Cindy Lou Who, Go Back to Whoville...You're Too Early!

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The Grinch was shown on TV a couple of days ago; a friend on Facebook posted that fact. I played Cindy Lou Who wearing my own pink and green bathrobe in the third grade production of that enduring tale, but upon hearing that Whoville happenings had already descended on us put a damper on my fond memory.

On Halloween, I stopped at Target to buy candy for Trick or Treaters. One side of the aisle was haphazard with bags of candy scattered around by past shoppers scrambling for their favorites. The other side was being stocked with everything red and green, from yummy candies to seasonal coffees. The sharp contrast wreaked havoc on my psyche and took an ounce of fun out of Halloween for me, particularly when I had to ask a Target employee to move the large cart heaped with soon to be shelved holiday delights just so I could get through the aisle.

In the supermarket, I heard a Christmas song was playing. It was a catchy one, and I started to bob a bit and mouth the words. Then I realized it was a holiday song and …November 2^nd. My initial reaction quickly ceased, replaced by bewilderment.

My local hardware store, OSH, just sent an email with 20% off holiday décor online. I stopped by there yesterday to buy a few things and the Christmas shop was in full bloom at the front of the store, resembling a store within a store with lighted arches over the aisles. How festive!

Bah humbug.

Hey all you marketers; I’d really like to enjoy Thanksgiving. Will you please take a step back and allow me to be THANKFUL before I have to start thinking about a jolly man in a red suit?

Seriously.

I know marketing is important; uh, I do it for a living too. Consumers need to be aware of you and learn what your brand is about and what it can do for them. No issues with that! What I don’t like (and I’m sure many of you agree with me) is the shoving down the throat syndrome; pressuring us all to gulp rather than sip.

October through December represents BIG bucks for the retailers peaking with “I dare you to find a parking space” Black Friday. While I welcome the frivolous “gotta get a gift” spending since it contributes to the lousy U.S. economy, I wonder if we’ve lost touch with what the end of year holidays are all about. It’s not about buying gifts for people!

I’m not against the tradition of gift giving. And now, I have to admit there are alternative ways to participate in my share of holiday giving. No, I don’t regift nor am I a crafter. I DO peruse the sales of course, but I’ve found that shopping at garage sales, resale shops and vintage stores results in unique, one-of-a-kind items that can usually can be bought for a song. I’m not talking about 1984 shoulder padded blazers here, but focusing on items more ornamental in nature that suit the recipient’s décor, a gently used collectible book, or something more practical…would you believe I know someone that collects old waffle irons?

In other words, I frequent those sellers who have little or no marketing! I’m still spreading the wealth, right?

The point is that through the magic of marketing, we continue to drift away and lose sight of what the end of the year is all about. Personally, I will do my best to avoid anything associated with red and green until after Thanksgiving. Bring on the turkey and all the trimmings!

Well, Bob My Apple...Halloween is Almost Here.

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Does anyone know how the tradition of Halloween even started? I have a vague idea. Yeah, I could look it up, but my point is that most of us probably don’t know. And the celebration of Halloween certainly has changed over the years. There used to be some simplicity to it. Whatever happened to those little orange UNICEF boxes that we were given in school to collect pennies in…back when a penny still had some manner of worth to it?


Anyone bob for apples anymore? Has the apple industry even tried to revive this practice (hello marketing opportunity)? My brother hated apples; at a Halloween party where apples were strung from the basement ceiling for us to bite on (no hands) a banana was hanging for my brother instead! And oh yes, we stuck our faces in basins trying to grab those elusive mackintoshes too (no, not the computer)!

I also remember getting lots of complements when trick-or-treating for a witch costume I had. Thank you Collegeville! Of course, you simply went to Woolworth’s and picked something from the small selection there; a far cry from the numerous offerings at Party City or those pop-up-for-month Halloween shops that we have nowadays. Did you know that just in the past six years alone, spending on costumes rose from 1.15 billion to a forecast of 2.52 billion for this year.

Halloween is big business.

I don’t recall a lot of outdoor décor when I was kid, just dried corn on front doors and pumpkins.  Recently, when visiting friends, I was in awe from the ONE decoration they had; an inflatable black cat that nearly hid their house from view. The cat’s head swayed from side to side and lights up in the dark; a welcoming beacon for those who’ll stop by looking for a treat on Monday night.

And my neighbors down the street have at least TEN inflatables on their front yard. It’s a spectacle, with lots of people stopping by in the evening. In the last few years, it seems like my whole street is lit up on Halloween night and every year more kids are out. Last year, about 75 kids, mostly in small groups or with moms, rang my doorbell, set to an appropriate Halloween chime.  About five years ago, there were maybe six kids visiting.

Okay, Halloween did fall on a weekend last year.

Halloween IS big business. According to the Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey we spent 3.29 Billion on Halloween “stuff” in 2005. This year expenditures are predicted to be around 6.86 Billion. That’s more than double in just a few years; this is one happening that appears to be recession proof. And Martha Stewart, if you’re still darkening your home on Halloween night, as we recently heard, it’s okay to greet trick-or-treaters. Bake them a cake.

And what are YOU going to be this year? I may pull out the poodle skirt (no, not vintage but purchased at a costume shop), seek out some saddle shoes, tie my hair in a big pony tail and have an ice cream soda.