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The C word is being used more and more as the month goes on so that means one thing – Santa’s coming!
With Christmas Marketing campaigns in full swing, let's have a look at how Santa tackles his Marketing.
FROM SANTA
Good news email marketers; Santa is proof that freebies lead to a high open rate! Make sure 2017 has a few competitions, giveaways or discounts for your customers.
FATHER CHRISTMAS
He has built a name for himself as the father of Christmas. This is a great example of owning your niche. What would you be the king or queen of in business?
Targeting a niche means you become the go-to for that market. It is difficult to own the whole of a niche but you can be a force to be reckoned with. If someone is looking for books they may go to Amazon whereas they might go to Etsy for handmade items.
Write content for your niche. Santa doesn’t bother writing articles about The Tooth Fairy’s Biggest Payments of 2016 or Cupid’s Views on the Rise of Tinder. He knows it won’t help his SEO for Christmas queries. If your company’s HR knowledge is the best in town make sure you are talking about it. I bet Santa’s site would have high Domain Authority!
THEY GET WHAT THEY ARE GIVEN
Santa is a rule breaker! Where’s the AB testing?
Technically he should be scattering his deliveries and testing out different wrapping to see what gets opened the most. You won’t find that on this man’s 2017 Marketing Strategy.
(Photo credit: http://digitalsynopsis.com/advertising/what-if-santa-was-an-agency/)
Keep AB testing but make sure you understand your customers enough to not stress about their reaction. To a degree they get what they are given because you and your team of elves put a lot of work into picking that content, product or service to match them. If you can’t decide on the content of your next Opt In campaign, you might need to get to know your audience a little more. A team of elves in the form of a focus group could give you the confidence that you are delivering the right content.
ENGAGEMENT LEVELS
Speaking of breaking the rules; experts would tell Santa to send out gifts in April and August to ensure customers remain engaged with his brand.
MIDNIGHT POSTING
We all know the best time to send a tweet or newsletter for the greatest interaction but imagine if Santa delivered presents at 3pm on the closest Tuesday. The “best time and day” won’t work for all audiences. Santa has picked his preferred time and is consistent. Consistency is key so his audience knows when to expect him.
SANTA'S PERSONAL BRANDING
If I asked you to dress up as Old Saint Nicholas it wouldn’t take you long to imagine the outfit you’d be wearing. This goes for other well-known faces too from Lady Gaga in a meat dress to Trump’s questionable hairstyle. It isn’t always a physical trait either. Most people would be able to laugh like Santa or point like Alan Sugar. If you want to be remembered then make yourself memorable.
The same goes for company branding. Can you tell me the company that had a gorilla playing the drums? If you want to be involved in the new share share share media world then know how you want to stand out. From reindeer with bright red noses to memorable songs; Santa has built a brand that even children recognise.
(Photo credit: https://www.behance.net/gallery/17751671/Santa-Branding-Guidelines)
BUSINESS NAME VS NICKNAME
Do you call him Santa, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas or the man stuck in the chimney? ‘The artist formally known as Prince’ wasn’t the first person to have multiple names. When acting as ‘Saint Nicholas’ we get a more traditional man. The slightly cooler ‘Santa’ is targeted at the younger audience. The brand doesn’t particularly change it just makes him more relatable.
MILK AND COOKIES
As a child, I didn’t know why Santa loved beer at my house but preferred wine at my friend’s house. Nevertheless, there was no way I wouldn’t thank Santa by leaving him and his reindeer treats.
Don’t be afraid to ask for things from your customers. You might not want milk and cookies but money and customer feedback will help your business grow. Beating around the bush in your Marketing can make it unclear what your customers need to do. Cut the lingo and let them know what to give you.
If you rely on donations you could take a leaf out of Wikipedia’s book and be super direct with your request…
DON’T MENTION SANTA IN JUNE!
You are unlikely to see Santa hanging out with the Easter Bunny. Throughout the year Santa gives himself time to put his feet up and relax with Mrs Claus. I won’t deny that this 11-month break is a little drastic so perhaps take off the Christmas period. You deserve a break to refresh, see the real world and come back powerful.
HAVE A GOOD TEAM
Santa needs the help of his elves to make sure the right presents are going out. In Marketing the role is 50% stat based and 50% gut feeling. It's essential to have a mix of people to bounce ideas around.
A good team also takes off the strain. Santa could make all the presents and drive them to each house but his elves and reindeer take off this pressure. I wouldn’t want to put a child on the lap of an overworked grumpy Santa.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
He might not be the most conventional but it’s time to get off of Santa’s naughty list and copy his Marketing techniques for a nice 2017.
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