What can Santa’s Grotto teach us about marketing?
Right now and as we head into 2014, customer experience is a hot topic for every brand.
So for starters, let’s take one that’s pretty topical. Santa Claus is a traditional brand, steeped in old-fashioned values, hand-crafted production and a leader who was operating eons before the internet was a twinkle in Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s eye.
And yet, Santa successfully embraces digital technology to engage and delight his customers. Apps are widely available to enhance the magic – you can track his progress from the North Pole, you can organise a call to your child from Santa and you can create films tailored to how your children have been naughty or nice.
This year I took my children to visit Santa in his grotto at a shopping centre in London. My expectation, based on seasonal films like Elf and Miracle on 34th Street, was of a long queue, kept in order by some cheerful yet put-upon elves, then a quick chat with Santa, perhaps sitting on his knee, followed by a present and a ‘Ho Ho Ho!’
The reality was delightfully better - and technology made the difference. First I booked online and received a specific timeslot so the queue was limited, removing a key pain-point. And then, during the wait while our group assembled, an elf took a quick snap of each child using an iPad, asked me their names and my email address, and then handed out child and adult-sized 3D glasses.
When we entered we were invited to put on our glasses and watch a 3D film featuring Santa, a flying snowman and our children: their names and photos taken earlier placed on presents which flew around us in 3D magic. After the film, with parents and children equally excited, each family met Santa, had a quick chat (no knee) and our picture taken, and received a brightly-wrapped present. There may even have been a ‘Ho Ho Ho’.
As we left and while the children attacked their gifts, we were immediately able to buy the picture via digital technology again. I bought ours inserted into a bauble for the tree. A few days later, each child received an email of another personalised film and an offer of a free app on which they could play Santa-related games.
So digital technology enhanced our customer experience – it sprinkled magic on a brand that’s already pretty magical through pain-point removal, personalisation and an extension of the experience when we got home. And what’s more:
1. The brand expression was spot-on
We were in a traditional-looking cabin with friendly elves, Christmas trees, twinkling lights and a mechanical workshop scene to keep the children distracted while they waited to enter through the main doors. Santa was well-padded, dressed in red and had a well-attached white beard. These things matter: the semiotics of Santa, if you will.
2. They identified insights
There were insights into both the adult and children audiences. Did my children particularly care that the film was 3D, and enjoy it that much more because it had their pictures? Not especially, but I did. However, did they benefit from time to acclimatise and some silly humour, hence being less anxious when they met the great man? Absolutely.
3. They cared about the little touches
My receipt for the bauble is branded “Thank you for visiting Santa”. They spelled the girls’ names right, they had an area to park buggies and the cabin doors closed so that we were immersed in the experience and protected from the cold.
4. The people were warm and engaging
A grumpy Santa and over-stressed elves would have ruined it all, and I suspect that consistently smiling at over-excited and unpredictable children is no easy feat.
There’s so much brand marketers could learn from this. I just hope that Santa doesn’t over-communicate now that he has my email address.
Hayley Spurling is brand director at marketing capability firm Brand Learning