Everyone knows that one eyesore in the neighborhood who takes Christmas really, really seriously. Big inflatable Santa Clauses, plastic Rudolphs next to a cutout plyboard elf, lights that flicker nonstop and seem to penetrate through the even the thickest shades in your window, etc… In fact, some people love Christmas so much that they choose to keep their lights out all year long (I mean, they aren’t just being lazy, right?… Right?). The worst offenders though are those that choose to put up their Christmas decorations up the second the Halloween decorations come down. It’s a bit annoying to see in your neighborhood, but when you start seeing it in all the storefronts the second the Halloween decorations go on sale, it’s hard not to roll your eyes and feel the impending headache come over you. And why should big box stores or little boutiques be shoving Christmas down our throats when we haven’t even swept away the cobwebs? Let’s look at why making Chrismas your deal too early could be harming your bottom line.
Consumers
I know what you’re thinking if your a business that sells goods or services: the early you start advertising for Christmas, the sooner you can start drilling ideas into your consumer’s heads, right? Everyone knows that exposure can be almost subliminal, but when you make your customers go through a winter wonderland too early, you’re usually just ticking them off. Of course, there are some die-hards out there who just want to Jingle-All-The-Way but for most of us, we don’t see magic and Santa – we see our pockets about to be empty, and well, that’s kind of a bummer. You don’t ever want your customers to be walking through the store annoyed at the Christmas jingles replacing The Monster Mash, we need some time to breathe between the holidays.
It’s Tacky
Like the aforementioned tackiness of your next-door neighbor keeping Christmas lights up all year, it’s equally tacky for a business to post Christmas decore up in their store too early. It stops being about the season, and quickly becomes apparent that all your business is trying to do is line their pockets with the sudden flush of Christmas money income coming in – and that will make your business look like a total scrooge, and no one likes a scrooge (unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, then we kind of like you). The same goes for your social media page. Your social media shouldn’t directly talk about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. You can always mention “The Holidays” vaguely, of course, but that should be the extent of it before that time. However, a week or two before thanksgiving mentioning deals isn’t a bad thing, but again, you don’t even have to mention Christmas. Obviously, you want to mention Black Friday deals to your consumers on your social media page and on advertisements, but there is no reason your tweet or post can use the hashtag #BlackFriday or #Holidays or something along that line. People know what you’re talking about but you aren’t shoving it all in their face.
Their Are Other Holidays, Y’know
Yes, yes, Christmas is obviously the most bang for your companies brand’s buck, but one should understand that there are other Holidays to capitalize on and bring attention to. Thanksgiving is the most obvious one. It’s estimated that over 276 million Americans celebrate Thanksgiving every year. While many view Thanksgiving as a sort of “lesser” holiday (I mean, where are my Thanksgiving songs and the movies where the turkey saves Thanksgiving?) there is no reason why you can’t capitalize on the holiday. Thanksgiving is about celebrating family, being thankful for what you have, and eating way too much food. Why not feature some sales for Black Friday in honor of Turkey day on your social media or mention being #together for the #holidays and the sick #deals you can get after spending time with loved ones and learning what they really want? You still advertise for your brand, but keep it to what people want to see: togetherness, not emptying your pockets.
I’ll keep this short: Your storefront, business page, and social media pages should absolutely not have anything Christmas until the day after thanksgiving. Give the dead turkey his respect: I guarantee you it’ll keep your consumers pleasantly surprised, and your brand gets to remain to look classy. Happy Holidays!
