With the arrival of the holiday season, it's time for the memorable end-of-the-year advertising campaigns and familiar music to hit the airwaves. Our TV's, radios, and computer/tablet/smartphone screens will be bombarded by reminders of the season. Since I've been honored to share several inspiring series on my blog over the last year including my #FallBacktoReadingSeries, #SpringLeadershipSeries, and #OlympicsLeadershipSeries, I'm going to end the year with my #HolidayLeadershipSeries.
I've asked 10 thought leaders the same five questions so that they can share their expertise as it pertains to leadership and marketing specifically during the holiday season. To begin the series and also get into the holiday spirit, my responses to the questions follow below.
However, before we begin, let's recognize the holidays that begin the traditional end-of-the-year holiday season: Halloween and Día de los Muertos.
According to History.com, "Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities including trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating treats."
According to History.com, "The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration. A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture, the holiday is celebrated each year from October 31 to November 2...Though the particular customs and scale of Day of the Dead celebrations continue to evolve, the heart of the holiday has remained the same over thousands of years. It's an occasion for remembering and celebrating those who have passed on from this world, while at the same time portraying death in a more positive light, as a natural part of the human experience."
QUESTION: What BRAND or PRODUCT is the most memorable during the holiday season?
DEBBIE LASKEY: My favorite holiday brand is NORAD. Read more from its website:
"The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a United States and Canada bi-national organization which defends the homeland through aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for North America. Aerospace warning includes the monitoring of man-made objects in space, and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands...Headquartered in Colorado, NORAD's mission has evolved over the years to meet changing threats. Through outstanding bi-national cooperation, NORAD has proven itself effective in its roles of watching, warning, and responding. The men and women of NORAD are constantly watching the skies and waterways of the United States and Canada.
The modern tradition of tracking Santa began in 1955 when a young child accidentally dialed the unlisted phone number of the CONAD Operations Center (the predecessor of NORAD) upon seeing a newspaper ad telling kids to call Santa. The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, answered the phone and instructed his staff to check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole.
Thus, a tradition was born, and every year since, NORAD has reported Santa's location on December 24 to millions of children and families across the globe. Every Christmas Eve, thousands of volunteers staff telephones and computers to answer calls and emails from children around the world. Live updates are provided through the NORAD Tracks Santa Website (in seven languages), over telephone lines, and by email to keep curious children and their families informed about Santa's whereabouts and if it's time to get to bed.
Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Website receives nearly nine million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers receive more than 12,000 emails and more than 70,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the world. NORAD Tracks Santa has become a magical and global phenomenon, delighting generations of families everywhere and is funded through generous contributions that cover everything from computer servers, website design, video imaging, Santa's tracking map, and telephone services."
QUESTION: What is your favorite holiday ADVERTISEMENT?
DEBBIE LASKEY: This print ad from 1993 was timeless with its "Ingle Ells, Ingle Ells. The holidays aren't the same with J&B." It reminded marketers to try different spellings of their brand names for effective and compelling storytelling. The ad was timeless because it referenced the famous holiday song JINGLE BELLS while also incorporating it into the brand's name.
QUESTION: What is your favorite PIECE OF MUSIC or SONG during the holiday season?
DEBBIE LASKEY: While melodies such as Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and "The Christmas Song" also known as its first line "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" sung by Nat King Cole are timeless (and everyone can hum them), my favorite holiday song is JINGLE BELL ROCK, because it was a repackaged rock version of JINGLE BELLS.
(Listen here: https://youtu.be/7jnGgdDhjAo?si=yx7c9XYcvmHeJR3W)
QUESTION: Whose PERSONAL BRAND stands out during the holidays? (Think outside the box and no religious choices.)
DEBBIE LASKEY: My choice is Queen Elizabeth, who, during her record-breaking 70-year reign, gave an annual Christmas message to her subjects to uplift them.
According to GoldenTours.com, here are ten interesting facts about the Royal Christmas Speeches:
(1) George V delivered the first Christmas broadcast to the world in 1932.
(2) Rudyard Kipling, writer of The Jungle Book, wrote the 1932 speech.
(3) The idea for a Royal Christmas speech was first suggested by Sir John Reith, the founder of the BBC.
(4) Queen Elizabeth II made a Christmas speech every year except 1969. (That was because a special documentary film about the Royal Family had been made during the summer in connection with the Investiture of The Prince of Wales. Therefore, it was decided not to do a broadcast at Christmas, but The Queen issued a written message instead.)
(5) The most people to tune into the Christmas broadcast was 28 million in 1980.
(6) The first televised broadcast took place in 1957.
(7) The Queen's Christmas Speech was usually filmed at Buckingham Palace but occasionally took place at Windsor Castle and Sandringham House in Norfolk.
(8) The broadcast was always recorded a few days before Christmas.
(9) The Queen's Speech addressed global, national, and personal events.
(10) The Christmas message was always broadcast at 3pm on Christmas Day.
QUESTION: Since this is a leadership series, what is your favorite LEADERSHIP QUOTE?
DEBBIE LASKEY: My favorite all-time leadership quote is from author and leadership expert Mark Herbert: "Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others."
Mark explained in a previous post here on my blog, "The best leaders recognize the elements that need to be represented in a complete strategy and integrate them. They don't try to be the first chair to use a musical analogy, they conduct the orchestra. I have watched people step up and do amazing things when they were given permission and freedom to make mistakes without fear of failing. The other is being sure that credit and success are in abundance rather than scarcity."
I embrace this quote because it is a constant reminder that the best leaders are those who value their team members and always have their backs.
Get ready to be inspired by 10 thought leaders. Tune into #DebbieLaskeysBlog every Monday during November and December - plus Boxing Day on December 26th. I will also share a series recap on December 31st. Happy holidays!
SHARE THIS: Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others. ~Mark Herbert #HolidayLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Image Credit: J&B and The Royal Family.
Read more about the Royal Christmas Message:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Christmas_message
Watch the Queen's final Christmas message on December 25, 2021:
https://youtu.be/T3ACe_3eKnw?si=1ao75D8fCPynUctw
Watch the Queen's first Christmas message on December 25, 1957:
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