This year, the VML Australia Agency took a social approach to sending out holiday greetings, featuring a social Santa on SnapChat. Its ‘SnapChat Santa’ account is exactly what it sounds like, capturing a snap of Santa’s day-to-day life on a unique countdown to Christmas.
Since Santa’s already made his presence known across other social media networks, it makes sense that he’d now branch out to share behind-the-scenes SnapChat photos this season.
SnapChat users who follow the 'Santa_Official' account will receive daily images like Santa grumbling about having to pick up reindeer droppings. The account dispels some of the magic that surrounds this holiday icon and as the VML Australia Agency describes, "Being Santa ain’t all bells and ho’s." This is a fun type of Christmas greeting for the agency to send out, as well as a great one to get people checking back daily to see what Santa's up to.
Photo-Snapping Santa Accounts
Santa on Snapchat Counts Down to Christmas with Captures of His Life
Trend Themes
1. Social Santa - Opportunity for agencies to create unique, social media-based campaigns around popular holiday icons to engage audiences and build brand awareness.
2. Social Media Greetings - The rise of social media as a platform for sending personalized greetings during festive seasons presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for industries that specialize in personalized gifting and e-cards.
3. Behind-the-scenes Content - Consumers' growing appetite for transparent, behind-the-scenes content presents disruptive innovation opportunity for industries such as media and entertainment to tap into the trend and build greater customer engagement.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - Opportunity for advertising agencies and marketing firms to leverage popular holiday icons like Santa in social media campaigns for their clients.
2. Gifting - Opportunity for gifting companies to incorporate social media elements to create personalized greetings this holiday season.
3. Media & Entertainment - Opportunity for media and entertainment companies to provide more behind-the-scenes content to consumers looking for more transparency and personalization in their engagement with their favorite icons or celebrities.