Commemorate Without Exploiting

One week from today is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 horror. A recent MediaPost article discusses the delicacy of retailers commemorating the occasion. The article reports that about 70% of Americans say they are interested in paying tribute somehow on this anniversary.

• Judge the degree of importance of 9/11 to your retailing target audience. Those living in the areas of the plane crashes are likely to have a greater awareness of the anniversary than those living far from there. Firefighters, other first responders, and members of the military are likely to feel a greater drive to recognize the occasion than those in other professions.
• Take your cues from those most affected. A group called 9/11 Day of Service was founded by families of 9/11 victims. Following this prompt, The Home Depot Foundation is sponsoring a “Celebration of Service” campaign directed to enhancing the lives of America’s military veterans, such as by helping with housing needs. Best Buy and Chase are major supporters of 9/11 Day of Service projects. You can commemorate the anniversary by encouraging members of your retailing target audience to serve their local communities via volunteering.
• Keep it modest to lessen the probability that consumers will view you as exploiting the event. America’s Northeast, where the 9/11 attacks occurred, is now recovering from the disasters associated with a major hurricane. Stories have blossomed of retailers gouging customers, some of those stories now suspected of being exaggerations. Consumers’ sensibilities are raw. The Home Depot is encouraging customers to purchase a “Celebration of Service” gift card between September 11 and Veterans Day, with 5% of the value of the card purchase to be donated to the projects helping veterans. Will shoppers perceive that the percentage of contribution is so low and the length of the sales promotion so long that this has more to do with increasing profits at The Home Depot than with acknowledging a solemn occasion?
• Maintain a positive tone. How to do that when 9/11 was tragic? The answer is to keep the focus on the future and on people taking action rather than mourning. Think how to hop on the retailing spirit seen in many quarters this last Easter. Easter honors rebirth and renewal. Consumers fatigued with the recession and prolonged winter weather were ready to give shopping another chance. Helping then were new items featured among the evergreen standbys in the product mix.

Click below for more:
Give Elementary Schools Volunteer Time
Renew for Easter