Pop quiz: You call up your mother and ask her what she wants for the holidays. She says, “nothing.”
Do you:
A) Buy her something anyway.
B) Seriously, go buy a present for your mom.
When people tell you that they don’t want anything for the holidays, they are lying. Everyone wants something for the holidays. We tell each other that it feels great to give a friend the perfect gift, but let’s be honest: When someone says, “it is better to give than to receive,” he’s trying to convince everyone else to give him more presents.
It’s not that we don’t want things. I want an 88″ 3-D curved TV and a cabinet full of 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle, but I don’t want to ask anyone for those things. There’s no surprise in getting what you expected and that robs the season of its magic.
What we want for the holidays is a surprise. The surprise is what creates the emotion and the memory. That’s what this is all about. We’re in the business of giving people the unexpected—of creating those positive memories and connecting them to causes or brands or concepts. It’s our job to give presents, making us uniquely capable of giving just the right gift for everyone.
Except for Mom. I still never know what to get her. Fortunately for me, this month’s issue of Promo Marketing contains products that make for perfect gifts, from electronics to housewares. In fact, those two stories set off the old lightbulb and gave me ideas of what to put under the tree for my family. For once, I won’t be fighting the crowds on Dec. 24 to look for that last-minute gift.
Who am I kidding; I’ll be there anyway.
I hope you have a happy holiday filled with good surprises. You don’t need to get me anything.
