A DailyFinance poll a couple of years ago asked consumers to list things that irked them most about retailers. On that list were retailers promoting Christmas items before Thanksgiving. If consumers weren't happy about ads before they ate their turkey, it isn't hard to imagine how they'll feel about commercials hitting the airwaves three weeks before kids have made their rounds saying, "Trick or treat."
According to Advertising Age, Target is evidently looking to get a big head start on the competition for the holidays with a television commercial that features its bull terrier mascot Bullseye carrying a shopping bag. The voice-over says, "The holidays are coming and they're gonna be big."
The spot also talks about Target's new price match policy for the holidays that is set to begin on Nov. 1.
Consumers, based on early returns on social media sites, are not happy with Target's approach. Ad Age cited several comments including one from a Jessica Armstrong on Facebook. "I'm absolutely appalled that you are airing Christmas commercials already. It's not even Halloween!!! There is a time and a place for everything, and Christmas in October is not one of them!"
Of course, Target is simply looking to get an edge heading into the holidays when others, particularly those pushing layaway plans, are already getting consumers to set their sights on the holidays. Recent reports, discussed on RetailWire last week, talked about stock levels of popular toys dropping well ahead of schedule as consumers put items on layaway.
"The best way for a retailer to ensure it gets its fair share of holiday purchases is to get people thinking about the holiday as early as possible," Kim Finnerty, vice president of consumer and shopper insights for HMI's Ryan Partnership, told the Chicago Sun-Times. "This is the time to start thinking about layaways, and we've already seen layaway announcements."
Interestingly, Target had been cheered for refusing to join the early advertising fray in the past. In 2010, then CMO Michael Francis told Ad Age that consumers were shopping closer to the actual holiday, making early ads a bad investment.
- Retailers' 15 Most Annoying Habits: Readers Speak - DailyFinance
- Retail Reversal: Target Unwraps Holiday Ads Early - Advertising Age
- Target starts holiday ads well before Halloween - Chicago Sun-Times
- Target to match online pricing - MarketWatch
- Layaway Drives Early Sales of Christmas Toys - RetailWire