Every December, like clockwork, Mariah Carey defrosts, her high notes re-enter the chat, and one iconic song takes over retail stores, TikTok, playlists, commercials, and anything with speakers.
It’s an annual reminder of something every brand envies:
Some marketing isn’t just memorable. It becomes immortal.
Mariah didn’t just release a hit. She built a tradition, a cultural moment, and a brand that renews itself every single year.
Whether you’re a brand, an agency, or a marketer staring down 2026, there are real lessons in the Mariah Carey effect, lessons that go way beyond holiday jingles.
Let’s break them down:
1. Consistency Beats Reinvention
Mariah doesn’t drop a new holiday anthem every year. She repeats the same value-driven message, and it works.
Consumers behave the same way. In fact, despite the economic volatility and price hikes of the last few years,
- 3 out of 5 shoppers remain loyal to the same brands as 12 months ago, even in a pullback economy.
In the Fall 2025 Consumer Trends Report, 44% of Americans say they don’t believe the economy will return to “normal” anytime soon, signaling a long-term shift in behavior, not just a seasonal trend.
This is why repetition matters. When uncertainty rises:
People return to familiar brands because reliability is the new differentiator.
2. Nostalgia Is a Superpower
Mariah doesn’t sell music. She sells tradition.
Brands have the exact same opportunity. Spotting it, however, requires them to look beyond purchasing data and at the underlying motivations that are driving consumers to make purchases. Take holiday audiences, for instance:
- Resonate data shows the number one personal value underlying Christmas and Winter Shoppers is maintaining traditions. Mariah’s consistent campaign to become as ubiquitous a part of Christmas as a tree and Santa ensures that listening to her is now an annual part of celebrating.
Nostalgia taps directly into the audience that still spends during economic volatility, and they’re not price-shopping on value alone. They’re shopping emotional alignment.
3. Simplicity Wins
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is structurally simple. No gimmicks.
For the past few years, consumers have been reiterating a pretty simple message to brands. They don’t think the economy is going to return to what they would consider “normal” anytime soon, and mostly, they want to do business with the companies that have the best prices and sales. No fancy logos, email campaigns, or convenient apps necessary.
- 67% of parents with young children prefer to select the retailers that have the best prices or sales
- This is also true for 76% of Steady Spenders, Resonate’s audience of people making between $75K and $150K annually who consider themselves moderate spenders, to be featured in the upcoming 2026 Predictions Report
- 72% of people who plan to travel in the next three months are also selecting the retailers that have the best prices or sales
The takeaway: Focusing on what consumers want, which is economic value, beats complexity every time.
4. Experience > Product
Mariah isn’t just streaming. She’s in commercials, playlists, TikTok challenges, live TV, memes…
That’s not an accident. Today’s audiences don’t respond to single-channel campaigns:
- 40M+ consumers have gym memberships and are actively investing in wellness. Resonate data shows that 23% are heavily engaged with traditional TV, 21% with streaming television, and 12% with Internet videos.
- 79.9M Americans buy groceries based on nutrition. While 21% are engaged with streaming TV, like their fitness-focused counterparts, 10% are heavily engaged with social media, and 14% watch Internet videos frequently.
In the Digital Age, these are lifestyle behaviors, not passive decisions.
Brands that recognize the importance of omnichannel marketing become part of daily rituals and build loyalty that doesn’t fade after a quarter.
5. Longevity Requires Precision, Not Just Presence.
Mariah Carey owns Christmas. She didn’t try to own:
- Every holiday
- Every genre
- Every cultural moment
She picked one, built permanence, and reliably shows up exactly where her audience actually is every year.
Resonate data shows that’s exactly how brands need to behave during volatile seasons:
- 75% of Christmas and winter holiday shoppers will choose the retailer with the best price, and 55% prefer to shop online.
The takeaway: consumers aren’t loyal to every brand. They’re loyal to the brands that understand their priorities.
Consistency is the strategy, but precision is the differentiator.
Because showing up every year isn’t enough; showing up in the right place, with the right message, is how your brand becomes evergreen.
The Longevity Playbook
Here’s the real lesson from Mariah:
- Stick with what works: Reinforce your core story.
- Create emotional consistency, not tactical sameness.
- Build rituals and experiences, not static campaigns.
- Own your lane, and pivot when the market moves.
Learn how to work with Resonate build these lessons into your marketing strategy for 2026 with a 1:1 consultation with one of our data experts!
