Three out of five Kiwis think Christmas is too commercial. Photo / iStock
Three out of five Kiwis think Christmas is too commercial. Photo / iStock
Do you think the Kiwi Christmas is too commercial?
According to Colmar Brunton's annual Christmas survey, more than 50 per cent of Kiwis think it is.
The latest festive survey reveals just 41 per cent of Kiwis think New Zealand retailers and advertisers are getting the spirit of Christmas right.
Colmar Brunton CEO Jacqueline Farman believes the findings are the result of consumers feeling bombarded with straight sales-driven messages that fail to capture the "true" spirit of festivities.
"The public are telling us that they have a very clear view of what Christmas is about and that's what advertisers need to connect with to engage consumers."
The findings show more than 9 out of 10 New Zealanders say Christmas is about family and friends, 85 per cent say giving is more important than receiving and 76 per cent rate it the best time of the year.
Farman believes UK store John Lewis sets the global standard for Christmas advertising.
The popular department store has a history of highlighting important and challenging aspects of Christmas in a "beautiful way", which is greatly anticipated by the public year after year.
"Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to stand out from the crowd at a special and emotional time of the year and to do something different."
Three out of five Kiwis think Christmas is too commercial.
She says she would love to see New Zealand advertisers move away from sales-based advertising and connect with consumers' heartstrings.
Despite being bombarded with overly commercial messages, the survey also found that the average Kiwi will buy presents for eight people - with woman likely to buy more than men.
A quarter of the country is expected to purchase many more.
We found 14 per cent of people are already resigned to spending more than they can afford this year, but the reality could be far more Kiwi consumers will overspend.
Farman said the statistics show New Zealanders are motivated to do whatever it takes to put a smile on their kids' faces on Christmas morning.
While many are anticipating Christmas shopping, post-Christmas commercialism gets a bigger thumbs down.
Just over 20 per cent of Kiwis surveyed say they will brave the Boxing Day sales, with 58 per cent saying they will stay clear.
"Kiwis may say they will stay away [from the sales] but history tells us the tills will be ringing out on Boxing Day," said Farman.
The top five things consumers are least looking forward during the holiday season is overcrowding, traffic, increased prices for holiday destinations and attractions, overspending and Christmas shopping.
