Watching The Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with my kids it struck me (wait for it…) how the story had striking parallels with marketing and communication in our networked world.
In the story, a harmless but delusional old man steps in to take the place of a drunk ‘Father Christmas’ at Macy’s New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Yes, there are a lot of drunk and delusional social media people tripping over each other at this time of year, but that’s not the parallel I am reaching for.
In the film, our loveable, *crazy* Santa gets the Father Christmas gig at Macy’s department store. When some kid asks him for a present that Macy’s doesn’t stock, Kris Kringle (for that is Santa’s name) points the parents to a competitor store that does. Santa just wants the kids to be happy; and freely shares information that will indeed make them happier (can you see where I’m going with this?).
You’re sacked
Macy’s managers initially go ballistic at Santa’s flagrantly un-commercial breach of company rules. Mr Kringle was, after all, under strict instructions to push the over-stocked and end-of-line products Macy’s needed to shift.
No, hang on, you’re re-hired
‘The Miracle’ occurs when grateful customers flood Mr Macy’s postbag with letters of thanks, and when mums and dads queue up outside his office to meet the customer service genius. They all want to say:
- how much they appreciate the generous and fair advice they have been given
- how they will certainly be recommending Macy’s to their friends
- how they will be back at Macy’s to shop in the near future
And there it is. A masterstroke of marketing by a delusional fella who just wanted to share the love.
Thanks to T-KONI for the image