The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is Here Too Early...For Shoppers and the PR Community

I'm not the first to make this point and given the trend we've seen in recent years, I won't be the last.  The promotion of our holidays is getting out of hand, and this has implications for shoppers and for PR and marketing professionals. 

I just returned from my local supermarket where I saw Christmas items featured in the "seasonal" section.  It's October 6, and I'm still trying to hold onto summer season -- ignoring the signs of autumn (apple cider, Halloween decorations, fall color floral arrangements) -- and what do I see but elf hats, Chrismas stockings and singing reindeer. 

The year-round acceleration of our holiday hysteria is forcing PR pros to roll out Christmas strategies in September, pitch national media on Valentine's stories in January, develop and place back-to-school articles in June.  Social media still offers opportunities to address the seasons in the season, but in most other ways marketing and communications professionals are expected to "greet the seasons" earlier and earlier -- and I don't see any relief in sight.