Key Takeaways
- “Happy Holidays” is not automatically the safest choice for your prospects or customers.
- YouGov’s December 2024 survey found 65% preferred “Merry Christmas,” compared with 26% who preferred “Happy Holidays.”
- Some Christians interpret replacing “Merry Christmas” as dismissing a celebration central to their faith and Christianity.
- Research has linked greeting choices to stated shopping intentions and boycotts.
(Editor’s note: In our special report on Christmas marketing, 38 Powerful Marketing Tips for the Christmas Season, I recommended saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays in your marketing.” The response to that recommendation was quite interesting. Here’s why I made it—and why your choice deserves more attention than you might think.)
In your marketing, should you say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”?
Marketers and advertisers are focused on being successful this Christmas.
That requires many things: the right audience, a strong offer, persuasive direct response copy, and a clear reason to act.
But one of the most overlooked decisions comes down to a simple phrase.
Do you say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”? It can make a significant difference.
You can alienate prospective leads and customers by assuming your greeting is too insignificant to matter.
And here’s the counterintuitive part: The risk can come from leaving “Merry Christmas” out.
Let me explain.
1. The “safe” greeting may overlook what most customers prefer.
If you’ve assumed Americans generally prefer “Happy Holidays,” look at the research.
A YouGov survey found:
● 65% preferred “Merry Christmas.”
● 26% preferred “Happy Holidays.”
That’s a 39-point difference.
Even among respondents who weren’t celebrating Christmas, 42% preferred being greeted with “Merry Christmas,” compared with 35% who preferred “Happy Holidays.”
Monmouth University’s poll found that 61% of Americans usually said “Merry Christmas,” while 30% usually said “Happy Holidays.”
Preference and usual practice are different measures. Both findings
challenge the assumption that “Happy Holidays” is what most Americans want.
Your customers may hear “Merry Christmas” as warm, familiar, and appropriate to the purchases they’re making.
If you’re promoting Christmas gifts, Christmas delivery, and Christmas specials, why assume naming Christmas will push them away?
2. Some customers hear a message you never intended.
You may choose “Happy Holidays” simply to include everyone. But some prospects and customers interpret that choice very differently.
To understand why, you need to understand what Christmas means to them.
For an evangelical Christian, belief in Jesus Christ as Savior is central to their faith. Christmas celebrates His birth. The name of the celebration carries personal and religious meaning.
Conservative Catholics and Cultural Christians share that strong belief.
When a company promotes Christmas shopping while avoiding the word “Christmas,” some your prospects or customers see an effort to remove Christ from the celebration.
You may intend courtesy. They may hear rejection and a war on Christianity.
Lifeway Research documented that reaction:
- 65% of Americans with evangelical beliefs considered it offensive when people said “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
- Among Christians overall, 40% agreed it was offensive.
- Among Americans overall, 32% agreed it was offensive.
You don’t have to share a customer’s beliefs to understand what matters to that customer.
That’s fundamental to effective marketing.
3. The greeting will influence where customers say they’ll shop.
Here’s where the issue becomes a business decision.
A Morning Consult survey, found that among self-identified evangelicals:
- 65% said “Merry Christmas” would make them more likely to shop at a business.
- 22% said “Happy Holidays” would make them less likely to shop there. (christianitytoday.com)
Organized boycott campaigns have also encouraged Christians to act on those preferences. Liberty Counsel publishes a “Naughty and Nice” list and encourages shoppers to support businesses that acknowledge Christmas and boycott those that say “Happy Holidays.”
The American Family Association boycotted Lowes, Target and other retailers to switch from “Happy Holidays” to “Merry Christmas”… and the boycott hurt enough so they switched.
A prospect can ignore your offer. A customer can choose a competitor. You may never receive a complaint explaining why but saying Happy Holidays loses your response.
The reality is many of your prospects and customers value “Merry Christmas.” Dismissing that preference creates an avoidable risk.
4. Say “Merry Christmas” or test.
I’d suggest saying “Merry Christmas.” Don’t resist it. But if you wanted to, you could test. Put “Merry Christmas” into your Christmas marketing tests.
For example, compare:
“Merry Christmas! Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.”
with:
“Happy Holidays! Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.”
Keep the offer, audience, design, timing, and call to action consistent.
Randomly divide comparable prospects between versions.
Measure completed sales or qualified leads. Then compare customer acquisition costs and profitability.
Track unsubscribes and complaints, too.
An open rate alone won’t tell you which message produces better business results.
And remember: Your company’s preference is not evidence of your customers’ preference.
Action:
Don’t let two words are weaken your Christmas response.
Before you approve another Christmas campaign, review the greeting.
Have you chosen it because you understand your customers or prospects—or because it’s what your company has always done?
Call Michael at CDMG at 615-933-4647 or email him at [email protected] for help reviewing your Christmas messaging and designing a measurable test.
We’ll apply the CDMG Direct Response Performance Code™ to strengthen your copy, then use scientific marketing to evaluate response.
Your goal is more qualified leads, more customers, and a stronger return on your advertising investment.
FAQs:
Q: Should my business say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”?
A: Give “Merry Christmas” a serious consideration when your offer centers on Christmas. Consider your audience and the purpose of the message. Compare actual response instead of assuming a generic greeting is safer.
Q: Why might a customer object to “Happy Holidays”?
A: Some Christians interpret replacing “Merry Christmas” as removing recognition of Christ’s birth from the celebration. It’s a war on Christianity. Understanding that reaction helps you avoid sending an unintended message.
Q: What should I measure in a greeting test of Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays?
A: Completed purchases, qualified leads, customer acquisition costs, and profitability. Also monitor complaints and unsubscribes. Keep other campaign elements consistent so you can assess the greeting.
Q: Does every evangelical customer react the same way?
A: No. Evangelical Christians share core religious commitments, but individual reactions vary… the same with conservatives, Catholics and Cultural Christians.
About Craig Huey
Craig Huey is one of America’s leading direct response marketing and advertising experts. He is the founder and president of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), a direct response advertising and marketing agency specializing in direct mail, digital, and multichannel campaigns.
CDMG has worked with hundreds of companies, helping them generate leads, sales, and measurable results through targeted, data-driven marketing. Craig is also the publisher of the Direct Marketing Update, a newsletter read by marketing professionals, business owners, and executives who want to stay ahead of the latest trends in direct response marketing.
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