There are some ideas in marketing that are brilliant. There are others that should not be tried. Let me tell you a story of a marketing idea gone wrong.

When I was a boy, my mother would take my brother and I shopping at a large department store this time of year to buy Easter clothes. It was our tradition to attend church on Easter Sunday and she insisted we dress for the occasion. The department store she favored had quite an elaborate Santaland during Christmas and she would take the two of us to get our photo taken with the jolly old elf. One year, the department store decided to do the same thing before Easter, but with an oversized Easter Bunny instead of Santa Claus. Unlike our annual visits to see Santa, I only remember sitting on the lap of the Easter Bunny once – and it still haunts me. Unlike Santa, the person in the bunny suit didn’t say a word to us, but that wasn’t the thing that scared me. It was the rubber mask they wore. It was just freaky and that’s what I still remember to this day.

Where did the Easter Bunny come from? Like many American traditions, it made its way from Europe when people immigrated from Germany. There was old world folklore that every Easter, a rabbit known as Osterhase – or Easter hare – would lay colorful eggs for children to find and eat. It is believed that spring was a time of new birth. Plus Easter is a Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ (who also promised his followers new birth if they believed in him). The egg became a symbol of all of this. The coloring of eggs was in anticipation of this new birth. But where does the rabbit come into the picture? Since it is one of the most prolific of all animals, it has long been used as a symbol of fertility. This goes back to pagan rituals that were incorporated into Easter traditions. As for rabbits that lay eggs, that is a stretch of biological proportions!

Like so many customs that have become popular, with some marketing behind them, they have become synonymous with the holiday. There is a windfall for sales of popular items. Some Easter marketing ideas have worked well. Think about the specialized candy that is associated with Easter. With the consumption of marshmallow Peeps, Cadbury Eggs, Jelly Bellies and chocolate bunnies, Easter is the second biggest season for candy purchases with $3.3 billion in candy sales in the U.S. in 2023 (Halloween is first). It is also the third largest day for meat purchases, behind Christmas and Thanksgiving (it ranks second in ham sales). It is the fourth highest day for flower sales and the fifth for clothing purchases.

However, it does not rank high in bunny mask sales which frightens children. That was a marketing idea that was abandoned several decades ago. However, it still lives in my memory! Some marketing ideas work and some do not. What works and what does not is all decided by the opinions of consumers. Cadbury Eggs are good, but creepy rabbits are bad. So, what works in your marketing? What is engrained in the minds of your customers as uniquely you? Likewise, what is not working and needs to be changed? Just as good marketing can get locked in the thoughts of consumers, so can the creepy, bad stuff. Make sure you are making a good impression. Happy Easter!