It’s Christmas time, and people everywhere are trying to find time to purchase gifts for friends and family.
My wife was up at the shops doing exactly that today, and in the process discovered something rather interesting.
She had just picked up a skim board for our 8 year old son and was waiting in the queue to pay for the product. Another lady walks up and politely asks, “What is that?” My wife explained that it was a board that you use to “skim” along the shallow waters at a beach. “Great, I will go and get one”, replied the lady and off she went to grab a skim board for herself (presumably as a present). No advertising, no product brochures, but seeing my wife dressed in sports gear with the product was enough to convince someone to also purchase the product.
10 minutes later, my wife was in another store holding the recently purchased skim board under her arm. Another lady again politely asks .. “Where did you get that?” From Rebel Sport (the name of the sports store), my wife replied. Another sale based on the assumption that “if you chose this, it’s good enough for me”.
Now, I know the factors of Christmas dictate a certainly urgency in decision making, but isn’t it interesting how product placement, in the arms of a new customer, can make a louder statement than television.
Maybe it’s time Santa’s helpers need to be dressed up as genuine consumers walking around department stores with products under their arms!
