LinkShare Countdown to Christmas

December 3rd, 2007 · Comments

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LinkShare UK has an interesting and fun promotion for the Christmas season - the LinkShare Advent Calendar.

Affiliates are instructed to visit the LinkShare UK Advent Calendar each day from December 1-21 for opportunities to win gifts, exclusive vouchers and more from LinkShare merchants.

Being a Christian, this promotion has a positive connotation with me, but I have to wonder if it’s alienating a segment of the affiliates. Also, I thought it was supposed to run through December 24?!

Visit http://www.linkshareadvent.co.uk/calendar.html for the LinkShare UK Advent Calendar.

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Tags: Affiliate Resources

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Steve Johnson 11 months ago 1 point
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Shawn, stop with the sensitivity stuff.

Would you feel 'alienated' by a Hanukkah promotion?

If you are truly a Christian (and I make no judgments whatsoever on that point, because I am not) then don't apologize for your faith. "I'm a Christian, but if my saying so offends you, I'll be quiet."

Not everyone celebrates every holiday that is on the calendar. Should businesses stay away from holiday promotions to avoid alienating a certain segment that might not celebrate a particular holiday?

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Shawn Collins 11 months ago 1 point
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You're misreading me. I don't apologize for my beliefs, nor would a promotion related to a religion other than mine alienate me.

However, I am cognizant that affiliates and customers come in all stripes, and I think it's prudent for business to be aware of this when developing marketing messages.

Some people are hypersensitive to things, and I think it's worth thinking about when doing business if you wish to reach the largest audience.

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Steve Johnson 11 months ago 1 point
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I wasn't misreading you, I was miscommunicating badly. Sorry.

Some people ARE hypersensitive to things (or at least pretend that they are, my cynical mind says). But if a business were to try to massage their message to accommodate every hypersensitive person, there wouldn't BE a message because there's ALWAYS something to be offended over!

Try this on for size: if the noise that the hypersensitive generate by their "I'm offended!" tirades were to fall on deaf ears, how long would they continue to act hypersensitive? A basic human need is to feel significant, and proclaiming to be offended is how some folks satisfy that need. It gets them attention, and if someone or some business were to change their practices in response, more the better.

"...if you wish to reach the largest audience."

It matters where your business is based, of course. But by definition the "largest audience" doesn't include the people who proclaim offense at the drop of a hat. Witness the backlash here in the US from consumers over retailers backpedaling from mentioning "Christmas" in their promotions in response to the anti-Christian (small) crowd.

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