they were telling their email list they could still send the best gift of an e-gift card in time for the holiday, as the clock ticked over, it was back to business as usual. And business as usual means driving sales by any means necessary.

I understand the desire to avoid offending those who do not celebrate the holiday (be it religious or other reasons) and the need to turn a profit, but could that not wait until the evening? Or even midnight? The next day? My family hadn’t even unwrapped their gifts yet, but I was already being encouraged to buy more. It just seemed odd. I’m not sure why these emails, which are no doubt scheduled, couldn’t wait until a time when many of us have had more than enough family time and wouldn’t mind the reprieve of online shopping.

This is a rant, yes, but it is also me questioning how brands thoughtfully cater to different shopping groups. In particular, how to best cater your approach around these peak gift giving holidays that are based in specific cultures or religions. While some seemed to excel in my eyes to complete the customer journey throughout the holiday shopping period, others seemed to try to capitalize on the holiday without following through with the human touch.  For me, in my opinion, this is a case study in how and how not to approach marketing around holidays. I am looking forward to the upcoming Chinese New Year to see if the same patterns continue.