The Holiday Police

Attention: Holiday greetings can only be sent at the end of the year.

Signed: The Holiday Police

So, just who are these Holiday Police who dictate when we can send holiday greetings and when not to send them? Who appointed them to rule over our holiday spirits? No one, that’s who, and just what does this have to do with Gratitude Marketing?

So open up your holiday spirit and send greetings to anyone at any time during the year. After all, there are holidays all during the year that you can celebrate with your family, friends, prospects, customers, clients, and even your staff. You can bring the joy and fun of holidays to others all year long, and you can stand out from the crowd who just celebrate the holidays at the end of the year.

You will stand out from the crowd and be noticed when you don’t follow a crowd. You will create some fun for everyone and maybe have some fun yourself at the same time. Why should you get lost in the holiday creating crush at the end of the year? Why should your greetings get lost among the hundreds of thousands that everyone receives? Be different and celebrate other holidays and help your intended recipients do the same.

There are hundreds of other holidays during the year. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate the birthdays of each of the US Presidents; what about Thanksgiving? How about celebrating Halloween? There is always April Fools’ Day. Of course we can be more serious and celebrate the Fourth of July, Veterans’ Day, or Flag Day. You can pick from dozens of others: Arbor Day, National Sandwich Day, or Labor Day. You can even be imaginative and invent your own holidays. I know a store owner in Portland who started National Underwear Day because he operated an underwear store.

For every well-known holiday, there are many others which are forgotten, just begging to be celebrated. You might be the only business who sends greetings to customers on Houseplant Appreciation Day, or Leap Day, or National Teacher’s Day, or Hammock Day, or Festivus. I’ll bet none of your competitors will do so, and your greetings will stand out, providing some humor to the world.

So stop doing what everyone else does. Stop following the Holiday Police. Use your imagination and march to a different drummer. Send someone a National Hot Dog Day greeting; I dare you. They will realize that you cared enough to think of them without any intent to sell them anything or upgrade their order. You just wanted to bring some cheer and light into their lives at a time other than the end of the year. You practiced some Gratitude Marketing and sparked some fun for them and for you.

If you believe that this use of Gratitude Marketing is too bizarre for business or “just isn’t done”, that is nothing new to me. I have heard it all. “That won’t work. That isn’t how we do business. That’s not serious enough. We have always done this the same way. Everyone else does it this way.” Those are the words of the people who cannot think outside the box, who have no imagination. Maybe we should fill Gratitude Marketing with Imagination Marketing and shock the world.

Call me at 360-314-8691, or email me at Jim@SOC4Now.com, or leave your comments here. I would love to hear what you think of this “different” approach to Gratitude Marketing. Tell the Holiday Police that you are trying something new and their rules don’t apply to your business anymore.