Six Degrees of Holiday Shopping
Holiday shopping has become so much more complex than the old days of perusing store fliers to look for the best deal on items on your list. We’re not only influenced on what to shop for by a variety of advertising vehicles, but we’re guided on how and when to shop with opportunities such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and this year’s Thanksgiving Day retail hours. A grass roots movement called Shift Your Shopping is working to influence Holiday shoppers in a slightly different manner. The organization encourages shoppers to look beyond large retail chains and instead choose local establishments who each agree to donate a portion of your purchase to a charity of your choice.
The premise is sound - support your local economy while contributing to a cause that you believe in. SYS makes it easy for qualifying retailers to register and offers a variety of tools for their use including ready to distribute PSAs, social media templates, point of sale materials as well as logos and graphics. However, the incorporation of a humorous, retro-style promotional video featuring Kevin Bacon is by far the most intriguing aspect of this effort. Involved in SYS through his SixDegrees charitable organization, Bacon’s role in this video is that of a cheesy 80s era spokesperson in a very poorly (think old time cable access) produced local TV spot.
What I like about the video is that its humor is well targeted toward the demographic that would seem most likely to support an effort such as SYS. Shoppers who appreciate the 80s era spoof and relate to the career of Kevin Bacon are those who probably have the social awareness to be interested in supporting the local economy and the disposable income to choose specialty over mass market. Certainly, that’s not to say that all individuals in younger or older demos will fail to recognize and appreciate the relevance of SYS, but smart marketing focuses on where the opportunity is greatest.
Plus, who doesn’t love Kevin Bacon? If you claim that you don’t, I challenge you to a game of chicken on farm tractors (bonus points if you get the movie reference).
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