The Busiest Holiday Travel Weekend in 15 Years & 80 Million Pounds of Cranberries

What It Covers

Morning Brew Daily explores the business side of Thanksgiving traditions, covering record holiday travel, the Macy's parade viewership surge, Ocean Spray's cooperative model, NFL kicker performance explosion, and the Department of Transportation's civility initiative for air travel.

Key Questions Answered

• •Air Travel Civility: Unruly passenger incidents increased 400% since 2019, reaching 14,000 reports since 2021. The DOT launched a civility initiative encouraging respectful dress and behavior, though critics note airlines stripped amenities that made travel comfortable while charging $35-45 for checked bags.
• •Parade Viewership Strategy: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade reached 31.3 million viewers in 2023, up 10% year-over-year, by using 5-10 minute segments that match social media attention spans, featuring regional marching bands and Broadway performances that attract Middle America audiences advertisers pay $865,000 per 30-second spot to reach.
• •Cranberry Economics: Ocean Spray operates as a farmer-owned cooperative controlling 65% of global cranberry production. Massachusetts cranberry farmers now earn five times more from $80 bog tourism experiences than selling crops, as only 5% of harvested cranberries sell as whole berries versus processed products.
• •NFL Kicker Performance: Field goal attempts from 55+ yards jumped 135% since 2021, with kickers making 72% from 50+ yards versus half that rate thirty years ago. Rule changes allowing kickers to condition game balls all week with water and brushes adds several yards per kick.