Christmas is not only a season of togetherness and celebration, but also a key time for consumption. The strategies of marketing Christmas holidays appeal to our emotions and activate psychological stimuli that push us to spend, often out of fear of losing opportunities or not meeting social expectations. Since the lights that evoke memories to the countdown counters in offers on-linemarketing experts use sophisticated tools to influence our decisions. But how do they achieve it?
More work for the limbic system
At Christmas, feelings of joy, nostalgia, and social connection mix with anxiety, stress, and anticipation of family gatherings or vacations, challenging our brains.
We could bet that the limbic system is the one that works the most at this time due to its involvement in emotional processing and in some memory and reward subprocesses. In fact, several studies They point out that this structure is modified by festive decorations, Christmas music and store offers.
They are structural and functional changes that could generate collateral effects in decision making, impulse control and inhibitory behaviorsessential for controlling compulsive purchases and emotional management during Christmas.
From the marketingthis emotional response is used to connect with consumers. He storytelling The narrative used by companies is a powerful strategy that appeals to universal values such as generosity and love, associating the brand with happy moments.
In addition, sensory stimuli such as Christmas carols, advertisements and festive decorations are also capable of activating the brain’s dopamine system – the so-called “pleasure neurotransmitter” –, which generates feelings of anticipated pleasure and motivation to buy.
And they not only generate this effect, but also affect the anticipation system, generating an emotional response associated with the expectation of future gratification that in turn motivates purchasing behavior.
Some research have shown that the visual and auditory consumption of stimuli related to the festivities also increases the feeling of urgency and the desire to purchase products, creating a cycle of anticipation that favors impulsive spending.
The fear of missing out and the stress of “not measuring up”
One of the most exploited emotions in the marketing Christmas is the FOMO (acronym for Fear of Missing Outwhich can be translated as “fear of missing out”). Strategies such as “last units available” or “offer valid until tomorrow” generate urgency, driving quick and often irrational decisions. For example, the Zara Home chain used countdown counters on its website, achieving a 30% increase in sales in December 2023.
Additionally, social media amplifies social pressure by displaying perfect decorations, wonderful gifts, and idyllic celebrations. Phrases like “Make this Christmas unforgettable” reinforce the desire to live up to it.
This phenomenon also has a neuroscientific basis: mirror neurons They are activated by observing the behaviors of others, generating the desire to imitate and associating the purchase with pleasure or social acceptance.
In the context of social networks, these neurons are activated when we see others. influencers or celebrities promoting products or lifestyles. Some jobs have demonstrated that repeated exposure to these images and behaviors generates an emotional response that reinforces the idea that purchasing products or following certain trends will provide us with pleasure and social acceptance.
This process is not only related to direct imitation, but also to the perception of the reward that is associated with the act of consumption, triggering a cycle that can lead to impulsive purchasing.
The power of sensory experience
As regards the physical marketingthe strategic placement of featured products in visible areas, combined with welcoming decorations, warm lights and background musicevokes nostalgia and joy, predisposing to less rational decisions.
Sellers reinforce the feeling of exclusivity with phrases like “It’s the last of its kind,” while offers like “3×2” or “Gifts for purchases over X amount” motivate people to spend more than planned by perceiving an extra benefit.
In the digital environment, brands use search data to personalize messages such as “This gift is ideal for [nombre]” or “Don’t let someone else get it first,” activating the brain’s reward system. Together, the combination of physical and digital strategies such as the aforementioned timer creates a repertoire of stimuli designed to maximize consumption.
Additionally, personalization algorithms on shopping platforms activate the brain’s reward system by showing products that match users’ previous interests. This algorithmic individualization has been shown to influence the dopamine releasewhich reinforces the desire to purchase products, creating a cycle of immediate gratification.
Responsible consumption
As we have seen, these recruitment strategies are not merely consumerist, but also seek to connect with our emotions through the sensory stimulation associated with Christmas. However, consumers are human beings capable of making decisions about what they buy or what they don’t.
It is possible to make conscious and thoughtful consumption by adopting effective tactics such as planning purchases in advance or creating a list of real needs ordered by priority. With these tools, it will be easier to resist our momentary desires and practice responsible consumption, also at Christmas.
