👋, I’m Kimberly. I’ve been creating obsession-worthy brands for the past fifteen years. And now, I’m giving away my secrets every week in this newsletter.
‘Tis the season for all things holly and jolly.
And the holliest and jolliest symbol of the season is the big guy himself….
The man who puts the Kringle in our Chris, the Father in our Christmas, the Saint in our Nick…
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.
When my husband and I got married, my mother-in-law sent over a gazillion photos of him as a child for our slide show. These photos included the yearly picture with Santa… for 21 years.
Luckily, my husband was the older sibling—and the responsibility of actually sitting on Santa’s knee all of those years fell to his younger brother Greg, just two years his junior.
These 21 years of Santa photos only go to prove Santa’s endearing and enduring qualities as the primary holiday figure in the Christmas canon.
But, how did a man with a high BMI in a red suit who likes to break and enter via the chimney come to be so universally adored?
You could say Santa is the Jedi master of branding.
So, for this year’s Secret Santa, there will be no Custom Face Socks. No Funny Sloth Coffee Mugs. And certainly no Squatty Potty’s.
I’m going literal on my gift — with Santa’s actual secrets — so we can all learn from his marketing brilliance.
1. Maintain a Recognizable Look and Feel
Big guy with a beard. Red suit. White trim.
Like the Golden Arches of McDonald’s, Santa’s classic look is distinctive and easy to spot from far away.
2. Have a Big, World-Changing Mission
Santa knows his “Why.”
He exists to bring happiness and holiday cheer to children all around the globe. And he takes his job as a symbol of love and joy extremely seriously.
3. Be Clear and Upfront About Your Values
With Santa, you know what he’s looking for—and what he isn’t.
Either you’re nice: treating those around you well.
Or you’re naughty: a prankster without a heart of gold who has some coal coming to a stocking near you.
4. Get To Know Your Consumers on a Personal Basis
Santa knows that Cindy wants a razor scooter, Alex wishes for an Xbox, and mom would love to get sent to a spa in wine country for a weekend.
He’s masterful at keeping track of everyone’s preferences and using them without it feeling creepy.
Also, Santa’s never had a data breach. His security is tiiight.
5. Get Yourself a Catchy Tagline (or Two)
“Ho Ho Ho!”
It’s only three words on repeat.
Scratch that—it’s not even three words, it’s three sounds.
But those three sounds are so synonymous with Santa, we don’t even care.
Plus, “And to all a good night” is a memorable signoff that rivals Walter Cronkite’s.
6. Practice Excellent Customer Service
All of those presents, delivered all around the world, all in one night?
That’s the kind of speed and precision of which UPS/USPS/FedEx/DHL can only dream.
And of course, the shipping is always free.
7. Be Good to Your Employees
Santa treats his elves like family. And he would never ask them to forgo bathroom breaks to meet their quotas, unlike a certain Prime retailer who got called out for this kind of bad behavior.
Also, I’m not 100% sure if the Elves have unionized — but I imagine they’re allowed to if they please.
8. Care for Animals & The Environment
All of the toys coming out of Santa’s Workshop are Leaping Reindeer Certified.
And everyone knows that Santa’s sleigh runs on Christmas Cheer — which makes it the lowest emission vehicle of all.
9. Interact with Your People on the Ground
Starting the day after Thanksgiving, Santa represents at every mall, tree farm, and holiday venue he can think of.
His goal? Talk 1:1 with the children he serves.
The insights he gathers during this most important month drive his strategies throughout the year.
10. Show Your Customers Appreciation
Now, I’ll admit that there’s a slim chance that Santa is legit hungry at every house he visits.
Because getting all around the world in one night is a lot of work. It has to burn a ton of calories.
The idea that he really needs to eat all those cookies to make it through the night isn’t the most plausible bit of his story.
My question is: does he eat cookies from every platter lovely prepared by a child especially for him—whether he’s hungry or not?
Yes. Yes, he does.
And that kind of dietary commitment deserves a slow clap.
11. Do Remarkable Things
One of my favorite marketing books is Seth Godin’s Purple Cow.
In the book, Godin says that to be successful, you need to build “Purple Cows” — remarkable products and services that stand out from the crowd by going above and beyond.
Santa would 100% qualify as a Purple Cow on many fronts—getting all those gifts out to all the boys and girls, all on one night.
I say MOO to you, Santa!
Bonus: Why Santa is the OG Decentralized Brand
Before Coca-Cola started using Santa in commercials, he was seen in all sorts of physical shapes and colors—typically green.
But since Coco-Coal dressed in his red and white uniform and that image took hold in the world’s collective, no one has centrally managed the Santa brand.
Agency over Santa and the telling of his story is given to everyone who plays Santa or tells stories of Santa.
Looking forward, Santa understands that he can not control everything about his brand. And the beauty is, he has never tried to.
This means that Santa is more prepared for Web3 than any other brand — even more than BitCoin itself. Because the value of Santa’s brand has always been backed by the size and robustness of its community of believers.
That’s my list. Be sure to check it twice.
And make sure your brand is… haughty or vice?*
*Sorry, I couldn’t find any good words that rhymed for this line.
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About Me
I help early stage founders create the kind of brands that get customers so obsessed, they’ll do your advertising for you.
Based on my experience founding my own consumer brand, I developed The Branding Sprint—a uniquely collaborative, streamlined, and agile approach to brand creation.
Click here to learn more about The Branding Sprint, or schedule a call with me.