How would you describe the holiday season?

Do you think it's about eating a meal with your family, exchanging gifts, or visiting family and friends? You could say that it is all of these things, but there is only one thing that they all have in common: the spirit of togetherness. It is about having a joyous occasion with family and friends and giving to those who you love. While this spirit is alive and well each year, more can be done for people in need and our planet.

The holiday season is a time for celebration, but it can also be a time of overconsumption — and waste. In a culture of giving, people are expected to buy things for others and themselves, whether it's a gift or something for their own pleasure. In fact, marketing campaigns and pricing strategies focus on heavy discounts around the end of the year and are often seen as manipulative, something that would use every trick to prompt customers to buy something they don't need. This unconscious shopping frenzy cannot be good for the planet, people, and animals.

Christmas shopping — Photo by Heidi Fin on Unsplash

But how can we turn the conversation around?

For some people, Black Friday is one of the only times they can afford to buy things they need — so don’t judge what’s in our neighbour’s cart. Calling out shoppers doesn’t help, and some even argue that it’s “classist, racist and sexist”.

While part of the solution lies in each one of us taking a step taking a step back, looking at what we consume, and asking ourselves if we really need to participate in these shopping events, the other and most important part of the solution lies in addressing the systemic issues that lead to this yearly hysteria.

For example, PrettyLittleThing slashed prices and offered up to 99% off on its Black Friday sale. According to noted sustainable fashion commentator Rachel Arthur, these ploys imply that “there are no costs or impacts in production (environmental and social), devaluing fashion and normalizing the notion of disposable.”*

How can marketing become both a business driver and a social change-maker?

Marketing holds a unique place in the modern world. It has the ability to challenge and shape perspectives, influence culture, and kickstart movements. The good news is that it is already happening. The world is changing increasingly fast, and so is marketing — Conscious Marketing can be a force for good in companies and the world.

“Conscious Marketing is about building something so fundamentally good and compelling right into the heart of your business, products and services that people simply want to join your business community to spread the word.” — Carolyn Tate

So what can you do instead?

In this festive season, we are celebrating Conscious Marketing. Here are 6 key learnings from Conscious Marketing to help your marketing be more intentional. These are mostly geared towards Christmas, but you can use them on other occasions as well!

1. Be a storyteller

Being a storyteller isn't just about being able to tell good stories. It's about being able to tell good stories in a way that connects with people. When you use the right language and tone, your audience will feel like they're part of the story — like they're experiencing it with you.

For example, the #BelieveInTomorrow Christmas 2021 campaign, run by the Austrian retail banking brand Erste Group, tells the story of a dad-to-be who is trying to make the world a better place for his daughter. The ad shows how the soon-to-be father can help reduce his impact on the planet by turning off the tap when brushing his teeth, recycling, cycling instead of driving, switching off unnecessary household lights and reducing the amount of plastic bags used for shopping. This Christmas commercial is not the first by Erste Group to leave a tear in your eye, following their successful campaigns in past years, such as Edgars Christmas and Little Hedgehog.

2. Donate part of your sales to charity/local communities

Instead of offering discounted product/service prices, you can donate part of your sale to a good cause. This can help deter overconsumption and support a local charity or community your brand is passionate about.

Alongside this, The Body Shop supported ‘Selfless Love’ — a 2021 Christmas campaign that ran to support unpaid carers and volunteers across the globe. Through buying their products online, customers were helping to fund £500,000, which The Body Shop distributed to charitable organisations across the world.

3. Embrace diversity

Whilst Christmas is a time for tradition, as both marketing and modern culture become more mindful of diversity and inclusivity, we’ll continue to see brands spotlight non-traditional ways to celebrate Christmas too. Looking beyond turkey and tinsel allows brands to create new and interesting narrative opportunities around the festive period and tap into audiences that have felt previously excluded from conventional Christmas celebrations.

For example, Lush and Feral Child created a short animation that tells a story about a young person named Aki in an enchanted world and embodying kindness, confidence, and bravery in your journey of self-discovery and acceptance of one’s true self. An interesting twist on the traditional Christmas ads.

4. Offer modest discounts with a goal in mind

It might be tempting to take advantage of the holidays by pushing out a lot of sales promotions. But that's not sustainable — and it can backfire. For example, if you try to sell too much during this time of year, people will start to associate your brand with the holiday season. That could make them less likely to buy from you when they're not thinking about gift-giving or other seasonal activities.

Whilst the practice of offering large discounts goes against everything to do with ethical consumerism, there is a way to do it whilst maintaining your ethical goals. Instead of enticing customers with mega deals and encouraging large, impulsive purchases, you can offer fair and modest discounts on a selection of your products/services. This way, you are still able to attract new customers who might not otherwise have been able to afford your products or services but also retain the loyalty of those who already buy from you regularly because they know that they will get good value for money. And, if you can do so in such a way that benefits everyone involved (including you) — then offering discounts becomes simple!

One great idea is to take advantage of the concept of reverse commerce or ‘recommerce’ — selling previously owned new or used products. Ikea is a great example when thinking of recommerce. “Every piece of furniture has a story to tell”, that’s the insight behind IKEA Life Collection 2022’s campaign. Accompanied by an acoustic cover of Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget About Me” — this film packs an emotional punch about second-hand furniture — which, to be fair, is a pretty impressive creative feat. Whilst it may not be a Christmas campaign, it is certainly part of the ambition of becoming “a fully circular and climate-positive business”.**

5. Promote your sustainability goals

Customers are making deliberated efforts to purchase locally sourced or produced items to support local businesses and reduce their carbon footprint. The important thing to keep in mind, and something customers look for, is that many businesses are exploiting customers' values of sustainability and positive impact by greenwashing their marketing campaigns. This is a distasteful way that brands are looking to cash in on buyers who care. With this in mind, you must ensure that your marketing campaigns are geared towards your branding and messaging. Reflect your brand authentically and showcase your practices during Christmas and all year round.

For example, Patagonia is certainly doing their part to give back all year round. The successful outdoor clothing brand has created a guide for its shoppers this holiday season, focusing on giving a gift that will last a lifetime. Patagonia is infamous for their durable outdoor gear, designed to be environmentally friendly, which they are focusing even more so on this Christmas.

6. Reward your customers for supporting your cause

A simple gesture can brighten up someone's day. Giving a gift is a great way to recognise your customers and contribute to a culture of appreciation, community, and kindness. It can also create lasting connections between you and your customers — and that means more loyalty and repeat business for you. If you're not already doing so, I encourage you to consider offering gifts to your customers as an incentive for supporting your cause!

For example, the ice cream company Ben & Jerry's offered free ice cream in Australia earlier this year (source here). It may sound too good to be true, but as a Certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry’s has always been active when it comes to social and environmental justice. To get your free pint, all you had to do was enter your details on this petition, take a screenshot, and present it at the scoop shop counter. Hence, you could do good and be rewarded for it. Whilst it may not be a Christmas campaign, it certainly does send a message to address social and environmental issues.

Takeaway: Conscious Marketing = Conscious Customers

‘Going Back To Normal Drake Meme’ by Futerra***

Whilst the holiday season is the perfect time to show selfless love and kindness, you should implement Conscious Marketing continuously, making sure that giving back to the community is not just a one-time thing to exploit once a year.

Don’t know how to do that? I tap into the power of Conscious Marketing to build a brand that inspires and gives back so that you can make a difference in your community. Whenever you're ready, here’s how I can help you.

Join the conversation here

I'm curious to know what other learnings and campaigns you'd add. Join the conversation on LinkedIn here, and let me know your thoughts and ideas. And if you know someone who'd benefit from this post — like and share, or simply tag them! Sharing is caring. 🧡

Need extra inspiration?

… And if you're looking for some extra inspiration, check out these other useful resources for entrepreneurs or anyone interested in making a bigger impact in their lives and work:

Special thanks: I just wanted to take a second and thank all of you who've been so supportive of me in my freelancing debut this year. It's been an incredible experience, and I really appreciate all the encouragement I've gotten from everyone. It means so much that you believe in me. I'm looking forward to what 2023 has in store.

Credits: *This amazing find was uncovered in issue 134 of the Reconsidered newsletter. Thanks, Jess! |**This fantastic find goes to the GreenPush community. Thanks, Alya! | ***This incredible find was uncovered in Reconsidered’s ‘8 Examples of Sustainability & Social Impact Communications Done Well’. Thanks again, Jess!

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, so if you choose to purchase something — and thank you for doing so! — I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You are essentially buying me my cappuccino with oat milk. Win-win. ☕🌱

That's all for today, and happy holidays!

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Until next year 👋

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