Crazy Hidden Marketing Messages by Rudolph, RnR

With apologies to my friends of other faiths and cultures who may not have heard this song or celebrate the Hallmark-sponsored winter holiday of Xmas, I wanted to share an epiphany I had today about a song that’s been rattling around my brain for 38 years. 

I never knew the untold marketing lessons lying beneath the cheesy exterior of this holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

Take a listen with me and follow along:

Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose

Be uniquely you, shiny red nose and all. Are you weird, snarky, or just really like Smurf culture? Be that. Be it on purpose and without apology.

And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed

Let people see you. Get out there. Help people see who you are, share your Smurf love.

All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names

Oh, yeah, that’s gonna happen. Count on it. Actually, embrace it. If some people are beating you down or calling you names, it means you’re out there, you’re doing it. Bravo!

They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games

Yeah, that’ll happen too. S’okay. Just keep lining up to get picked and eventually you’ll get in the game. Or, you can find another team. Just don’t quit the games altogether, mmkay?

Then one foggy Christmas eve, Santa came to say, “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Your patience and game-playing will be rewarded. Don’t wait for Santa, but know that if you keep doing that other stuff, he’ll find you.

Then how the reindeer loved him, and they shouted out with glee, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, you’ll go down in history!”

Hey, I didn’t write the song, okay? I just analyzed it for you. Now when you shop the aisles of your local Safeway, you’ll have something new to think about while accompanied by the holiday classics.