Today is Black Friday.
You might have heard it’s the busiest shopping day of the year. It seldom is. The Saturday before Christmas is typically the busiest shopping day of the year.
You might have also heard Black Friday is named as such because it’s the day that puts retailers in the black. That’s not true either. According to Wikipedia, Black Friday was a term of endearment coined by Philadelphia police officers to describe the “massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.”
Regardless, due to the economic crisis, not every retailer will survive this year so today sales are plentiful and discounts are deep—among the deepest in decades.
Not everyone is excited about Black Friday, though.
The folks at Adbusters are promoting Buy Nothing Day for the 17th straight year. They’re urging all consumers to consider a 24 hour moratorium on consumer spending, to cut up their debit cards, and reconsider their spending habits.
View the “Buy Nothing Day” on YouTube
They aren’t alone. For financial, socio-political, environmental and some would say moral reasons, the anti-consumerist movement is picking up steam.
Check out this video by Bonfire of the Brands author Neil Boorman:
View the “The Good Consumer” on YouTube
Responsible Marketing is what happens when commerce and conscience come together. But as marketers, can we bridge the extreme gap between the orgy of consumption that is Black Friday and an attitude that all consumption is bad?
This is an important question, and I’d love to hear what you think.
If nothing else, will you participate in Black Friday?
Comment below to share.
Photo: Allison Joyce for The New York Times
