Santa – The Brand
by Harry Hoover
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Published on this site: December 2003 - See
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Every Christmas Eve, a burglar named Santa busts into homes around
the world, but he has never been charged with B&E. He has one
of the best, most positive brands around and it continues to inoculate
him against any hint of impropriety, as it has for generations.
Why does Santa's brand remain so strong? Because Santa is:
- Consistent
- Unique
- Customer-focused
- Viral
Let's examine these to see what lessons we can learn.
First off, Santa has a positioning statement and has used it to
stay true to his mission for decades.
(For more on positioning, see www.hoover-ink.com/think_newsletters/think_may2002.htm)
It is this consistency that has helped him build a brand
franchise that is the envy of other marketers. No matter
what kind of communication vehicle he uses, the message is
measured against the positioning statement.
Fed-Ex and UPS also deliver packages, but they don't do it
in the middle of the night in a sleigh drawn by eight tiny
reindeer. Santa has cornered the market on uniqueness.
He has not strayed from the market he identified in his positioning
statement. His target is not every carbon-based life form.
He focuses on kids. End of story. Talk about customer intimacy.
Santa has perfected data mining. Who else knows if you:
- are sleeping or awake
- want a Barbie or a baseball bat
- have been naughty or nice
Santa invented viral marketing. As his customers get older
and become parents, they market to the emerging group of
customers for him. They know that if they deliver Santa's
message, they will benefit from their children's good
behavior.
And it's not just the parents. Other marketers help him,
too. Santa has never spent a dime on advertising. He has
used good public relations tactics to develop, manage and
maintain solid relationships with marketers who advertise
for him. Consider the Coca-Cola ads featuring Mr. Claus.
Think of all the newspaper inserts that carry his picture
during the holidays. Then, there are all those helpers in
department stores everywhere.
Because of his adherence to simple marketing tactics,
everyone loves Santa. Not bad for an old burglar with a
reindeer fetish.
Harry Hoover has 26 years of experience in crafting
and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for
serious businesses. Sign up for his free monthly newsletter
at http://www.hoover-ink.com.
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