Stop Hijacking The Holidays

by Scott Howard | Nov 11, 2015 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

A message to retailers and marketing managers that are having a Veteran Day Sale today:

Stop Hijacking The Holidays

There are certain holidays that have dual traditions that include a time for merchants to sell their stuff.  Christmas, for example is a celebration of the birth of Jesus and it is also a time for gift giving.  Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day and Halloween are acceptable holidays for special deals, treats and stuff. 

But when a mattress store has a Veterans Day sale, it does absolutely nothing to enhance the meaning of the holiday. Same thing for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, and Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Now there are some companies that will observe the holiday appropriately.  I noticed that my nearest McDonald’s restaurant is offering free Extra Value Meals to Vets today which in my mind is acceptable and if I was a vet, and I was stopping in for lunch today, I would appreciate the gesture.

But to hitch your name to a holiday as a scheme to sell stuff is old school crappy advertising gimmickry at its worst.

Signed,  Consumers Everywhere.

Oh, and Happy Veterans Day with a Thankful Heart, signed Americans.