Seasonal planners can definitely be lousy marketers. This happened to me about 5 years ago. I had gotten a gift certificate for Christmas, but when I went into the store to shop, they didn’t have sweaters, gloves, or any of the other warm clothes I needed. It was late January, it was cold and snowy out, but all they carried was summer wear. Maybe I’m just a simpleton because I don’t plan my outfits months in advance, but I’d bet I’m not the only one.
This happens when forecasters focus nationwide instead of accounting for local needs. It’s a common recurring problem for humanity actually. For example, consider the history of the Catholic church. In the early days, the bishops had more control over their local communities. As such, their churches catered to the specific needs of the local people. Different teachings were emphasized based on the unique needs of the community. Then, as transportation and communication improved, the pope was able to enforce more control and establish standard dogmas across all territories. The power of the local bishops decreased and with that, the emphasis on the unique needs of the community decreased as well. When you try to apply one size fits all, you push people to the fringes. That’s how the Catholic church split into the many christian churches that are around today.
Alternatively, consider that before the industrial revolution, most clothes were tailored. One size fits all was created for mass production, not because it benefits the people. One of the cool things about the age of the internet is that we are going back to tailored clothes. Companies like Stitch Fix and Trumaker start with your measurements, then make clothes to fit you. It’s quite nice.
So what’s the takeaway? If you work in marketing or business, consider local needs and interests. Meet the needs of your customers instead of requiring that they meet yours. That’s the way of the future and any company who can’t figure it out will be out of business.