Another holiday season is history and I think most of us are relieved personally and professionally. The 2010 holiday season was a long one, starting in early December with Chanukah and continuing through this past weekend as we welcomed in 2011. For some, there are still religious holidays ahead and others await a series of Federal holidays that will give us long weekends as we weather winter.

Another holiday season is history and I think most of us are relieved personally and professionally. The 2010 holiday season was a long one, starting in early December with Chanukah and continuing through this past weekend as we welcomed in 2011. For some, there are still religious holidays ahead and others await a series of Federal holidays that will give us long weekends as we weather winter.

I’ve seen a growing movement in recent years to abandon the generic Happy Holidays greetings and wishes in favor of returning to Merry Christmas. Since Chanukah and Christmas didn’t overlap this year, we had plenty of time to honor both. As an overly sensitive society, Happy Holidays was an easy way not to offend someone but what happens when you encounter individuals who don’t have holidays in December to celebrate? As our global world continues to merge, it would behoove us to take more time to get to know our neighbors and customers and talk to us in a more customized way. The digital age has made this easier than ever and we owe it to each other to spend less time playing it safe and taking a few more moments listening to how we’re different from one another. I celebrate Christmas and it makes me proud when I hear someone say Merry Christmas to me. I suspect we all feel that way about the traditions we celebrate. And if someone makes a mistake, I don’t easily take offense, as this is a brave new world.

I also heard many people admit that 2010 wasn’t a great year for them and that 2011 brings promise and hope. I think that’s another elephant in the room. Who wants to admit their having a bad run? It’s much better to be positive or say nothing. So why does a new year bring new hope? There’s the emotional aspect of resolutions and fresh starts. But, as marketers, there are also new budgets for marketing campaigns and staff. That’s exciting and hopeful. We all need hope. Any number of marketing blogs on a given day will talk about the emotional aspect of marketing and hope is about the best selling feature you can bank on.

So as we say good-bye to 2010 at AMADC, we remember Seth Godin and Tony Hsieh events, a record membership campaign, exclusive new benefits, the launch of our Chapter Philanthropy efforts and a network of many of the most amazing marketers in the world. As we welcome in 2011, we look forward to finalizing our brand refresh, having another record membership campaign in the spring and holding marketing events and programs in the DC metro area. We welcome you to be a part of the celebration and we look forward to seeing you as you realize your wishes for 2011.