What is the psychological effect of all the holiday advertising on buyers, and how does it help art sales?

During major holidays, the aggregate advertising spend from every retailer creates a powerful psychological effect on buyers. When advertising floods TV, radio, billboards, social media, and every other channel, it subconsciously loosens people’s grip on their wallets. Buyers become primed to spend money during these periods, often without being fully conscious of why. This happens whether they have the money or not—society has been organized such that these holidays signal it’s okay and expected to spend. As art sellers, you benefit from this massive advertising spend by simply showing up with your own promotions during these windows. You’re essentially water skiing behind billions of dollars in advertising that you didn’t have to pay for.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-04-16