Does Your Work Follow Popular Culture, Christianity, or a Murky Mix?
While the first day of Fall was officially on September 22nd, the online and brick-and-mortar shops almost convinced me that Fall began back in August. 🙄 Pumpkin Spice Lattes, ‘Fall Y’All’ shirts, and frightening Halloween decorations were out in full force before the middle of September! While I know this is not a new trend, I wonder if I am the only one it irked ﹘just a bit. September (or maybe even August) begins a season of merchandising that includes candy, costumes, and decorations.
Let’s put the timeline of merchandise aside for a moment and consider something else — something that may make you roll your eyes or may make you stop and think.
So here is the question for you.
Does your business lead down a path of Halloween’s ghouls and witches each Fall, or have you positioned your focus on the theme of gratitude that comes with Autumn crops and Thanksgiving?
This question 👆🏼 may seem overly simplified or divisive, but that is not the intent.
As a business leader, you are in charge of the direction of your marketing focus.
As a consumer, you are in charge of the way your money is spent.
I am committed to working with Christian individuals and organizations, and while I love the idea of dressing up in costumes each Fall, I also want my work to honor Christian beliefs and values.
There are so many choices for companies that produce goods and services.
As a copywriter I am fully aware of the power that words have in getting products and services sold. Simply having something great to offer does not mean that customers will click ‘Buy Now!’
When you have an amazing product, you need to show people what it can do for them!
When you have a unique service, you need to show people its irreplaceable value!
Do your products and services mirror your values and beliefs?
There are also so many choices for American consumers today.
As a conscious consumer, your spending patterns say something about your beliefs. Consider the messages and beliefs that your purchases support in this season of Fall. It is easy ﹘and sometimes fun ﹘to buy witches and skeletons in the Fall, but that doesn’t mean they are the best choices for American families. It is eye-opening to think about how much money is spent, each year, on Halloween.
Do your spending habits mirror your values and beliefs?
What does it mean to promote Halloween?
Halloween is a holiday that has evolved over the years. It comes from an ancient Celtic tradition that was celebrated by Druid priests from October 31st to November 1st. It was a time to acknowledge the harvest from the summer and the transition into the darker months of winter. More specifically, this day was seen as a time when the barrier between the living and the dead was more fluid — spirits from the dead were believed to rise up and walk among the living. History.com has a great video about this. Halloween did not become a mainstream holiday here until an influx of Irish immigrants came to America. From those early years, it has risen to be an American tradition that grosses billions of dollars.
So, what message can be drawn from the merchandise and commercialization of this pagan holiday?
Early bonfires led to today’s Jack-o-lanterns and were meant to ward off evil spirits.
Ghoulish masks and other costumes were worn to confuse the ‘living dead’ who came back that night.
Do you want your brand associated with these beliefs?
Like most Americans, you have fun memories of Halloween trick-or-treating, right? I know that I do. I remember costumes that my mother made for me over the years, and have enjoyed the same tradition with my own sons.
And yet, today, as a Christian entrepreneur and writer, I have begun to reconsider the focus of my work and family traditions.
What if your work or personal time focused on traditions of gratitude and Thanksgiving instead of the highly commercialized Halloween?
What does it mean to promote gratitude and thankfulness?
If you do much digging online you will quickly see that billions of dollars are spent on Halloween, but there is also an impressive market for all things Thanksgiving.
The word GRATITUDE connects to thankfulness, and a desire to show appreciation.
Does your work focus on these tenets?
Perhaps a better question is, how can your work reflect these principles?
Autumn is such a stunning season. I encourage you to consider these points:
The seasonal crops of pumpkin patches and apple orchards have brought the word bounty into the common consciousness in America and Canada alike!
What merchandise could you create that taps into this beauty and sweetness?
The colder months of Fall and then Winter invite you into quiet moments of reflection inside your home, nestled under blankets with a journal on your lap.
Have you created books or podcasts that invite these moments of reflection?
The holiday of Thanksgiving brings with it delicious meals, but also a deeper emotional base that calls out to people around the world.
Do you have ways of sharing family traditions that strengthen this much-needed cultural shift?
In the past ten years there has also been an uptick in the number of Fall Festivals hosted by local farms, churches, and community groups. You can spend a whole day with your kids on hay rides, wandering corn mazes, and ambling through pumpkin patches. This focus on family time in the beauty of nature is something to be cherished.
Does your work or business tap into these seasonal traditions that also build up a wholesome focus?
How does your business change with the season?
Just as the leaves change from green to yellows, oranges, and deep reds, the shelves of stores all over America are constantly being swapped out for new merchandise.
So what changes in your stores and businesses as you head into the Autumn?
Do your regulars want to taste seasonal sweets and spices of cinnamon?
Do your shoppers want to see colors that match the world outside?
Do your clientele want to touch warm, luxurious textiles?
Do your readers want to hear stories of gratitude?
Let this Autumn be the season that pivots your focus. 🍁🍂 While your focus may have been set on the highly commercialized Halloween, I encourage you to choose something more fulfilling.
Create content that draws readers into the attitude of gratitude.
Stock your shelves with merchandise that promotes thankfulness.
Voice ideas that call listeners to question their spending habits.
Encourage consumers to seek ways to repay kindness shown to them!
In a culture of instant gratification, I am drawn more and more to a different way of life. I have chosen to work with companies and individuals who seek ways of blessing their communities.
In a culture that hypes up the ghouls and witches on Halloween, I am drawn to messages of gratitude for Fall Blessings.
If you are looking for a different copywriter to help create words that will bless your community, look no further. If you are focused on spreading messages of gratitude then we are a perfect match. I would love to hear how I can get your products and messages out there!