The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is now part of the ranks of those great long weekend holidays - Memorial Day, Labor day – but does it make a great sale day?

A Veterans' Day Parade can fill me with awe and admiration, but it won't inspire me to catch a sale at the local mall.

If you are in a position to promote a holiday sale, look into the cultural significance of the day. Or you may risk hurting a brand by subjecting it to public criticism. Would you be more inclined to support a Veterans' Day Sale that gave proceeds to programs that support our troops or a sale where the company pockets the profits? Would not the same apply for MLK Day? Why don't we see something that also promotes social change?

And what client (in their right mind) would complain about a promotion that puts them in a positive light? You're doing your job.

Don't get me wrong, you can sell on a holiday. People are off work, why not encourage some shopping during their vacation? Be smart about our hook. Don't create a spectacle.