Merry Christmas even to the marketers!

In the eyes of public opinion, we are the ones who, with the approach of Christmas, pulled everything out of the hat from the red-painted Coca-Cola Santa to the malls draped in fairy lights and the emotional albums of pop stars that can be hated about the holiday. We opened Pandora's box, which can no longer be closed, because it has taken power over us. Ergo, we are responsible by name and ID number for the fact that the holiday is about greenbacks, plastic-box desserts, and gift-bag cosmetics instead of intimacy. Is that really the case?

In 1931, the red-suited, friendly Santa Claus brought to life by Coca-Cola (and envisioned by Haddon Sundblom) marked the beginning of a 90-year-long and growing madness that generates record sales year after year for hundreds of thousands of manufacturers and retailers and drives millions of consumers worldwide to the brink of hysteria.

We could say win-win at the shareholders' meeting, but when meeting consumers, it's worth phrasing it a bit differently. From a purely commercial perspective, Christmas is the biggest of all Black Fridays, lasting nearly a month, during which many companies generate 40-70% of their annual sales. 

Before our more self-righteous readers set fire to the aforementioned stake with all the scoundrel marketers, including the writer of these lines, let's broaden the perspective and notice that, like so many of the plagues afflicting our age, from global warming to overconsumption to the dumbing down of humanity – we’re in this together – we created this sucking roller together with rock-solid determination and immense energy. Yes, with years of sacrificial work, renunciation, and perseverance, we have created a behemoth that we cannot dismantle even with combined efforts. 

So who is responsible?

Here it is worth pausing for a moment and marveling at the fact that life has written a greater superhero story than Marvel ever will. The spirit of Christmas versus all the consumers in the world, and for now, the latter is strongly in the lead...

In this gift tsunami are the company leaders who want to increase profits, the shareholders who applaud this, the media owners who give space to advertisements, the merchants who profit from this, the hypermarkets, the malls, but also the small shops and markets. And we are all consumers too when we buy the twentieth unnecessary Christmas light string or give and receive the thirteenth box of boring chocolates.

One can get upset about certain parts, as a journalist from a renowned economic magazine did, who condemned the many plastic gifts received from partners year after year. Let’s not question that if this holiday is about giving and love (in principle), then how childish is the behavior of complaining about the quality of gifts. One can condemn the whole thing en bloc and retreat to a yurt with a single candle, but the fact is that this is a global trend of which we are both the maintainers and the sufferers.

Let’s start by setting an example. There is so much talk about our company vision, our future outlook, and our non-profit goals. In this one month (or at least a small part of it), our marketing could be about someone who is doing something important but doesn’t have the time, energy, or money to communicate about it professionally. While saving the oceans is a noble cause, there is also much to be done locally. There are many foundations in our country that gladly welcome helping hands (these work excellently as team-building programs throughout the year).
There are no “sure tips.” We can collect gift-filled shoeboxes at the company level as Christmas approaches, but establishing a live connection with those in need is much more important – perhaps this is how we can truly experience and embody the spirit of Christmas and set an example for our community.

Whatever we do, let’s be authentic. It would be important not to abuse the holiday. Let’s not suggest to our customers that they should also paint fences, play discs, or buy squirrel-chewed cookies just because we do. Let’s not preach, let’s do what we think is right. The difference will be refreshing for our customers.

Obviously, this is not the only saving path. We must not forget that for many merchants and service providers, this is the most important season – those who serve real consumer needs. Believe me, there wouldn’t be so many singing Santa hats and glowing neon reindeer if they weren’t being bought. After a while, factories would switch to other, more profitable products…

Therefore, for those who are overwhelmed by all this and have been making Christmas trees out of cardboard for a decade, baking homemade gingerbread instead of buying candy, and gifting each other with kind words and hugs instead of trinkets, I suggest they tell their story, stand firm in what they do, and remain authentic – but do this without being condescending!

Let Christmas be about moderation in consumption and let this be reflected in communication as well!