Thoughts on Christmas Past

	THE RAMIFICATIONS OF PRODUCT ENNUI

One key reason this season lacked sales punch was product ennui. Same old, same old. Display after display of look-alike cashmere sweaters. Toys that made you wonder about potential recalls. Gadgets that soon disappointed. Similar products that could be found in many catalogs. Ho-hum vs. Ho, ho, ho!

Ask any of your friends or relatives what their favorite gifts were and I bet you'll be hard pressed to hear of many innovative gift-giving experiences. Most people received gift cards — the No. 1 category (No. 2 was practical electronics).

What happened to creative merchandising and product development? How are customers supposed to feel the thrill of the hunt (one of Anthropologie's and Costco's strengths) when there are so few “must have” prizes?

A friend recently commented on how Christmas mornings have changed. Instead of the surprise element (albeit sometimes good, sometimes not so good!) of unwrapping specially chosen gifts for one another around the tree and ooohhhing and aaahhhing, the family passes out gift cards like shuffling playing cards: Old Navy for the pre-teen, Chico's for mom, Home Depot for dad, Best Buy for the geek, Barnes & Noble for the bookworm, and so on.

Then they all wait for the bargains to begin on Dec. 26. Hmmm. Not exactly the nostalgic Norman Rockwell experience.

Granted, gift cards are here to stay. They meet today's consumers' needs: convenience, convenience, and convenience. You don't even have to go to the actual store. You can typically order them online or by phone or pick them up at your grocery store with your weekly milk and bread. For instance, Safeway had more than 200 card “partners.”

The good news is that this is one category that has not fallen to product listlessness. I applaud the creativity in gift card presentation — from personalization, customization, packaging, on-brand look, and feels, to the variety of messaging and designs.

High-end outdoor apparel marketer Gorsuch's gift cards looks like a painting of two skiers schussing downhill (see example below). Target also has several enticing gift-card design options. And yet, there are more ways for multichannelers to leverage the potential of gift cards. Brainstorm ways your brand can make more merriment out of gift cards.

	MERRY, MERRY MEANING

This is not the first Christmas that I have commissioned my artistic friend to make many of my gifts for the season. And I am not alone.

As the “sea of sameness” continues throughout retail-land, the idea of “handmade” and artisan gifts continues to surge. The Artful Home understands this and even has a section of truly exquisite “one of a kind” gifts both online and in its catalog.

Femail Creations was founded to give female artists a voice and outlet for their creations. Esty.com, an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade goods, aims to “enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers…”

This is where catalogers used to shine. Their merchandise was unique, extraordinary. Customers are craving this. How might your brand fill this need?

	ONTO '08

In Seth Godin's new book about old and new marketing, Meatball Sundaes, he reminds us that, “Customers are in charge. They're bored. They're narcissistic. And they certainly don't have the patience for your meetings and strategy decks.”

And so, as a consumer and as a merchant, I implore you to make magic out of your learning lessons of 2007. Many companies don't. As historian and author Barbara Tuchman said, “Learning from experience is a faculty almost never practiced.”

Christmas 2008 is right around the corner. Get back to the workshop and make Santa proud!

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Andrea Syverson is president of IER Partners, a branding and merchandising consultancy in Black Forest, CO.