If you’re superstitious, you may think Friday the 13th is a day fraught with danger: don’t cross a path with a black cat, don’t walk under a ladder, don’t break a mirror, don’t don’t don’t, or Heaven knows what bad luck may befall you. The truth is, there is no verifiable history on why Friday the 13th has earned such a bad rap. In spite of that fact, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina, about 17 million people fear Friday the 13th. There’s even a name for it: friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Frankly, the number 13 has always been rather lucky for me, perhaps because I simply choose to believe it’s lucky. And who can find fault with Friday? For most of us working stiffs, there’s a lot to like about Friday, such as the end of the work week and payday.
By now you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with marketing. On Friday the 13th, people actually go out less. They make fewer decisions. And they shop less! Research from Entrepreneur Magazine estimates the negative impact ranges from $800 million to $900 million in the U.S. That’s why a lot of retail businesses tie “lucky” promotions to the 13th. To counteract the substantiated inactivity, many businesses advertise specials or hold Friday the 13th Sales.
I’ll do my part to dispel the unlucky myth by giving something away. If you’d like a complimentary copy of “10 Questions You Must Answer Before You Spend a Dime on Advertising”, simply click on Let’s Connect at the top of the page, enter your email address, and type ’10 Questions’ in the message box. No strings attached! The first 10 people to respond will receive a free copy, emailed as a .pdf file, within 24 hours! (excluding weekends. Our website is so old-fashioned, it’s actually managed by humans, not robots.) Good luck!
About Carole Holden