Why A Little Bit Of Marketing Does You Good, Especially At Christmas
My grandpa, who's a Quaker, used to disapprove of the fact that
I ventured into marketing, but he's coming round to my way of
thinking, even at the grand age of 92. He is suspicious of
marketing (in his mind - a term synonymous with extracting money
from a gullible party, for the benefit of corporate greed) and
doesn't believe in profit, even though profit itself is not a
bad thing.
I bring this issue up because in case you hadn't noticed, it's
going to be Christmas soon and as usual any company which can
exploit Christmas as a commercial theme is doing so. But before
we exchange our Christmas wreath for cynicism on our front door,
sometimes marketing can be beneficial and the creativity in
marketing campaigns can be enjoyed by the consumer.
Take for instance (but not for instant) Starbucks Coffee
Company, no longer is it just a coffee company! If you're still
refusing to do your Christmas shopping online, marketing
executives at Starbucks have come up with a few ideas so that
you can break the shopping up with interludes of Gingerbread
Latte, Eggnog Latte or Toffee Nut Latte ( http://starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Favorite+Beverages/Chr
istmas+Beverages.htm ). You could even come back after the
shopping and have a Chocolate Mint Bliss or Mint Chocolate Chip
Frappuccino. If Marketing brings Gingerbread Lattes, then it's
got to be a good thing.
It's not just the high street shops which are getting festive.
Online stores are getting into the Christmas spirit too, even
finance companies; the traditional residences of Scrooge type
characters. Moneynet, a personal finance information research
specialist, has brought out a Christmas finance guide ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/christmas-savings-guide/index.shtml ), with a range of money-saving tips to help the innocent
consumer navigate their way past loan sharks who feed on the
financial difficulties of certain families, particularly at
Christmas.
But lets not dwell on the doom and gloom, lets think about the
children, what's marketing doing for them? Well... the Early
Learning Centre has developed a special Christmas section ( http://www.elc.co.uk/categ
ory-720 ) on its website to inspire parents, grandparents
and relatives with ideas of suitable gifts for the children. If
your daughter is more into Stevie Wonder than Golden Wonder,
then she might be impressed with the Pink Keyboard And Stool;
though remember, musical toys last for years not just for
Christmas, it's your sanity at stake.
But Christmas isn't just for the kids, it's for the "big kids"
too. Justtoys is a site which sells toys for parents, buying
toys for their children. If my parents are reading this, or even
my colleagues, I quite fancy the Radio Control Dalek http://www.justtoys.com/toy.asp/Toy/33/buy/radio-control-d
alek.htm which offers seven phrases triggered by buttons on
the remote control, 360 degree on the spot rotational movement
and the Dome and Eyestalk move from side to side as it moves.
Beats slippers and writing paper any day.
Marketing and commercial competition has also made a fantastic
choice available on the internet and it gives us ideas, when
we've run out of inspiration ourselves. So whilst we need to
remain sceptical about advertising, there are some advantages to
profit investment ...
... and Starbucks Chocolate Mint Bliss is one of them.
About the author:
Rachel is a financially conscious chocoholic who lives in
Edinburgh and writes for the personal finance blog Cashzilla.
Cashzilla is a mighty personalfinanosaurus who has been linked
to several Scottish celebrities including Nessie.
http://www.cashzilla.co.uk Contact details: Rachel Lane, E-mail:
rachel@positiveinterest.com
Written By: Rachel Lane