KEN BANKS’ BLOG OCTOBER 2019
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It’s that time of year when there finally seems like there is a break in the weather with lower temperatures and (thankfully) humidity. I always enjoyed autumn when we lived in Michigan and Germany, but there’s one thing that I’ve always been turned off by during this season. And that’s Halloween. Not that I didn’t enjoy trick-or-treating when I was young (and the chocolate high afterward) nor watching my kids and grandkids put on their costumes to prowl the neighborhood. Now that the barrage of Halloween Advertsing and events has started, once again I wish that we could change the brand that Halloween has become.
Sure it’s a $21 Billion sales bonanza for retailers and boom time for theme parks, movie theaters , and other venues—not to mention greeting cards and decoration companies. I simply think it’s time to go back to the roots of this holiday and rebrand it as a more positive celebration. After all it all started with a celebration back in the 7th century of All Saints Day on November 1st, followed by remembrance of the dead (All Souls Day) on the following day. Hallowed Evening was the night before as a pre-celebration of the next two days. Over the years, the celebration not only included our departed saints and loved ones but also angel, devils, and various other goblins. This has grown to a celebration of ghosts and goblins, zombies, various ominous creatures like spiders and bats, and acts of gore and cruelty meant only to scare the dickens out of everyone from kindergarteners to grown ups. I suggest we can still celebrate without “Hallow-screams” Haunted houses, and torture chambers to mention only a few deathly themes.
I say let’s rebrand the holiday into hallowed evening where we celebrate our ancestors who have helped make our lives better and the world a better place to live. Yes, we can still put on costumes to depict our past relationships (even if they were with clowns, princesses, and friendly dinosaurs) but let make it a positive event where we celebrate with those treats and parties and share the happiness of the event, instead of a frightening occasion.
Companies are rebranding their products all the time. GM has successfully rebranding Cadillac and Buick. Kohl’s rebranded its food stores into successful department stores with EDLP. McDonald’s rebranded itself from a burger joint to an every meal restaurant.
Gallo rebranded it’s cheap wines to a selection of fine affordable brands. Southwest taught us that low price flights also could set the standard for service and promptness. Rebranding doesn’t have to be something that marketers do because their sales and market share are slumping. Successful Branding is aimed at building a positive relationship with your customers. While our movie theaters and video streams are filled with violence and horror, there’s no reason to promote that in retail and in community events. Let’s find a way to keep the fun (princess and fireman costumes are cuter than zombies, (any day!) and create a new brand that remembers the good times and the people who made it happen for us. So, let’s get rid of the aspects of Halloween that frighten, scare and depress and rebrand it as the positive holiday that it was meant to be.
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