The marketing research world traditionally avoids a lot of fieldwork during the holidays. The logic is that December is "not representative" of normal behavior. But, if the only time we gather data is in months where people feel steady, rested, and regulated, we end up modeling behavior that exists only in ideal conditions. Most people don't make decisions in ideal conditions.

The holidays are supposed to feel familiar. But for many people, they also mark change. It might be the first year in a new city. The first year without someone. The first holiday with a new baby, a new partner, a new job - or a new reality altogether. Even the most "traditional" seasons sits on top of transition. And yet, year after year, marketing leans on sameness: cheerful predictability, nostalgia, and "just like always" messaging.

It's not that age is irrelevant; it's that it's insufficient. What truly shapes how people live, spend, and connect are the transitions and life stages they're moving through. That's why two women at 55 may share a birth year, but not a worldview. And why the categories they prioritize, the messages they respond to, and the products they seek out will look nothing alike. If your brand sees all of them as one "55-year-old woman," you'll miss both the nuance and the opportu