Passover is almost over for those of us who celebrate it. The eight-day-long Jewish holiday celebrates liberation from slavery in Egypt. For most people, the main observance of the holiday is abstaining from eating bread and other leavened products (because the Israelites fleeing Egypt did not have enough time to allow their bread to rise), and substituting matza instead.
Can Passover inform any marketing communications decisions? I think it can. Here are four Passover lessons for you marcomm efforts:
One: Freedom rules!
Passover is a festival that celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. In marketing and communications, we also celebrate freedom. We don’t want to be tied to one platform, one way of thinking, solutions that no longer work. Celebrate and use your freedom!
Two: Change is good
During passover, we eat matza for eight days, and don’t eat bread, pasta, etc. It is a change for most people, a pause, a reset. It challenges your routine, forces your creativity. When you do things differently for a short time, you may discover what works and what doesn’t.
Three: Dress it up a bit
In my opinion, matza is infinitely better when spread with cream cheese or jelly (or both). Plain is just OK. In other words, some bells and whistles help. For example, having a well designed, attractive website can give your business an edge over a dull, plain website.
Four: Friends and family are key
Passover is a holiday that is better when celebrated with friends and family. In marketing and communications, your “friends and family” are your customers and your promoters. In social media they are your followers and “likers.” Your friends and family are the cornerstone of your outreach efforts.
Do you see any other lessons in Passover?
About Deborah Brody
Deborah Brody writes and edits anything related to marketing communications. Most blog posts are written under the influence of caffeine.
I too love matza and jelly (together or separately!) It’s what gets me going in the morning!
But here’s some more “Passover Lessons”
1) There’s such a thing as too much
By the end of Passover, I’m glad that the matza is put away, because, by the end of week, everything in the house smells and tastes of it (or of matza meal). The matzas. The matza balls in the soup. The cake and cake mixes. The… (you get the picture). Too much of a (good) thin in too short a time span = burnout.
2) It’s only truly special when it’s rare.
You could eat hardboiled eggs in salt water at any time of the year, right? (For those who have never been to a Passover Seder, it’s a tradional part of the meal). But who does? Nobody. Yet it’s a central part of many people’s memories of the Seder and Passover. It happens once a year and isn’t repeated throughout the year, losing it’s “oomph”.
If you’re going to have a sale or a special event–don’t do it over and over again throughtout the year.
3) There are many ways to achieve the same goal.
Another tradional food is charoset, which reminds us of the mortart used in making bricks. The recipes used by Ashkenazic (European) and Separdic (Middle Eastern) Jews are quite different–but the result is the same. A sweet condiment to be eaten with bitter herbs (and anything else over the week).
Lawrence
(hmm…I think it’s time for a snack….)
Fabulous additions Lawrence! Thanks so much. I wish there were a way of tweeting out just your comment.