Every March, businesses seem to go under mass hypnosis in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. Websites turn green, shamrocks sprout from marketing material and email headlines, and discount codes like “LUCKY30” seemingly fall from the sky. Drinks that shouldn’t be toothpaste flavored turn green and minty, and nobody bats an eye.

Look, I loveeee whimsy.

My favorite web development projects are ones I can put bells and whistles on! I love hiding easter eggs only the most observant reader will find. But it’s gotta fit the brand.

A lot of holiday promotions feel like following some alleged duty as a business owner. Like you’re jumping through a hoop because there’s a hoop and hoops get jumped through. St. Patrick’s Day appears on the calendar, so you turn everything green because it’s the green holiday.

And I think there should be more thought put into it!

The Cost of Holiday Hoop Hopping

When you jump through a hoop every holiday, a couple things start to happen:

You Get Lost in the Noise

You join the masses of competitors coming together to all say the same thing.

"20% Off on St. Patrick's Day"
"Use Code SHAMROCK at checkout"

To consumers, it’s just noise. Everyone’s chosen 3/17 as the day to save.

Your promo isn’t memorable because it sounds exactly like what everyone else is doing.

You Train Your Customers to Wait

When you run every holiday discount, you train your customers to wait. If they missed your Valentine’s Day sale, why not wait a month until your St. Patty’s Day sale? Why buy in April if Memorial Day is just a couple weeks away?

Your customers start to only show up for you when you’ve got a promo. Your specials are no longer special, they’re just your average ticket price.

You Dilute Your Brand

Slapping on green shamrocks for a week says that your aesthetic is negotiable, your values are decorative, and you’ll be whoever the calendar tells you to be. You might be able to get away with it a couple times, but over time, you’re eroding your brand identity to “Hallmark holiday chaser.”

So, should you run the promotion?

Before you dig out the green dye, check your promo against these 4 questions:

1. Do you actually celebrate the holiday?

Does the holiday have an authentic connection to your business? You don’t have to be Irish to acknowledge St. Patrick’s day, but there should be a real, non-forced thread between the holiday and your values.

A pub? YES, absolutely. A garden center? Spring has sprung! A software company or dental practice? Hmm . . . maybe not.

If I explained this connection out loud to a customer, would they nod in agreement, or squint like I showed up to a funeral in khaki shorts?

2. Does your audience actually celebrate the holiday?

Know thy customer. Your regional audience, demographic, or niche community might celebrate something most folks wouldn’t — like Strawberry Ice Cream Day (January 15), and that might be worth highlighting!

Some holidays are deeply meaningful to a group of people and deserve some type of acknowledgement, but others are just noise — everyone celebrates them just cause.

Am I acknowledging something real to my customers, or just jumping through a hoop cause hoops are for jumping through?

3. What is your promotion meant to do?

“It’s a holiday” is not a marketing objective. A promotion should have a clear goal, whether it’s storytelling or moving slow-selling inventory, or acquiring new customers, or rewarding existing customers, or driving traffic during a slow period, or, my favorite: building community goodwill.

If you can explain (in business logic) why a promotion should exist, you might have something worth doing! If the goal is simply “to participate,” you’re jumping through hoops!

If this holiday didn’t exist, would I still find a reason to run this promotion?

4. Can you execute your promotion with integrity?

Customers can feel the difference between a thoughtful holiday acknowledgement and a theatrical cash grab. If it feels disingenuous, they will associate that emotion with your brand.

Would I feel comfortable if my top customer watched me while I put this promotion together?

An Example: Pinkwashing

“Pinkwashing” describes disingenuous marketing highlighting either Pride Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Brands that have never expressed support for LGBTQ+ folks or breast cancer research decorate their storefronts in celebration.

While it is a nice gesture, your customers are smart and can sniff out posturing for the public eye. Nobody likes a fake friend!

It’s ok to not celebrate a holiday. Choose what makes sense based on your legitimate brand values.

When the answer is “no promo” . . .

Deciding not to run a promotion isn’t the same as ignoring the calendar. You can still acknowledge the day in a way that builds brand equity and community goodwill. Some ideas:

Make a Simple, Human Acknowledgment

Maybe post a photo of your real team with a short caption. No discount code required.

Lean into what you actually stand for. There might even be overlap with the holiday!

Or, Say Nothing

Staying quiet is the underrated option. When you don’t chase every holiday trend, you’re telling your customers that you’re confident enough in what you do to not need a calendar to tell you how to show up.

Restraint is a statement.

When the answer is “yes promo” . . .

Make a Concrete Offer

Your promo should provide genuine value or an experience your customers will remember. It should have a clear window of when it’s available, instead of running for weeks on end.

Track It

Measure it, measure it, measure it! Set up clean analytics before you start your promotion so you can tell if your hard work moved any needles for your business.

Stay True To You

Your promotion should sound like you. Your customers should be able to feel your brand character even through shamrock confetti.

Holidays are meant to be fun!

There’s no obligation but there might be opportunity.

Choose deliberately and keep your whimsy.

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