President Obama’s Thanksgiving dinner featured 6 different kinds of pie. I’m so jealous. I really like pie. The Obamas’ menu: Banana cream pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potato pie, huckleberry pie, cherry pie. Oh, yeah, and they had turkey, stuffing and some other stuff, too. I’m just going to let you sit with that for a while and salivate.
I can't even be mad that it's a vegetable...it's too good.
Michelle spent today welcoming an 18 1/2 foot Douglas fir tree to be decorated for the season’s revolving door of holiday parties, while Mr. President himself made a turkey sandwich and sat down to work on his upcoming speech regarding his Afghanistan policy. He probably also had some more pie. And thought about the state dinner crashers, presumably with a little chuckle. Pie does that to people. It makes you happier.
What does this have to with public relations you might ask? Truthfully, very little. I just really love pie and thought that it was awesome that the leader of the free world agrees with me. But let’s see if I can make this connect, if for no other reason than this is my last post for my class grade. Hmm….
Our country has a curious fascination with the goings on in the White House, what the President and his family do, and the traditions that are part and parcel of his position. We wait each Thanksgiving season to see our nation’s top elected official pardon a turkey. Yep, a turkey. We also can’t wait for details like the White House menus for important holiday and state dinners to be released. “Turkey and ham? Gee, maybe we should do that next year, honey.” Communicators can use this to their benefit, especially during the holiday season.
Here’s how: consumers don’t want to hear about serious issues in sombre tones, they want to hear fluff that lifts their spirits and incites holiday cheer. For nonprofits, especially, this can be hard. When the holidays are the season when need is highest, how do you get the average American to reach into their wallet and give up on a Black Friday deal in order to donate to your worthy cause? Well, you certainly don’t reach them with begging and pleas. You reach them by telling them what Obama’s favorite kind of pie is at the Thanksgiving table. Well, not literally, but as communicators we have to start thinking beyond the “we need – you give” mentality during the holidays. We have to find how to help our consumers “keep up with the Joneses,” or more appropriately the Obamas. If you can tell me how I can get the satisfaction of 6 pies on my Thanksgiving table by donating to your nonprofit, or make giving a family holiday tradition to rival Black Friday – I’m in.
Sure, that sounds easy. Ha. Here I go, off to change American holiday thinking! That, and eat some pie.
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