Thanksgiving is next week, soon to be followed by Christmas and Chanukah. This time of year invites us to pause and reflect on gratitude. For those of us in marketing and communications, it’s an opportunity to share messages that resonate positively with audiences.
After an intense presidential election cycle and continued heated public discourse, many people are tired of the negativity. An October 2024 Pew study shows, “A majority of Americans (59%) say they are worn out by so much coverage of the 2024 presidential election.” A June Gallup report says that 36% of US adults have “no trust at all in the media.”
With all this negativity, how can marketers and communicators share their message, including addressing difficult topics, with the spirit of hope and gratitude?
A Historical Reminder: Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
We may need to return to Thanksgiving’s origins. To that end, I want to share one of my favorite examples of a unifying message during a time of division— President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation.
In 1863, in the throes of the Civil War, America faced division more far more severe than today. America's future and its soul hung in the balance, as the nation grappled with its original sin: slavery.
Earlier that year, the Battle of Gettysburg claimed 50,000 lives, a staggering toll. The war would continue until 1865 when General Lee would surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. But, in the midst of this violence, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation, calling on Americans to focus on gratitude and reflection.
He wrote:
I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
Here, Lincoln urges Americans to pause and reflect on the hardship, violence, and those suffering while being grateful for God and his blessings.
This Thanksgiving, as we sit in gratitude for our own blessings, let us also reflect on how we can contribute to unity and positivity.
Timely Opportunity for Positive Messaging
During the holiday season, a time focused on family, gratitude, and community, organizations can take a page from Honest Abe’s book and step away from divisive topics and instead share messages that inspire.
Five timely news hooks for your organization’s holiday messaging:
National Adoption Month (November): Highlight stories of families who came together through adoption
Thanksgiving and Gratitude: Give thanks to supporters, donors, customers, volunteers, and allies
Christmas and the Spirit of Giving: Emphasize peace, generosity, and compassion
End-of-Year Charitable Giving: Encourage tax-deductible donations!
Faith Communities: Highlight the importance of diverse faith traditions, including those that may have lesser-known holidays this season, such as Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu communities
The old saying “If it bleeds, it leads” guides news cycles, but marketers and communicators can take a different approach. This doesn’t mean ignoring hard truths, but instead focusing on the positive impact your organization makes. Uplifting narratives give your audiences a much-needed break from the negativity and connect them to your organization.
This Thanksgiving, let others focus on doom and gloom. There’s so much to be thankful for.
Photo courtesy of Photo by Gabriel Garcia Marengo on Unsplash
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