Digital Media Monkey

I’ve seen a few tweets scoffing at Thomas Cook’s latest TV advert which sees Jamie and Louise Redknapp parading and gyrating around one of their luxury resorts (I won’t scoff too much myself as I quite admire the Redknapps but that’s a digression for another day).

Thomas Cook’s tv ad does more to alienate me than attract me though. I somehow can’t see me and Sarah (my girlfriend) affording to stay in the same swish pad and private beach as Jamie and Louise (before the final frame I was convinced it would be a coveted luxury holiday brand rather than a high street one). I’m sure it will work to inspire some people but that sort of aspirational marketing leaves me a little cold (as well as guffawing at some of the slow-mo pics, particularly Jamie’s golf drive and Louise’s equestrian friend).

Anyway, this article isn’t about that tv ad or Thomas Cook. It’s about one of their rivals, and the data driven approach of their fiercest competitor Thomson, whose integrated approach really appeals to me. Read the rest of this entry »

I for one won’t be found online shopping on Christmas Day. I’ll have plunged deep into the Real Ale Reviews beer cupboard to sample some of my finest beer treats, enjoying seeing my family and tucking into a smorgasbord of Christmas treats and luxuries: peanuts, cheeses and those fancy See’s candies that my granddad gets sent from San Francisco every year.

But according to the Telegraph, 4 million of us will be letting the Christmas washing-up pile high whilst they rush to their shiny new laptops and go crazy in the January…no New Year’s….no Boxing Day…sorry, Christmas Day sales.

Telegraphy report on Boxing Day (Christmas Eve!) sales

In fact the sale will start on Christmas Eve as, according to the paper, Halfords, Comet, B&Q and John Lewis amongst others will be opening up their sites to hoards of price savvy bargain hunters 36 hours before the bricks and mortar stores unlock their doors.

Last year I saw some interesting trends with retailers at this time of year, but didn’t see the huge Christmas Day rush. But methinks their may be something to this news as increasingly online connected population have the ability to look up ‘what they could have won’ within seconds of being disappointed by their pressies. That may be a cynical outlook but take some electrical items like sat navs, where its easy to select a slightly wrong model. And Halford’s third busiest traffic day last year was Christmas Day.

There’s also simply the people who know that there will be great savings to be had but know that if they wait until the 27th or 28th to hhit the shops (online or offline) that stock will be long gone. Once the turkey’s prepared on Christmas Eve these people may well be sitting down with a shopping comparison site rather than a rerun of Only Fools And Horses.

Implications for marketers and retailers? Do you ensure a perfect PPC presence or comprehensive shopping comparison listings? A two day takeover of a large portal? Or simply invest in servers to cope with the rush?

I’d say this shopping on Christmas Day malarkey is all very sad, but I know for a fact I have a Christmas Day blog post planned. I think I’ll set it to auto publish…!