Un-branding Columbus Day

For decades, communities and cities have been un-branding Columbus Day. Whether they are appalled at the atrocities committed by Christopher Columbus in his quest to conquer the Americas, or indignant at the idea that their community was “discovered,” the call for the un-branding of Columbus Day has been an angry voice pitted against many passionate supporters.Officially declared a national holiday in 1934, activists seeking to ban celebrations of the day go back as far as the 19th century because of concerns over the Knights of Columbus—an organization thought to be working toward expanding Catholic influence. The call to re-brand it “Indigenous People’s Day” goes back nearly a century ago when the Society of American Indians advocated for change. The city of Berkeley stopped celebrating Columbus day in 1992. Last year cities like Minneapolis and Seattle joined the ranks. This year, at least nine cities across the country will celebrate Indigenous People’s Day instead. In fact, over a dozen states have joined the ranks of those who do not observe it as a national holiday, and each year the number grows.Even if activists manage to convince the opposition to change the name, the bigger battle is likely to be on the consumer front. A quick search for Columbus Day yields tons of deals for shoppers. The Frugal Shopper offers advice on how to navigate the sales over the three-day weekend. There is plenty of advertising ephemera for Columbus Day sales, none for Indigenous People’s Day. Columbus Day has a strong brand identity depicted by a variety of elements: portraits of Christopher Columbus, mighty ships, American flags, stars, and stripes. Indigenous People’s Day has no brand identity, at least that I could find.Which do you think will prove harder, changing the mind-set of those determined to celebrate a famed explorer (aka pirate)? Or those determined to get the best retail deals? Perhaps what we need is a strong brand.Sources:http://digiday.com/brands/columbus-day-rebrand/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/columbus-day-now-indigenous-peoples-day-seattle-and-minneapolis-180952958/?no-isthttp://theoatmeal.com/comics/columbus_dayhttp://money.usnews.com/money/the-frugal-shopper/2015/10/07/how-to-navigate-columbus-day-saleshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/11/more-cities-celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-as-effort-to-abolish-columbus-day-grows/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/columbus-day-now-indigenous-peoples-day-seattle-and-minneapolis-180952958/?no-ist