Christmas, a time for Merriment and very little Social Marketing

Firstly, on this snowy Christmas Eve, the Rewarding Marketing Blog hopes all our readers have a very happy holiday time.

We'll continue to publish through the period, but we really are entering somewhat of a no man's land for Social Marketing. The time between Christmas and the New Year is traditionally a time when people cast off their worries, forget about the diet or curbing their drinking, and just look to have the best time possible.

This means any messages suggesting anything else will most likely be ignored and it's a safe bet that neither the NHS nor any other organisation, will even attempt to push them over the coming days.

Our previous article, When is the Best Time to Deliver Social Marketing?, touched on the subject, commenting on plans to influence drinkers on a night out, by suggesting that the hangover dominated morning after may be a better time.  It brings to mind the old maxim that, "Resolve is never stronger than the morning after the night before it was weakest".

So, I'm sure all good Social Marketeers will be ramped up to make the most of the festive hangover. The New Year always brings a great opportunity for looking to affect behavioural change. Not only have people often made resolutions to improve their lifestyle, they also head into a fresh year, looking for new beginnings. On a practical level too, after the expense of Christmas and the excesses in consumption, January is an austere month for most. A perfect environment to suggest cutting back or rethinking.

On Monday, we'll be publishing an article on a "moodometer" smartphone application, which helps sufferers of depression and anxiety, by allowing them to keep a diary of their mood. Something similar for New Year's resolutions may help them to be kept and I'll be keeping an eye out as the New Year dawns for if anyone's had that idea first.