In Canada, and many multicultural societies, there is an agony of conscience how to wish a person of a different race, creed or culture blessings at times of rejoicing, which threatens to overshadow the joyous moment itself. This surfaces year after year at Christmas time. The politics of multiculturalism overshadow true celebration. What a loss of opportunity.

In customer-centric marketing, the basic tenet that prevails is to put the other party's needs at the centre, not your own.

How would this translate in practical terms?

It would be very appropriate, in the interests of multicultural brotherly, or sisterly love, for a Moslem, Jew, Hindu or Buddhist to wish a Christian a Merry Christmas, since that is a Christian's joyous moment. At the time of Chanukah and Passover radio stations broadcast felicitations for these holidays and I have never heard anyone within the Jewish religion complain - quite the opposite.

But for a Christian to wish a Moslem a "Merry Christmas", or for a Jew to wish a Hindu "Happy Chanukah" is not logical, as they cannot experience the joy of such times. Break it down to another level: if you are having an amazing day and your neighbor is having a miserable day, some part of the joy you feel could cause the other to suffer by the lack of it. But you can help them out.

Put it in starker terms: on your wedding day don't go to a funeral home and throw rice. But a mourner can wish a married couple a good life. From one side, the good wishes are insensitive, (because the recipient cannot experience the joy), but from the other side, good wishes are appropriate, (because the recipient can). If the married couple want to donate food from their banquet to comfort the mourner, that is a sensitive and substantial way of conferring their blessing to others (just nix the cake).

Last proof: you don’t wish everyone “Happy My Birthday”, on your Birthday. They wish it to you – but if you want to hand out presents to share your joy – that works.

Society is generally comfortable as a mixed multitude until events in the year define our separateness. Then we struggle to find social equilibrium. This is because religions are spiritual cloisters where the bonds are formed generally within, not without. But the customer-centric marketer can choose to build relationships that foster loyalty, frequency and continuity, by extending to each group the wishes that they want to receive. A late, great marketer in the Toronto Community, Ed Mirvish, won love and loyalty by handing out 2,000 turkeys to shoppers at his store each Christmas. Not to hide the fact that he was Jewish, but to celebrate the spirit of his clients' festivals in a more tangible way than words.

So, customer-centric marketing says, "Wish to the other the wish that he/she wants to receive". And demonstrate goodwill through kindness and good deeds that transcend the religious mosaic (no pun intended) of our multicultural society.

In this spirit I wish to all who celebrate it a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a Successful and Healthy New Year, and to all others, a welcome break for the seasonal holidays and all the best for 2008.