If you are in a retail business, you have probably noticed that there is a big buildup to Halloween followed by an even larger marketing surge to Christmas. Between the two holidays lies Thanksgiving. It is not that Thanksgiving is not a big target on any advertiser’s planner, it is just that it is not appreciated marketing-wise as its own holiday, but rather as the on-ramp to Black Friday and the Christmas season. Unless you are a grocer selling turkeys and pumpkin pies, Thanksgiving just isn’t the stand-alone marketing opportunity that the holidays on either side of the calendar are… or is it?

In recent years, there has been a shift in the way corporations are making charitable donations. There was a time when a company would just underwrite a Thanksgiving meal for the homeless, for instance. In the days in which we now live, corporations are more likely to encourage employee participation at such events. Thanksgiving is quickly becoming the day of charitable involvement. Beyond local meals for the homeless, there are a number of other charitable fundraisers that have found success on Thanksgiving. For example, there are seven jog/walk events on Thanksgiving morning within a short drive from my house. For a $25 donation, I could run to benefit cancer victims, the greenway trail maintenance fund, or the local YMCA. (So numerous are these running events that they have begun to stagger their starting times to accommodate serious joggers who want to attend more than one event!)

For companies looking for a charitable event to sponsor, Thanksgiving offers many possibilities. And with more people becoming involved in Thanksgiving morning events, it gains more awareness marketing exposure for your business. If you are looking for a way to reach multiple generations, this is one day when families tend to do things together. If you really want to make a lasting impression with your community outreach dollars, it is hard to beat Thanksgiving.

Why has Thanksgiving become the new community involvement day? There are several reasons. First, we have a holiday centered around giving thanks for what you have. In the minds of many, that extends beyond oneself to giving back to others. Thanksgiving morning, before the family gathers, is a good way to start that day of thanks. That is an idea that has caught on. Before you gorge yourself with the fruits of your bountiful harvest, give back to someone less fortunate. Secondly, it is not Christmas. The yuletide season is full of its own giving tradition, but with so much more as well. Christmas has all the lights, the shopping, the concerts, the bell-ringers, the TV specials… on and on. Thanksgiving has retained its simplicity without all of the extras that surround Christmas. Thirdly, for many corporations, you get more bang for your marketing buck on Thanksgiving. It is not as cluttered as the Christmas season. There is more chance of being recognized as a corporate sponsor of a Thanksgiving charitable event than there is at Christmas simply because there are so many other events surrounding Christmas.

Take this challenge during the holiday season. As you hear of different Christmas events, make a mental note of the corporate sponsors. By the time Christmas morning arrives, my guess is that you will not be able to remember them any longer. There are simply too many of these events to retain it all. From a marketing perspective, if someone cannot remember my sponsorship, we have not succeeded.