I support the current popular thing but only enough that I don't offend anyone.
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We've all heard the expression "Trying too hard" and we typically associate it as being something negative. No one wants to look as if they're "Trying too hard" or be caught "Trying too hard". And yet everyone seems to believe there is virtue in giving your best effort. What's the difference? Why is "Trying" a good thing, but go just a little too far and it becomes bad?
We associate "Trying too hard" with a number of things. Maybe the extent of your competitive spirit is making everyone uncomfortable. Maybe you're trying so hard that the benefit is coming full circle and you end up doing poorly. Maybe all the extra effort is there because you're trying to mask that you're not very good at something at all.
At the end of the day, "Trying too hard" isn't about the effort or the performance or the outcome... it's attitude. "Trying too hard" is the number one signal that you are trying to be seen trying. It's an effort to look like you care SOOO much. It comes off as fake, and being fake is the cardinal sin for any business venture or individual looking to connect with others.
In many aspects of life, connection is key. Connecting between individuals forms your personal network. Businesses can connect with each other and form partnerships. Communities come together under common goals and interests, and in these connections there is a sense of trust. You cannot facilitate trust and connection while being fake.
Alongside trust comes stability. Businesses in particular do not like rocking the proverbial boat and will do what they can to maintain status quo so as to not make anyone upset. This means staying in the good graces of not only the other businesses in their network but also the consumer base that interacts with it. What the people want, the people get... within reason. You have a brand image to maintain after all.
Here's the problem... People hate stuff that other people love!
You quite literally can't make everyone happy, so who do you choose to make happy? Who gets left out? The efforts of staying in the good graces of the public is substantially harder than it looks. These days, companies need to be, cool, "Woke", trendy, and... professional. This struggle plays out yearly as seasonal events and holidays come and go, controversial or not. How do you balance that? Why bother?
How can a company stay in the good graces of the public through image alone? What are the benefits of doing so? And why can playing one side be a huge risk?
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Please love us
Being part of the greater community always stands to benefit a business, but the tricky part is how to be comfortable in that community without looking like you're, as mentioned before, "Trying too hard". There are obvious things that can be done; sales and discounts represent money saved for people and that's hard to pass up. The issue here is that people have shown that sometimes money isn't always everything, and they are willing to pay for something that they identify with more (or from a brand they feel better buying from), even if it means paying a little bit more.
There are brands which are built entirely on brand recognition and reputation. It's not about how much you save someone (though there is a very decent size demographic that loves that sort of thing), it's about how that brand makes them feel. This is amplified when it comes to seasonal events. Does your business temporarily rebrand with a fancy red and green logo for Christmas? Do your stores decorate for Halloween? Is that going to help engage your customer base?
Don't get me wrong, all the talk of "Seasonal Wokeness" is admittedly very formal. It can be extremely fun to have a workforce celebrate a one-per-year event! This is especially true if stores have limited time offerings. You can't go through fall without having everything covered in pumpkin spice or December without peppermint flavored offerings on all fronts. It's fun to engage in these sorts of things and it shows that businesses are willing to have at least some self-awareness of what's going on around them. All that said, these seasonal events serve a very clear purpose (make a mountain of money) and you'd be silly to think that there is not incentive behind these campaigns. Key in on a winning event and expect that it runs yearly. For you the buyer though, of course!
For other subtle ways to connect to the community seasonally, why not run a fundraiser or charity drive? Companies love to show they are trying to raise funds and give back to the community. It shows how "Woke" they are as far as the community's needs are concerned, and they'll gladly bank the good will for profit down the line. Sprinkle in a few commercials and well-placed social media posts from an expert marketing team and you've found yourself a winning formula to drive your brand's reputation through the roof!
Just don't get caught trying too hard...
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In good graces? Good!
So your team has put together a temporary new look for your brand and your store, you've announced to the world the effort you've put in, and you've put a plan in place to engage those that want to see what you're all about. Awesome! Now what?
Extra Sales and FOMO
There are a few elements at play that Seasonal Wokeness can drive as a positive for a business, some of which are more obvious than others. As part of your temporary re-brand, some of your products may have a different look (find a coffee shop around a major holiday if you need an example of this). It takes something that people find to be an ordinary part of their day and spices it up a little. Yes, it's fun, but there's marketing power to the scarcity of it all. Fear of Missing Out takes over and can drive the extra sales numbers as many rush to be part of the event. Why be part of it? Because in the digital age, being a participant is half the battle to looking cool.
Charity Engagement
Couple this with a temporary charity drive and you've pulled at the heartstrings of your customer base. Those that want to show their support have been given an avenue to do so by way of your store, website, or whatever else you have set up. It drives more people in and gets them to engage with the message your brand looks to promote. Plus, it's just really good for the causes that get supported!
Social Media Buzz
And of course, there's the digital marketing aspect. People (as I mentioned above) want to be seen participating. A company is being cool and "Woke", so if I participate, I can be too! Any way for a brand to have their logo, product, namesake, or likeness plastered onto screens is a win for the business. A couple hashtags, some well-placed posts, support from social media influencers, and a catchy marketing campaign can go a long way if you can get people to participate along with you. If people identify with your brand's seasonal push, they are more likely to spread your message (and do so in a positive light). This all helps to fuel hype for the next time the event happens.
Of course, this sort of benefit doesn't come without a risk...
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Let's pick teams
As I explained earlier, people can hate what other people like. The difference of opinion can be surface level or beyond, and that difference of opinion can turn people off of supporting a company seasonally or long term. Don't want pumpkin spice on your drink and don't want to fight the extra long line to get your usual? Maybe give it a pass. Sick of seeing Christmas decorations popping up in stores in August? Probably easier to just ignore it and go elsewhere. Don't want to buy into the hype for Valentine's Day, or St Patrick's day, or Easter? Put the proverbial blinders on and take your money somewhere else. This all goes hand-in-hand with the extra work that goes into the marketing team's bucket as far as designing a re-coloured logo and proper material to facilitate the "Wokeness" of the event.
It's one thing to buy in on a holiday, but another thing completely to consider the repercussions of going in on things that can be viewed as "taking a side". There are yearly events that take place that can and will split the aisle. Take June for example. This month has been adopted as Pride Month and is meant to be the month where we bring awareness and support up for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. I don't need to do much convincing in saying that there are people who do not, in fact, want June adopted in this way. As a business, do you change your logo as many others have to display the rainbow colour pallet for the month? On this side of the world, many overwhelmingly do (much to the chagrin of a few people I'm sure). Oversees and in some places on earth, not so much. It's a culture decision as much as a business decision.
These sorts of things have financial implications, and businesses only care about making money. Changes can signify support on an emotional and personal stage, but it's all boiled down into money lost and earned at some point in the process. This is the main takeaway of it all.
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Eyes on the prize
As much as I would love to live in a world where everyone was driven by supporting each other for support's sake, this is sadly not the case. A company is driven by money and only by money. Every other display of "Wokeness" or awareness is merely a tool used to drive that end goal. Companies do not feel and do not have emotion as people do, and every time you see decorations or social media posts or logo changes, it is important that you look past the human mask they put on and see if you can spot the machine working behind it. Is the support and exposure good for the cause and community they are highlighting? Absolutely! But that is not the reason why they're doing all the work.
It circles back to not wanting to be seen trying too hard. Push your brand to be so invested in any particular holiday or cause and you risk pushing away a group that could be part of your revenue stream. Is it petty and a bit of a bummer that we're at a point that people will take their money elsewhere over some colours and a few things plopped onto a store floor? Yes, but that's also just the reality of it all. How much are you willing to risk losing a portion of your consumer base to draw in the other portion? It's calculated risk. It's putting numbers to emotion and quantifying the gains and losses of being cool, or caring, or "Woke". It's up for businesses to decide what means more to them, and ultimately the best thing we can do as people looking at these companies is to be aware of what processes lie under the hood.
~IR
Does the company you work for decorate or change brand image for seasonal events? How do you make purchasing decisions based on these seasonal events? Or maybe you just have a comment to add? Check out the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn page and let everyone know. Don't forget to follow or like the page for updates! And share this article if you feel others should give it a read!
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