5 Things Learning and Development Professionals Can Learn from Hallmark's Christmas Movies

It's the holiday season and I'm addicted to watching Christmas movies! How about you? I don't know what it is about curling up on the couch with a hot mug of cocoa and a plaid throw blanket? It's like I'm transported to this magical world, full of laughter, warm memories, and traditions that simply make me feel warm and bubbly inside.

As a learning and development professional who has been thinking a ton about learner engagement these days, I couldn't help but wonder, "How does Hallmark do it?" "How do they keep me coming back, year after year?"

1. They clearly understand and know their audience.

Nearly 36 million viewers have watched a Hallmark Christmas movie this year. And, Hallmark clearly knows and understands their audience and tailors their programming towards the interests of that audience.

Whether it's creating and using a learning persona or conducting a learner analysis by way of a poll/survey, focus group or interview...know your learner and what they want (What's In It For Them?) and don't want.

2. They tap into and ignite your emotions.

How might we tap into our learner's emotions?

This year in particular, many of us wanted (and maybe even, desperately needed) an escape from the current reality. For me, Hallmark Christmas movies provides that brief, yet welcomed escape. The snow-covered scenes, the small town friendliness and uplifting plot reminds me of moments from my childhood, growing up in a small, Northeastern city in the United States.

3. They take you on a journey by way of a story.

Might we use storytelling or ask them to visualize, and recall their own memorable story or scenario that applies to the topic at hand?

4. They make it easy to return again and again.

With Hallmark, I can watch movies from using my Roku, laptop or mobile phone. Goodbye, traditional cable channel! Are you finding ways to meet your learner where they are? Are your users mostly using their desktop, table or mobile?

How cumbersome is it to retrieve content from your learning experience platform (LXP) or learning management system (LMS), or another platform that you're using? How many clicks does it take to access the content?

5. They're not overly complicated.

Let me be the first to say that I love a good drama or action movie with lots of twists, turns, and "wow" moments. But, I appreciate the fact that Hallmark Christmas movies usually have a somewhat simple plot that is easy to follow.

When designing a learning experience, it's key to have "just the right amount" of content (your scope) and be clear, and specific in terms of what you're hoping that the learner will achieve. Don't overcomplicate the path to the end goal with too many objectives, activities, and distractions (tons of bells and whistles if an e-Learning).