Making News
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The Branding of Thanksgiving
November 20, 2021 | Branding Emails
Let’s Talk Turkey
Ever wonder how “branding” has affected our understanding of the upcoming holidays?
Contrary to popular belief, juicy, tender butterball turkeys were not the main attraction on the first Thanksgiving tables. In 1621, when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians celebrated “The First Thanksgiving,” they were most likely gobbling up more than turkey since lobster, goose, duck, seal, eel, and cod were the most plentiful foods at this time. However, deer meat and wild fowl are the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu.
The tradition of turkey is rooted in the History Of Plymouth Plantation, written by William Bradford some 22 years after the actual celebration. A letter sent to England by Edward Winslow describes how the governor sent “four men out fowling” and they returned with turkeys, ducks and geese.
Since then the turkey turned out to be a popular symbol of the Thanksgiving Day, especially after Sarah Josepha Hale encouraged Abraham Lincoln to set aside the last Thursday in November “as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer,” in 1863.
I know, not very exciting, but at least it wasn’t some branding exercise from the National Turkey Federation promoting the bird as the de facto food for the day.
So what about your image?
As you can see by the adoption of turkeys as a symbol of Thanksgiving, branding is all about perception. Successful brands make a connection with people and communicate a distinct advantage. They’re built on a solid foundation of effective communications, appealing visual language, and the personal experience a brand offers.
If you would like us to help you take a fresh look at your brand, please give me a call at 617-661-6125, or email to set up a meeting. We’d love the opportunity to talk about your branding challenges. Or, as we say with our tongues lodged securely in our cheeks, a chance to talk turkey.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Stewart Monderer