You read that right: Happy Thanks-Getting! That was the surprising salutation I heard tonight on the radio as Verizon advertised their holiday deals. They literally changed the word to Thanks-Getting and mentioned several times how thankful you will be for their hot specials, repeatedly mentioning how you can have the best ‘Thanks-Getting’ ever.
the SHOCK
My initial response was to think ‘What a strange accent the announcer has, I must not have heard them right’. However, by the third and fourth referral to Thanks-Getting, I was left with no doubt that they had altered the meaning of a national holiday built in the solemn remembrance of giving thanks for what we have while remembering those who are less fortunate.
the APPRECIATION
Now it can not be overlooked that this is a pretty good play on words from a marketing stand point:
- It is easy to remember,
- It is easily associated with the larger original name (Thanksgiving).
- It directs the consumer to an immediate understanding of the value they will receive.
From a marketing standpoint, this could be a home run. Or could it backfire?
Typically the biggest success stories in marketing are simple, one-word campaigns or quick jingles that easily associate you with the message or product, and when they play on an already popular phenomenon or event, they can easily pass straight through our rational thought and strike an emotional chord. Affecting our emotional sway towards a product before our rational thought process has even had the chance to ponder whether we agree or not.
Sometimes in fact clever is not all there is to it. When faced with the check list of what creates a successful campaign, we need to add one more box to check: is it the right thing to do? If we do not in fact check this box, society may not accept the witty campaign and in fact it could have an even more damaging effect.
the QUESTIONS
So after, the initial shock, and moving past the appreciation of a clever play on words, it is now time to let the questions play out. Here are just a few that ran through my mind:
- Am I off base and taking this too seriously?
- Is this really what most of America thinks Thanksgiving is all about now?
- Have we moved from focusing on thanks and appreciation to Thanksgiving as a mere kick off to the shopping season?
- Is this really just a clever marketing campaign or is it a sign that we have turned a corner as a society?
- Is this to Thanksgiving, what the Starbucks red cup was accused of doing to Christmas?
By this time, I am starting to feel a bit like Charlie Brown during the holidays looking for my friends to tell me what it is really all about. I can almost hear soft piano music in the background while I expect to hear a child’s voice talking through the true meaning of the holiday to show us all what to be thankful for. Then it would be the perfect ending to my night of questions.
which way will SOCIETY STRAY?
Of all the questions that got stuck in my mind, I keep coming back whether this is a clever marketing ad, or if it is a sign that we are turning a corner as a society. That answer will come in time. We will find that answer in the dollars spent at local stores. We will see the answer as traditions change and tables are empty tomorrow while checkout lines form. We will find that answer when we choose getting over giving. I hope we do not find that this is the answer just yet, for I do still believe that it is better to give than to receive, or in this case: giving is better than getting.
time for THANKS
In thinking through this, I have to ask myself: does it really matter? In fact, as much as we are surrounded by outside influences throughout our day, we can not allow those to change us in our core. Whether this is really a clever marketing campaign or not, can not change what I am thankful for. If all of society around me is racing to the store for their ‘Thanks-Getting’, I can still close my eyes and be thankful for what I already have: family, friends, health and happiness.
Whether it is a red cup, a cell phone ad or a friend nagging in your ear to hit the stores early: do not let the outsiders change you. It is after all, in staying true to ourselves individually, that we create our society as a whole.
Many of us will spend a few moments giving thanks tomorrow. Many of us will help those less fortunate than ourselves. Many of us will take a well deserved day of rest from the labor of our lives. And there are also many of us who will have to work and will hopefully find a break another day. My hope for all of us is, no matter what we do tomorrow, no matter what we are thankful for, that we look for more ways to show our thanks throughout the entire year.
I am truly thankful for you my followers! Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. Please remember to like and share so that your network can also add their input.
So I ask you now: Is this really just a clever marketing campaign or is it a sign that we have turned a corner as a society? Please post your answer in the comments below.
Andy Vargo is a motivational speaker, life coach and comedian who challenges you to ‘Own Your Awkward’. He is the author of the Awkward Journal series, host of the podcast, Own Your Awkward, and shares thoughts and ideas in his blog and video series available at awkwardcareer.com.
Originally published on Linkedin