{"id":51227,"date":"2021-09-29T16:04:23","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T20:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=51227"},"modified":"2026-04-15T07:04:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T11:04:54","slug":"holiday-season-audience-empathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/holiday-season-audience-empathy\/","title":{"rendered":"Empathize with Your Audience During the Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"
(Sure, it’s only September, but brace yourself!)<\/em><\/h5>\n
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How many people do you know who can\u2019t wait to start playing Mariah Carey\u2019s \u201cAll I Want for Christmas is You\u201d the moment November 1 rolls around?<\/p>\n

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How many people start counting down the days until \u201cspooky season\u201d on social media, drink pumpkin spice lattes in late August, or head to HomeGoods for fall d\u00e9cor in 80-degree weather?<\/p>\n

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\"fall<\/p>\n

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No, this isn\u2019t a companion piece to\u00a0Bo Burnham\u2019s \u201cWhite Woman\u2019s Instagram,\u201d<\/a> but simply a timely opportunity to (1) highlight the overzealous excitement some people feel from the onslaught of fall and winter holidays, from October through January, and to (2) recognize that not everybody is into the ‘holidaze’ in the same way.<\/p>\n

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The holiday pile-up<\/h2>\n

For me, there’s a family birthday each month, September through December, with Halloween and Thanksgiving wedged in there, and then Christmas and New Year\u2019s directly to follow. For some, this also means Hannukah, Kwanza, and family gathering after family gathering.<\/p>\n

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For others, this time of year might mean\u00a0fewer family gatherings<\/a> and reminders of loneliness, pain, loss, or anxiety. Some just hate the reminder of winter, fighting\u00a0seasonal depression<\/a> or just a sense of gloominess as the weather changes. The fall and winter holiday season can bring the stress of finding gifts, preparing food, buying more food, dressing up for religious obligations, having New Year\u2019s Eve plans \u2014 or not having any at all.<\/p>\n

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The holidays can be joyous, but can also be less than pleasant for some people who may be wrestling with divorce, loss, financial strain, or familial turmoil. \u00a0Or maybe they just really hate pumpkin as a food, dislike costumes and decorations, or fear the color orange (cucurbitophobia<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Know your audience, holiday edition<\/h2>\n

Keep in mind that not everyone feels the same way about the holidays \u2014 even if, as in much of American culture, it\u2019s advertised and commodified in a particular way. For the sake of the employee or customer experience, it’s critical to know your audience from every angle and be inclusive of different perspectives, thought processes, values, and experiences. That will only help them to feel heard and will increase trust in you and your brand\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

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Speaking of culture, remember that not everyone is from the same background. Phrasing something from an American perspective might alienate international members of your audience. For example, assuming that everyone is watching football at Thanksgiving assumes that it’s a holiday everyone celebrates and that we all mean the same thing by “football”. Assuming that someone celebrates a particular religious holiday is a very bad move, and even the greetings you have in mind may vary by audience. Would your customers or employees prefer to see cards that read ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Christmas!’ or ‘Seasons’ Greetings’?<\/p>\n

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\"holiday<\/p>\n

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Being inclusive and empathic in how you lead<\/a> your employees and customers is good for business and your brand. Sometimes, during the mad rush of the holiday season, it can be more beneficial to convey a message of understanding, rather than add to the marketing noise that might irritate a segment of your audience. That’s why it’s so important to get a handle on who your target audience is<\/a>, and what they really<\/em> want<\/a> from you.<\/p>\n

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Be that comforting and understanding ear for your employees<\/a> and customers<\/a>, and who knows, maybe this year Santa (or someone else entirely!) will bring you the best CX and EX data you\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Sure, it’s only September, but brace yourself!) How many people do you know who can\u2019t wait to start playing Mariah Carey\u2019s \u201cAll I Want for Christmas is You\u201d the moment November 1 rolls around? How many people start counting down the days until \u201cspooky season\u201d on social media, drink pumpkin spice lattes in late August, or head to HomeGoods for fall d\u00e9cor in 80-degree weather? No, this isn\u2019t a companion piece to\u00a0Bo Burnham\u2019s \u201cWhite Woman\u2019s Instagram,\u201d but simply a timely opportunity to (1) highlight the overzealous excitement some people feel from the onslaught of fall and winter holidays, from October through January, and to (2) recognize that not everybody is into the ‘holidaze’ in the same way. The holiday pile-up For me, there’s a family birthday each month, September through December, with Halloween and Thanksgiving wedged in there, and then Christmas and New Year\u2019s directly to follow. For some, this also means Hannukah, Kwanza, and family gathering after family gathering. For others, this time of year might mean\u00a0fewer family gatherings and reminders of loneliness, pain, loss, or anxiety. Some just hate the reminder of winter, fighting\u00a0seasonal depression or just a sense of gloominess as the weather changes. The fall and winter holiday season can bring the stress of finding gifts, preparing food, buying more food, dressing up for religious obligations, having New Year\u2019s Eve plans \u2014 or not having any at all. The holidays can be joyous, but can also be less than pleasant for some people who may be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":5050,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,204,156],"tags":[176,351,241,385,560,550],"yoast_head":"\nEmpathize with Your Audience During the Holiday Season - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The holidays can be joyous, but can also be less than pleasant for some. 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