Sneakers, Speakers, and Leakers

Insidious, Unfair! Retailers and marketing majors have studied both the timing and methodology for whetting our appetites (literally, through free samples in food stores), getting us salivating for various products. A dynamic combination of science and art, they conspire to sneak up on us at various times throughout the year (not just at Christmas time, but especially so), giving us a peek at things big and small, in such a manner that something we hadn't even glanced at before becomes something "I need mom and dad...everyone else is going to have it...it's what they're showing..." Or, "Dear, I don't really need  anything, but if you really want to get me something, I saw this thing in Sharper Image...". Yep, we all fall victim from time to time; it's a stacked Deck𝆕

Slippery Slope, Always Hope: So subtle in its genesis, so clandestine in origin, the urge grows from a distant thought to one which occupies our minds and especially our days leading up to what is known around the world now as "Christmas Time in the City". Just how do we go from not even thinking about this gadget to a keen awareness it is now the thing I need to make my life complete? In such a short period of time as well. It snuck up on me. All of a sudden I notice Santa's presence everywhere, on every street corner and in every store. This, after seeing him arrive in our home town on Thanksgiving, preceded by a huge parade, apparently in his honor. He was not only given a key to the city but now also gets a locater, so he can trace my whereabouts as well as my 'nice' and 'naughty' deeds as I seek to gain his favor, to ensure I get my version of Ralphie's Red Ryder bb gun (a dream realized for me, one Christmas!). If that wasn't enough, the old codger has enlisted the help of a troupe of elves to spy on us (yep, that's their true mission, not to send your list to Santa), who tend to inhabit shelves, growing in number each year, at a rate us mortals have hardly noticed. They just kind of show up as perennials now, in places and poses that would get me a time out if I emulated them -- it's not fair! And, if Santa wants me to stay asleep or at least in bed, why does he send elves that never seem to sleep, which makes me want to wake up and catch them in the act, like when "Sparkles" TP'ed our family room -- which my mom made me clean up to gain favor with Santa. Creepy and Sneaky, Indeed!

Time and Place: The science of product placement, whether in a store itself or on the internet, is a topic of assiduous study not only at the North Pole but also in graduate schools of business. It's become apparent to me that Santa not only employs a legion of elves and a dozen or so reindeer each year, but also some PhD's in marketing, who reside in more clandestine locations out of our sight. As well as some psychologists who have produced dissertations only accessible to Santa (e.g. "How to make your parents feel guilty and run up their credit cards").

Cookies at Christmas: I was reminded of the power of product placement and timing when, after ingesting only a spoonful throughout the decades, I suddenly sound myself in possession of a pound of fresh cranberries --what just happened?! And, was it just a coincidence that my email the same day had a Pinterest featuring "Recipes for fresh cranberries you didn't think you wanted"? Well, after trying two recipes already and using up more than half of these tart berries, I am now a semi-fan. Conspiracy semi-complete! Otherwise, ads for Christmas stuff are, of course, carefully timed and strategically placed, changing constantly based on analytics and data generated from our consumer behavior, the unsuspecting public. Turns out that what I thought were cookies now have a double meaning, sometimes more clandestine than the ones I consume daily and those Santa looks for each visit to every home (no wonder the waistline!). Turns out Amazon not only employs packers and drivers, but also 'sneakers and peekers'. 

Products, Patents Pending...Depending on our age and position in life, different products have more appeal, allure, and/or meaning to us. Here in the "Motor City" we grew accustomed to ads all year round for 'everything cars'. And every fall without fail, well before car shows throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, we thought we were gaining clever advantage by viewing the cool new cars and related accessories first -- turns out this was actually arranged for us in such a way to make us only feel like we were the first in line, to make us want to buy before others got to it first -- unfair! The industry has also become replete over the years with stories of sneak/peek espionage, car spies who attempt to gain advantage by accessing if not obtaining styles and technology, some of which is already in production, others "patent pending". Yep, the industry is thick with thieves, so much so that it spawned a whole other industry aimed at stopping them -- that of cybersecurity. 

It's that Time of the Year: The time after you just finished putting away the remnants of Thanksgiving or even Halloween decor, a time that arrives at full assault about mid-December (now passed, we're in the thick of it!). Whether you are an adolescent sneaker fanatic falling victim to new high top ads, an adult who thought you had everything you need, a child who finds themselves needing another American Girl doll or Lego set (ever try to find just a standard Lego set any more--blame it on the marketers, and ourselves as consumers), or an audiophile who just discovered your awesome sounding speakers have been rendered obsolete. We're all prey. And, if Christmas wasn't enough, it is now followed by another marketing bonanza gaining traction. That is, whether you have overbought or over-ingested, there will inevitably be ads after January 1st aiding your digestion (literally), those assisting you in trimming the Santa waistline as well as any other New Years resolutions and, of course, CREDIT CARD RESCUE!

Not for Sale: In the midst of the hustle and bustle, in the presence of the ongoing din of politics and pandemic info, and while our minds become occupied with all the Christmas lists and mounting debt, we also get reminded in the softest and most melodic tones, that the most lowly of people, the sheperds of their time, got the first peek at the first Christmas, soon to be joined by three wise men, who were alerted a great thing was about to happen, that they better get on their way, aided by a star -- the same one which we are once again this year being allowed a peek. As the Charlie Brown Christmas special reminds each year, from the mouths of babes, "And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them...I bring you tidings of great joy...which shall be to all people...for unto you a child is born..."

Merry Christmas to All!