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An undernourished orphan turns
to petty crime. It’s the subject of one of the most
popular novels of all time.
Ultimately, of course, the tale
ends happily for Oliver Twist, but the story highlights
just how miserable life in nineteenth century London really
was.
Yet at this time of year, it’s an entirely different
Victorian vision that dominates: the magic of Christmas past,
so perfectly enshrined in one of Dickens’ other classics:
A Christmas Carol.
The tale of Tiny Tim and of how even
an old miser can be infected with the Christmas spirit is
viewed as something
of an antidote
to the commercialism of Christmas. And it’s a vision
that extends to include a whole range of yuletide trappings,
from carol singers in the snow to roasted chestnuts bought
from gaily painted street barrows.
Yet today this anti-commercial Christmas
has become just as commercial an enterprise. From festive
markets to Victorian
Christmas fayres, there’s a real market in giving
people the opportunity to buy gifts redolent of what
are perceived
as more innocent times; wooden (rather than electronic)
games, handmade decorations and traditional recipe jams.
What’s interesting, though, is the fact that it does
so without compromising the impression of it being somehow
less tainted. People buy without feeling they’re
buying; shopping becomes less of a drudge set to a
Slade soundtrack,
and instead a way to experience Christmas past.
It’s a sleight of hand that the marketing world could
do well to emulate. How do we deliver marketing solutions that
make people feel they’re deciding without the
aid of marketing?
There are a number of devices classically
employed to meet this goal;
soft-sell, brand-building techniques that give customers
and prospects business value like seminars, magazines and
educational literature. All of these can incorporate branding
and demonstrate a company’s knowledge, without having
to name products and focus everything on instant ROI. They’re
essentially long-term strategies, building up a relationship
with readers or attendees, and helping to ensure that when
purchasing decisions are made, your company is on the radar.
It’s not quite the subterfuge that the Victorian Christmas
has managed, but it is certainly a more subtle approach.
This, of course, is little revelation
in itself. But what is interesting is that in recent months,
Writing
Machine
has been
seeing a burgeoning trend towards these kinds
of
marketing devices. Seriously heavyweight magazines
are under
consideration. Organisations are even discussing
educational booklets
that don’t even contain calls to action. All this indicates
to us that the general atmosphere within the business world
is – cautiously – changing.
Paul Roberts is Head of Writing at Writing Machine
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