People love their holiday traditions, whether it’s lighting the menorah during Hanukkah or decorating the Christmas tree. This can present a challenge to marketers during the holiday season as they try to be respectful and inclusive of all people’s cultures and beliefs. So how does one honor all people during this time of year? Here are a few tips to help you be true to yourself while being respectful of other beliefs and traditions.
Know your audience
As with all marketing messages, it’s critical to know your audience. If you’re a faith-based senior living community, it may be perfectly appropriate to highlight your faith in holiday messages. The key is to make sure everyone feels included. If you’re a Christian community and have a large, decorated fir tree in the lobby, and know of a Jewish couple living in one of your apartments, make sure you recognize Hanukkah in some way. Ask them how they would like to celebrate. If your resident population represents several traditions, celebrate them all and invite residents to help in the preparations. The winter holidays are a perfect opportunity to promote understanding and acceptance for all within the community.
Know your brand
If your mission includes providing an environment for people of a certain faith, honor that and name the specific holiday celebrated by your audience in seasonal messages. If you’re a Christian-based community, it’s perfectly appropriate to wish people a Merry Christmas. If part of your company’s mission is to include people with differing backgrounds and traditions, your communications around the holidays should reflect that. So a message along the lines of “We honor and respect all traditions and wish everyone the happiest of holidays” aligns with your brand. Knowing your brand will help you communicate your vision to people who may feel their traditions aren’t being honored. Being true to who you are is always the right thing to do.
Keep an open heart
If you come from a place of honoring and recognizing all people, regardless of faith or belief, you’ll likely send a message that will be well received. If you do encounter some resistance, honor that as well and simply explain your vision and values. When people understand where you’re coming from, they will most likely understand and feel better about being included in the wonderful tapestry of human existence.
All of us at IlluminAge wish you a most joyous holiday season.