Marketing Clues from Holiday Commercial

The holiday season is upon us and there have been some amazing commercials on the air that are heart-warming and note-worthy of their effectiveness in reaching out to the consumer. Let’s take a deeper look at a particular commercial to pick up clues that can be tied into your own marketing efforts.

Before I get into this remember that before doing any kind of marketing it is critical to pin point the specific market you are looking to sell your product or service to. For example are you planning to sell to ages 13-20 or 50-65? Are your customers more likely to listen to hip hop or rock’n’roll? Details like this should not be overlooked when reaching out to customers.

One commercial that particularly stood out to me this holiday season was called “Misunderstood” by Apple. The commercial focuses on a young man who is constantly consumed by his Apple phone while visiting family during the holidays. Throughout the commercial it seems like he is selfishly on his phone and missing out on special family moments but at the end his family is surprised when he shows them a video he made comprising of clips he filmed throughout the entire visit which makes his habit completely worth it. Watch the commercial and see how touching it is!

When looking at this commercial we can see surface details such as the commercial being geared towards younger folks who visit family, Christmas traditions, and those who are tech-savvy/creative. This is appealing to young people who know too well how boring it can be to visit family during the holidays.

The deeper meaning of the commercial though is one of my favorite concepts, “selling the product of the product.” Throughout the commercial we are annoyed by the image of a kid who is constantly on his phone, the product. We wonder what could be more important on a phone than visiting with family? However when he shows the video at the end we understand that he is not simply on a phone, he is on a device that can be used to record special family moments. His whole family smiled and even cried when they watched his video. What made this possible? His Apple phone.

When reaching out to customers think about how your product will impact their lives and those they are connected to. What will they obtain by using your product or service that will really improve their life in some way. When emphasizing surface detail of your product or service you have a higher tendency of blending in with your competitors, but you can differentiate your company when you specify what customers will obtain at the end.

Learn more about improving your marketing strategy starting a business of your own by contacting me!