What would Father Christmas do? 3 lessons from the master of in-store engagement

We all know how busy the shops get in the lead-up to Christmas. But did you know that when it comes to in-store footfall, December is essentially a month of Saturdays? 

This year, take some inspiration from Father Christmas - the guru on in-store marketing and customer engagement. The big man is well aware how crucial it is to activate your brand in-store during this peak shopping season, in front of an audience with a gifting mindset who are ready to shop, and he achieves this through his core marketing pillars:

1. He bases his approach on insight and trends

Unfazed by the complexities of GDPR, Father Christmas maintains a comprehensive customer database. His customers eagerly write to him detailing exactly what they want, allowing him to both deliver a highly personalised customer experience and follow what's trending in real time – marketing gold! He segments his database using a simple metric ('naughty' or 'nice') and doesn’t waste resources on the naughty list.

Be Like Father Christmas: Use insight, segmentation and trends to efficiently and effectively choose the most relevant stores for your target market and make the most of the Christmas shopping season, which can account for up to 30% of all retail sales.

2. He delivers!

The big guy in red knows what his audience wants from him and gives it to them. From photo ops to personal appearances, gifting and pop-ups, he consistently delivers his festive experiences, right on brand, right on time.

Be Like Father Christmas: With 58% of Christmas spending happening in-store, make sure your shopper activations inspire and engage with consumers as they seek out an enjoyable Christmas experience.

3. He has a great support team

Behind that cotton wool beard is a wily marketer who understands the challenges of getting all his grottos just so, making sure there is just the right amount of pixie dust and all the perfectly wrapped Christmas presents get under the right tree on time. He relies on his team of elves and reindeer to make it happen.

Be Like Father Christmas: As the 2 weeks leading up to Christmas Day account for 40% of all Christmas sales, make sure you’re working with an experienced dream team ready and able to deliver over the busiest time of the year.

Jump on the N2O sleigh this Christmas and take advantage of one of several retailer programmes we have available. We still have access to some exclusive in-store spaces but the best spots are going quickly so get in touch.

The End
More coming soon!