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Posted by Sarah Brown on 17 Dec '13

7 marketing tips from Father Christmas

The marketing lessons we can learn from Father Christmas - an exclusive interview revealed what he has learnt over the centuries

I was lucky enough to get an interview with Father Christmas before he started his really busy period and he shared his views on marketing and what has made him so successful in seven top tips:

  1. Consistency in branding - I always wear red and though my wife doesn't like it I've kept my white beard. It's a global brand which has taken me centuries to develop and I guard it jealously. I have had design agencies pitch to me that I ought to update it for a more modern colour but my brand is everything so I want to protect it
  2. People like free gifts. I have used free gifts to build my image and brand and this has put me in a strong position to negotiate good deals with toy companies and card manufacturers and others who want to use my brand to promote themselves. I truly believe in the motto "givers gain"
  3. A strong brand will attract customers and they will find you however hard it is. Even though for security reasons I can't publish my full address the post office gets letters to me addressed Father Christmas the North Pole
  4. You have to innovate to stay ahead of the game. Over the years I have updated what I offer based on market trends and market research. If I had kept offering spinning tops when the demand has moved on to electronic games I would have not stayed market leader
  5. As you at inspire2aspire say staying true to your corporate personality is key so that people trust you. For me that is my service - I have to deliver on the 24th or people won't trust me and my whole brand will be undermined
  6. Keep to what you know - I'm a gift expert and that's my passion which is why I am so good at running my business. My marketing niche is the delivered gift market, mainly for children, though I do get adults sending me orders. I know this market and can dominate it because it is a discrete sector. If I was trying to compete with people like Amazon or ebay in the broader market then I would be less successful. I have been able to build my position in my niche over centuries and because people know what I stand for I find others promote me as well. I've even had stories and films made about me which is all free marketing
  7. Be ethical and true to your values. I try to be good employer and to treat all my elves equally. I collaborate with charities for children that are in need and I use my profits to fund more free gifts. I know you at inspire2aspire believe in "winning by being good" and this is what I have been practising for centuries and I can confirm it works.

    I hope all your readers have a happy christmas and please remember the carrots for the reindeer. I am trying to improve my diet so low fat mince pies would be appreciated and I don't want to drink and drive so no sherry please.

If you enjoyed this then here are some other thoughts on marketing:

Marketing - Is your mousetrap good enough?

New Niche market for Tesco

Marketing - developing a marketing strategy and marketing engine

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