Sarah Sylvan

Hello Caffeine Gremlins!

I hope everyone is staying warm this chilly November, perhaps with a hot cup of coffee or tea from your favorite local café. It seems like only yesterday I was clutching my iced Dunkin’ coffee on a 90-degree August day. Now, we are facing an impending winter, and personally, I’m just trying to keep my energy up (and my heating bill down).

I’d love to write a blog post about how companies market products that are supposed to help us through the winter: a new Kindle reader to enjoy by the fire, a North Face black puffer jacket to keep out the cold, or the Cookie Butter Cloud Latte from Dunkin because… why not? Do companies take advantage of the consumer trying to simply survive, or do they honestly and genuinely want to help the common folk? That’s open to interpretation, but it’s certainly our job as consumers to remain informed and aware.

For our coffee review today, I visited Bagel Gourmet Ole on Thayer Street in Providence, RI. Personally, it’s a favorite of mine. I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of their coffee, but that’s because it reminds me of when I drank it while sick with Covid-19 last spring. However, I will consume an entire barrel of their Chai Iced Latte, if possible. They offer the chai latte with spiced or vanilla flavoring. I switch off every time I visit; they’re equally addictive. I swear I dream of their spiced flavoring on nights when counting sheep doesn’t work. To accompany your drink, do yourself a favor and order a bagel. Some of my favorites are their bacon egg and cheese, the tuna fish sandwich, or even just the cinnamon sugar and cream cheese bagel, if they’re still in stock!

What It Means to Be a Consumer

My husband, Curtis, always jokes that I’m a “consumer,” which is obviously funny because most people are consumers. We often buy goods and services in order to maintain a certain standard of living. I understand what he’s trying to say, that I’m easily influenced by social media and that I spend too much money feeding into bigger corporations. I think Curtis intends the label as a criticism, and I take what he says and change my shopping habits, if only slightly. I still am a sucker for a blind box with an unknown toy inside.

As a consumer (and a communications graduate student), I try to stay aware of how products are marketed to me. Up until now, in my graduate program, my professors have highlighted the importance of law and ethics as a communicator. This brings me to today’s topic: ensuring that companies remain ethical and multicultural in their holiday campaigns.

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Creating Inclusive Holiday Campaigns

With Halloween now behind us, advertisements have shifted gears immediately to the holiday season. With the holidays come an onslaught of holiday marketing campaigns. We’ve all seen the red coffee cups from Starbucks, the Macy’s Holiday Parade, and the new Ralph Lauren Christmas campaign promising a nostalgic holiday.

It’s easy to forget that not everyone’s Christmases look like the ones in advertisements. For starters, not everyone has enormous budgets to put on outdoor spectacles or restock for new festive clothes, decorations, and gift trends. What’s also important to remember is that different cultures, races, and religions celebrate in different ways. Additionally, Christmas isn’t the only holiday in December. Diversity Resources shares several holidays taking place during December 2025, reminding us that it’s important for people and brands alike to be inclusive of everyone.

1. December 6th- The Christian faith celebrates Saint Nicholas Day, the patron saint of children.
2. December 8th- Bodhi Day, celebrated by the Buddhist community, and honoring the enlightenment of Buddha.
3. December 15th-22nd- Hanukkah, celebrated by Jewish people as the Festival of Lights.
4. December 21st- Pagans and Wiccans celebrate Yule, which honors the winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun.
5. December 25th- Christmas is celebrated by Christians who recognize the birth of Jesus Christ.
6. December 26th-January 1st- Kwanzaa celebrates strong and connected families.

I’m not saying that every company must honor every religion equally, although it certainly is something to work towards in an ideal world; I understand that’s not possible in our current one. Instead, I intend to communicate that companies must hold space for all religions and practices, because our world is so diverse and beautiful. Every identity deserves an opportunity for inclusion and respect.

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It Starts With the Content Calendar

Every holiday season, social media marketers across the world are tasked with creating specialized content calendars. Content calendars outline what content will be posted, on which platform (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, etc.), and when. The holidays are the busiest time for companies, and when they make the most sales, so having a proper content calendar is essential.

Below, I’ve developed a very primitive Instagram content calendar spanning three days for a fictional dog toy company. While I’ve chosen to highlight a span of three days, your calendar would of course be for the entire month. There’s still more to add to content calendars: marketing goals, target audience, posting schedule, as well as what the team’s roles and responsibilities should be. I am choosing to show what’s below in order to give an example of how your company can be multicultural.

Monday- Giveaway	Tuesday- A Gift For a Grandpup	Wednesday- Giving Back
Text-  “Enter for a chance to win a free dog toy, a perfect gift for your furry friend this holiday season! To enter, tag us in an Instagram post featuring how you’re celebrating this season.” Visual- A two-photo carousel, where the images take place inside a home decorated with indiscriminate string lights. The 1st image shows a medium-sized dog using its nose to lift the lid of a wrapped box. The 2nd image shows the dog happily holding the toy in its mouth, looking at the camera.	Text- “Do you have a four-legged grandchild in your life? Buy them the perfect stuffed, rubber, or rope toy that will make them jump for joy.” Visual- The short video shows the combination of religions. Buddhist grandparents visit their in-laws’ home, who have a Wiccan wreath on their front door. The door opens, and the dog jumps on them, running off with the gift in their hands.	Text- “We’re giving back this holiday season by volunteering at our local animal shelter! How will you be giving back?” Visual- A five-image carousel of people working with adoptable dogs at a local shelter. The decorations are for a mix of Christmas and Hanukkah. This means a combination of imagery and colors.

By looking at Pinnacle Speaking’s page on inclusive communication for diverse audiences, you can see how I’ve incorporated some of their recommendations into my content calendar.

• First, I understand that all religions can own and honor their pets and therefore, should be included in the Instagram posts.
• Next, I used inclusive language, such as “holiday season,” rather than naming a specific holiday in the captions.
• Thirdly, I considered audience segmentation: different people will read the Instagram posts, so I should tailor them accordingly. For instance, the first post is targeted to pet owners, while the next post is for someone who has a pet in their life but doesn’t own one themselves.

Pinnacle Speaking finishes the article by saying that “Inclusive communication isn’t just a skill, it’s a responsibility.” Marketers owe it to their consumers to consider the perspectives of multicultural groups.

As I work to create a personal brand identity and set myself apart from other marketers, I will ensure that, as I do so, my work remains multicultural and that I go above and beyond to represent a diverse audience. The world is big, and if companies truly want to make their product or services known, then they must do what it takes to be truly representative.

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Images

Associated Press. (2025, November 3). Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Which stars are joining this year’s lineup? AP News. https://apnews.com/article/5e19f170cfd40f91d1c6f55a7244662e

Caillean. (2012, December 18). Feliz Yule. Casa da Floresta. Retrieved November 9, 2025, from https://caillean333.blogspot.com/2012/12/feliz-yule.html

Hodan, G. (n.d.). Christmas [Photograph]. PublicDomainPictures. https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=180625&picture=christmas

Pexels. (2025, May 14). Charming street cafe with bicycle and signage [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/charming-street-cafe-with-bicycle-and-signage-32061510/

RDNE Stock Project. (n.d.). Bread on brown wooden board [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/bread-on-brown-wooden-board-6114168/

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Saint Nicholas. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 9, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

World Tourism. (n.d.). Bodhgaya full day tour [Web page]. Retrieved November 9, 2025, from https://www.world-tourism.org/bodhgaya-full-day-tour/