This time of year, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Andy Williams might be among your most influential salespeople. (But not Alvin, Simon and Theodore…)
According to a study by Entertainment Media Research Ltd., the way into many consumers’ wallets during the holidays is through their ears.
Most people, it seems, can’t fully embrace the spirit of the season without hearing their favorite carols. Given a choice between Christmas shopping with or without music, a whopping 95 percent of consumers said they wanted the fa la la la la. The study’s authors hypothesized that people feel so strongly about Christmas music because it helps surface fond memories from holidays past.
Wondering which holiday songs to play? There’s a lot of literature on that too, albeit decidedly less scientific. Still, although Christmas music tastes are subjective, we detected a lot of repeat offenders on various “best” and “worst” lists. In summary:
Play This:
- White Christmas
- The Christmas Song
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- All I Want for Christmas is You
- Silent Night
Not That:
- Funky, Funky X-Mas
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- Wonderful Christmastime
- Christmas Don’t be Late
- Last Christmas
- The Christmas Shoes
Of course, if you want to get really precise, you could use social media for market research and ask your customers to share the Christmas tunes they love and loathe.
