You need to focus on your customers at Christmas. Of course, you need to focus on them all year round, but especially at Christmas. To quote Andy Williams, it may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most stressful. If you can bring your customers something useful and give them a dose of the warm and fuzzies, you’ll be on to a winner. However, to do that you need to think about their personality and how you can help them through the festive season in one piece.
What’s their style?
When you think of the big Christmas ad campaigns there are a few key players who always pull out the stops. Each has their own approach which reflects the types of customer they usually attract. John Lewis are luxurious, M&S are sparkly and Aldi go for laughs with Kevin the Carrot.
Even where campaigns share a common cause, they’ll all do it in a slightly different way, with a different feel. The focus might be on gathering your family around the table or going out and having fun, but each reflects the brand’s core audience.
What do your customers want?
Your customers’ personalities aren’t suddenly going to alter because it’s Christmas. They still have the same values at Christmas as they do throughout the year. Their approach to the festive season may influence the kind of marketing they’ll respond to. This goes beyond distinguishing between the ultra-prepared present buyers and the last minute shoppers. You might attract both. Even the ones who normally have everything wrapped by the end of November could fall behind.
It can help to think about your customers in terms of the bigger brands. Are they John Lewis and Waitrose type people who like a bit of luxury and appreciate the personal touch? Do they want magic and sparkles? Will their house be filled with food and people even though money is tight? Working out what their priorities are will help you to talk to them more effectively.
What can you bring your customers at Christmas?
None of us have the budget to hire Elton John (and I know quite a few people who think John Lewis shouldn’t have bothered) or even to have an animated carrot dangling from a cliff. That doesn’t mean that you can’t bring your customers something that they’ll like. If you’re struggling for quick Christmas marketing ideas I’m running an advent calendar on both Facebook and Instagram that has a few. There are also a few things in there to help you look after yourself. We all get frazzled at this time of year and I’m using my calendar as a cue for myself.
At Christmas you might want practicality but emotion is important too. I’ve no doubt there will be a few modern day Scrooges out there saying ‘humbug’, but you can ignore them. Unless you’re one of them, in which case you have the perfect opportunity to band together in sympathy. You don’t have to spend much money (if any) to give people something that they’ll find touching or entertaining. Hafod Hardware, a family run shop in Wales, made this advert last year for just £7. You could showcase your products in a fun way or show people how you can make their lives easier at Christmas.
Over to you – what are you offering your customers at Christmas?
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