Yes, I know you’re busy with holiday ads for Coke, but I figured it was time we wrote you this letter. We could use some holiday miracles to set things right. So here’s our Holiday wish list—not just for us but for all the brave souls who have survived another year in this fast-paced election season, caffeine-powered, algorithm-driven industry.

As communicators and strategists across the U.S., we started 2024 knowing it would be the “Super Bowl” of marketing years. Why? Election season. The noise was loud, the stakes were high, and campaigns came in faster than TikTok trends.

Let’s be real Santa—2024 came with some challenges, too:

Campaign Lessons That Transcend Politics

The campaigns may have ended, but the lessons will stick with us forever. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom we learned while navigating the chaotic battleground of 2024:

1. Know Your Audience (Like, Really Know Them):From Gen Z’s love for memes to Baby Boomers’ preference for earnest, heartfelt messaging, tailoring every campaign to its audience wasn’t optional—it was survival.
2. Social Media is King (But Unpredictable): One week, a beautifully crafted ad would take off on Instagram. The following week, TikTok became the go-to platform for younger voters. And Twitter, oh sorry, X…well, let’s just say it was “complicated”. Meanwhile, Bluesky started fluttering its wings, giving off “cool new hangout” vibes that made communicators wonder, “Do we need to RSVP to another platform now?” It was chaos, Santa, but the kind we’ve come to expect—and (almost) love.
3. The Power of a Great Tagline: Taglines did the heavy lifting in campaigns. They sparked debate, conversation, and memes.
4. Timing is Everything: The difference between a message being relevant or tone-deaf is sometimes boiled down to hours. Agencies lived on caffeine and real-time news updates.

Our Holidays’  Wishlist for Communicators in 2025

1. Stable Algorithms, Santa, if you could whisper to the tech gods, we’d love a year without major updates that turn our strategies upside down. A little consistency would save us all from endless “How to Beat the Algorithm in 2025” webinars… Just one year of stability—pretty please?
2. A universal ban on “we need this yesterday” emails.
3. Santa, you know what would be magical? A world where “final draft” actually means final. No “just one more tweak” emails at 4 p.m. on a Friday.
   
   

In the end, Santa, we’re in this business because we love it. Sure, it’s chaotic, but there’s something magical about seeing a campaign come to life, connecting with audiences, and maybe even making someone’s day a little brighter with the perfect ad.
2024 was more than just elections. It was about resilience, creativity, and adaptability. We’ll be using these lessons to refine our craft and prepare for whatever 2025 throws at us.

May your sleigh be full of budgets, and may your algorithms stay steady.

With love (and maybe a lot of caffeine),

Yours creatively,

Every Communicator That Survived 2024