An interesting phenomenon has taken the Free World by storm in recent decades and it is marketer’s dream.  Americans have long held the last Thursday in November as a time for family, football, and food.  But since 2001, marketers have capitalized on a down economy to push people from their families, alter menus, and sensationalize football beyond recognition. As more and more people alter their holiday plans around discount sales and doorbuster giveaways, the counter to the ‘commercialization’ of Thanksgiving has been ‘Small Business Saturday’ – a ‘grass roots’ push to get consumers to buy ‘local’ from independent small business owners.  And while it’s a great idea on principal, it’s also a marketing rouse.  Since 2010, American Express has pumped millions into marketing ‘Small Business Saturday’ to the masses, under the auspice of being the right thing to do, and it has worked. They rake in booku books every year and rightfully so, they work hard buying ads and supplying small businesses with perks that drive people into their stores. So next time a sandal wearing, hacky sack jockey tells you they shop Small Business Saturday instead of Black Friday because it’s the ‘right thing to do’, try not to shoot turkey stuffing out yours nose as you laugh.

Links

-> Small Business Saturday: How Amex Owns the Day

-> 10 Awesome Apps For Investors And Wall Streeters On The Road

-> A Look Inside the The $100 Billion Chinese Internet Company 

-> Retail, jobs data to rule stocks’ next move

-> 6 Things to Watch for in China

-> At a Glance: Black Friday Weekend

-> Working Weekends is the Key to Your Success 

Top Photo:  Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr