Americans Tell Us Fall is Their Favorite Season, So What’s with All the Holiday Marketing?

By Amy Hubbell, Director of Intelligence

Unless you're marketing coffee, sweaters or candles, fall feels a little overlooked by brands. It's sandwiched between the tentpole moments of back-to-school and Halloween, left in the dust of the run-up to holiday shopping season.

But should it be?  

Our data shows that when summer turns to fall, 82% of us embrace the change. Most of us are not even sorry to see another summer receding in the rearview mirror. When we asked Americans to choose a favorite season, fall was the big winner, with 35% of the vote.

Fall feels: Cozy, comfort and nostalgia

Why do we love fall so much? The Brand Joy Lab asked a few hundred people, “As summer turns to fall, what are some of the things that bring you joy?”

Not a shocker, but the most common answers had to do with changes in the weather and changes in the leaves. Falling leaves, the very definition of fall. Respondents waxed poetic about the leaves, the joy of “watching the leaves change color like a beautiful painting taking place.”  

For some of us, it means quality outdoor time. “I hate the heat. I endure summer and live for fall. I love the weather,” said a woman from the Southwest. Others live in climates that seem designed for Fall Joy. “I love going to cider mills and carving pumpkins,” said one Michigander. “Cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice treats, and crisp walks in colorful leaves bring me joy by creating a sense of warmth and nostalgia,” said a woman who lives in the foothills of the Allegheny River in eastern New York state.  

But there’s so much more for all of us! One gentleman from New Jersey put it, “Fall is the best season. It has hockey, football and baseball all going concurrently.”

Beyond the football and the pumpkin spice lattes and apple cider, Americans from all climates love eating soups and stews, decorating for the season, breaking out the sweaters, cozying up with a movie or a good book – it’s all part of what makes fall special. We’re thrilled to get outside for bike rides and long walks. Yet it’s also a time when we settle in at home, and relish time with loved ones.

The holidays are creeping in

But here comes Santa Claus. Brands are jumping on the holiday creep trend earlier and earlier. By some accounts, it’s paying off: Gartner notes a 51% increase in social engagement for brands that post holiday-themed content before November or December. But eMarketer has found that 77% of consumers are fatigued by holiday messaging before the start of November.

If you don’t join the holiday choir, will you miss out?

Some of our responses indicate so. One person said, “The changing of leaves, my kids excited for Halloween, and the start of a new year coming.” A new year coming?! She said this in September. Another mentioned: “The holidays! I love it! I love the big dinners.” Already?

The right fit for fall? A little balance  

Are brands driving the holidays earlier, or are we just responding to what customers are thinking and feeling? From what we’re hearing, it’s a little bit of both. The joy of fall, even as the season has just begun, is “turning colors of the leaves, getting ready for Thanksgiving.”  

With the traditional retail calendar flattening, it’s time for marketers to give fall its due. That means leaning into what people love about the season while acknowledging that anticipation is part of that joy.  

In other words, stop and smell the pumpkin spice.

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Interested in the changing retail calendar? Read this too:

Modern Retail: The traditional retail calendar is becoming more and more obsolete