what does Santa know about marketing?

Ho, Ho, Ho. He runs a multinational enterprise that combines invaluable customer intelligence, superb information management and world-class service. He leads a logistical tour de force that spans the globe and delivers the goods, just in time! His name: Santa Claus. Just because he's old, overweight, long haired, and he dresses funny, don't underestimate his marketing success… Santa is a true marketing expert! I hear you say you don't believe in Santa??? Ho, ho, ho! There are millions of children who are convinced he's real. So put your doubts about Santa aside for a moment and take a look at why he's so good at marketing.

You have to admit, this jolly old man with the white beard is a really strong brand, and everything he does enforces that brand. Everyone seems to want to support his mission. And he is in large part responsible for billions of pounds in sales and charitable contributions each year. His consistent image is visible on your rooftop, on your website or in your advertising.

Santa 'the brand'. Let's take a look at everything he does to create the brand: Santa. He knows how to stand out from the crowd and be unique. He uses very distinctive features to differentiate himself. Instead of a large white van, he drives a big, red sleigh. His uniform of choice is a red suit. His trademark beard is equaled only by his hearty laugh. And his logo is his own image. Santa creates positive Brand Loyalty by building the expectation of an experience through consistent images and behaviours. Local vs Global. Some things about Santa are customised to local preferences, such as his name and some traditions. But other aspects of Santa are universal, such as delivery on expectations, standardising the customer experience, quality control and reputation management. Those standards apply equally, whether it's “Father Christmas” in England or “Père Noël” in France. That is a formula for success in a global environment. Differentiation. Santa is different. He's one of a kind, which makes him memorable.

Customer Relationship Management. His most important asset is his contact list, and it's forever evolving. There's no indication as to what customer relationship management system Santa uses, but it's clearly top-notch! He knows exactly who is to be added to the list; and who is to be deleted. Just as important as the contacts themselves is the knowledge he has about each of those contacts. This includes such things as: interests, likes and dislikes, hobbies, accomplishments, and how his previous interactions with each one of them panned out. Customer-Centric Approach. His success is based on a never-ending commitment to the fact that everything is about them ... not him. To Santa, it's all about giving. Christmas after Christmas, he delivers on his promise of presents. His customers will not be disappointed with, “Your toy is on back order, you should be getting it sometime around Valentine's Day.” Technology & Efficiency. Santa's workshop is equipped with the latest technologies to improve efficiency and provide his elves with what they need to make toys and process a wide variety of requests. Staff Motivation. To maintain a pool of good elf labor willing to work in the harsh North Pole climate, Santa pays close attention to human resources practices and policies to retain top talent. PR. He's a master at getting free press. He's mentioned in the media constantly during the winter holidays. Many songs, movies and books have been written about him. Customer Research. Santa supplements this effort by appearing in thousands of shopping centres around the country, listening to thousands of children just to learn what his customers want. Free Give Aways. How can you not love someone who gives so many presents away each year and whose only expectation is a couple of cookies and a glass of milk? Product Knowledge. Santa knows what he is selling, and its not just toys. Santa sells hope, whether it is for the latest video game, a warm jumper, or health and happiness.

What can we learn from Santa? As you are building and nurturing your brand, take some tips from the man in the red suit. Differentiate yourself. You don't need to grow a long white beard, or swap your white van for a somewhat more unconventional red sleigh; but clarify how your company is unique, and what it is that separates you from the crowd. Be consistent. Create an emotional connection. Adopt the same look and feel across all your collateral and communications. Remain visible to your target audience. Get media attention for your business, not just during holidays but all year round. Whether it's a well written article in the local paper, an online newsletter to your customers or being able to be found on the internet via means of your website. Focus on your prospects and customers. Carry out a customer satisfaction survey to find out if your customers are happy and what they would want and expect from you in the future. Give them what they ask for. Top of mind marketing. eMarketing is ideal to provide that base touching effort to customers and prospects; and, it is a strategy that even the smallest business can take advantage of. Free Goodies. Give something away for free. It could be an article, a report, a prize to be won in a competition. Use your free offer to prompt people to contact you and demonstrate your expertise. Customer Satisfaction. Deliver on your promise to your customers. If Santa can do it, you can too! Word-Of-Mouth. And don't forget to surround yourself with brand evangelists who can carry your message for you. Be ahead of your competition. If you want to be ahead of the pack you need to be putting plans in place for 2008. Define your marketing strategy, how to go to market, your messages, your target audience, your means of communication, your marketing roadmap. Dont' be afraid to ask for a helping hand. Feel free to ask a little elf at Simplicity how you can make your marketing matter for your business.

Whether you believe in him or not, Santa is a marketing model that we can all strive to attain.

If you need any help with your marketing or web design, please do not hesitate to ask, even if it's just some advice you need. Simplicity would be happy to help. Interested to learn how we can help? View our services; or simply contact us to discuss how we can help.

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Who? Simplicity is a small web design and creative marketing company. For whom? We specialise in working with small, medium and start-up businesses. Why? Small feet, big shoes; just because you’re a small business does not mean you don’t need to get your message out there in a big way. What’s it all about? We help make your marketing and design matter, be known, be heard, be found; and make the pieces fit. It's not just about your products and sevices, it's about the whole experience. What’s the difference? Personal. We strongly believe in the personal approach to doing business. Creative. We fuse strategy & creativity into one compelling voice. No fuzz. We are practical & hands-on; passionate about what we do; and practice what we preach. Focus. We specialise in working with small companies and start-ups. Ideas. Ideas are the currency of our business. Ideas can have the power to change minds, transform brands and even make a difference to the bottom line. How much? Because we’re a small company without the high set-up costs of larger marketing firms and the fancy London postcode, we don’t charge London rates and are able to pass on some cost savings to our clients. What’s in the mix? [The Roadmap] Marketing Planning & Strategy: Get your marketing up and running. [Image Works] Branding & Brand Identity: Define who you are, what you can see, touch, feel, hear and watch. [A Box Of Chocolates] Demand Generation & Integrated Marketing Campaigns: Integrated marketing in harmony & style. The ideal blend of marketing initiatives. [The Bigger Picture] Website Design: Every website tells a story. Let your website do the work for you. [A Refreshing Change] Website Re-Design: Give your website an inspiring facelift. [The Perfect Pitch] Collateral Design: You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. What is the concept? Simple. The concept behind Simplicity is to simplify complex matters and make the pieces fit. Simplicity, where ideas come to life.