We know you’ve probably tried to go shopping for Christmas by now, and, if you’re lucky, you’ve succeeded – despite the rush, crush, crowds, queues and broken air-conditioners in almost every mall in South Africa.
We also know you’re going to push through it – and so are your customers. Their experiences will be almost identical to yours (possibly less cynical, depending on what your year’s been like).
Knowing how exhausting it is, how can you keep your consumers’ attention when all they really want is an ice-cold drink and a headache tablet?
We’ve picked a test subject to explore this for us. Here are her stats:
- Vanessa Jones
- 38
- Two children
- Three dogs
- Terrifying mother-in-law
- Terrified husband
Instead of staying at home and avoiding all mention of buying Elizabeth Arden goodies for her mother-in-law, she decides to brave the madness of Sandton city. On a Saturday. One week before Christmas. Oh, Vanessa.
This is her day, and we’ve added some actions you can take to engage her effectively on her already over-stimulated journey.
Remember – Christmas is a loud time of the year. It’s busy, stressful, and rushed, so watch Vanessa’s trip to find the spaces where she really, really needs you.
She definitely won’t forget that you helped her along the way.
Time
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Vanessa's Shopping
Timeline
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Your Holiday
Shopping Plan
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08h00
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- Briefs husband on childcare, because she feels she needs to.
- Forgets keys in the house. Goes back inside.
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08h30
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- Says goodbye to children. Again.
- Leaves home.
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09h00
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- Arrives at Sandton: Immediately accosted by promoters handing out flyers for a furniture sale.
- Grabs.
- Tosses into passenger footwell.
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09h30
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10h00
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- Checks on children. Sends husband list of foods on the banned list.
- Realises he’ll give them to them anyway.
- Wonders how long it will take to do an advanced meal-plan.
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10h30
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- Goes straight to Red Square. Leaves with a perfume-headache.
- Realises kitten heels were a bad choice of footwear.
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11h00
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- Goes to Woolworths. Looks for flats to put on to shop in.
- Leaves with a trolley scrape on heel.
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11h30
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- Tries to find a shop that sells fondue sets for sister-in-law. Fails.
- Considers buying her a toaster.
- Too many people in Boardmans.
- Gives up on toaster too.
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12h00
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- Wishes these shoes were worn in better.
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12h05
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- Wishes she’d bought earplugs.
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12h15
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- Goes to CNA for wrapping paper. Picks up a magazine instead.
- Answers phone to children wanting Lego. Says no.
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12h25
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- Stands in queue.
- Answers phone to husband wanting Lego. Says no again.
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13h00
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- Goes back to Woolworths to find a chicken big enough for 6 people. Buys two.
- Stands in queue. Remembers the veggies and cream.
- Leaves queue.
- Returns to queue.
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14h00
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- Gets to till point. Pays.
- Answers phone. Children have gone mad. Husband has gone mad.
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14h15
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- Walks into mall concourse. Sees a wall of shoppers bearing down. Loudly.
- Decides to go home and buy presents online.
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14h15
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14h30
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14h45
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- Finds phone.
- Texts husband ETA.
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15h00
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- Gets in car. Sinks into seat. Revels in the silence. Pretends to be at the beach.
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15h01
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- Realises they’re not going to the beach. But at least it’s quiet in the car.
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15h05
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- Turns on radio.
- Closes eyes.
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15h09
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- Listens to Boney M on the local station all the way home.
- Hears an ad for affordable holidays. Feels positive.
- Sings along to ‘Little Drummer Boy’.
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15h30
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- Gets home.
- Hands children bags to carry. Loads fridge and freezer.
- Realises she needs a bigger freezer, but she’d rather have a cupboard of rotten meat than go back into the fray to buy one.
- Realise that there is no wrapping paper. Facepalms self.
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15h45
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- Chaos finally done.
- Sinks onto couch. Opens magazine. Reads about all the pretty things that were nowhere to be found today.
- Thinks about the affordable holiday.
- Mentions to husband. Husband agrees.
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16h00
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- Hands childcare duties to husband.
- Plans the Christmas lunch.
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16h00
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- Wonders if she can cancel Christmas.
- Gets a call from mother-in-law saying she will be bringing dessert to family dinner.
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16h00
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- Watches Frozen for the 9th time this week, while making the trifle. Feels peaceful.
- Mother-in-law calls.
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17h00
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- Goes online and looks up beach holidays. Imagines going alone.
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17h30
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- Eats an early dinner. Rests feet. Cuddles kids.
- It’s quiet. She has space. This is not so bad.
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In each of these steps in Vanessa’s exhausting day, her context is changing. She needs different things in different spaces, for different people. But you know that, because you’re a shopper too.
Use your own experience at this time of year to guide you around the endless and cluttered maze of holiday marketing. Vanessa – and everybody else – will thank you.
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