Santa Slashes Costs with WhatisAverage.com

The U.S. Postal Service recently spared its Letters to Santa program, but the program may soon be obsolete—thanks to the growing popularity of WhatisAverage.com’s “What do Tweeners want for the holidays?” survey.

I recently spent Thanksgiving with my 10-year-old brother and shared the concept of WhatisAverage.com with him. When I explained how—among other things—the site lets gift-givers know what people want for Christmas, he immediately asked, “So Santa could just go to your site and see what to get me?”

I told him I hadn't thought about it that way, but that, theoretically, he was correct, provided that the gifts he wanted were among the top 10 results. I spent the rest of the night answering questions about my marketing campaign, feeling as if I was back in the boardroom refining our 2010 sales plan. He couldn't wait to share this new phenomenon with the world—well, at least with the other 10-year-old boys who want the same thing he does for Christmas. (Above picture is property of Letters from Santa)

It's great news for Santa—talk about a productivity booster! Instead of having to pore over millions of letters, he can now surf the web and find all the data he needs, neatly arranged and graphically displayed. Santa will also be happy to see the survey results include many requests for gift cards and other items that can be easily purchased online—another opportunity for Santa to cut labor costs. Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service may find children abandon letter-writing as WhatisAverage.com lets them communicate their wishes with a click of the mouse.

Alright…it’s time to come clean. My little brother didn't really say “Santa.” He said, “Grandma.” But the point is the same—WhatisAverage.com gives lets him anonymously suggest gift ideas to family members who haven't quite been able to keep up with the latest Tweener fads.

Looking for gift ideas? Browse my previous post, “Would you rather be remembered or appreciated this holiday?” and check out the top 10 results for “What do Tweeners want for the holidays?”