How Verizon and NORAD track Santa Claus
The partnership, now in its 20th year, helps Verizon promote its 5G services.
MikeTyes
For the 20th straight year, Verizon is partnering with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to track Santa’s every move this Christmas. With Verizon’s help, starting at 6 a.m. ET on Christmas Eve, children can call a toll-free hotline that lets them follow Santa and his reindeer across the globe (or track him on a website).
“Every 15 minutes, a Verizon Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) allows children to call and interact with the system and learn precisely where Santa is in his flight. This means that even if the child cannot reach a call center volunteer, they will be told where Santa is at that point in time,” Maggie Hallbach, Verizon's senior VP for public sector, stated in an email.
NORAD has been running the program since the 1950s, but it came about almost by accident: A local newspaper misprinted an advertisement for children to talk to Santa, resulting in “a child calling in—and getting through—to the Continental Air Defense commander on duty,” Hallbach said.
Verizon provides “the connectivity for a toll-free hotline,” Hallbach explained. From learning where Santa is in real time, to “answering the questions every kid wants to know, like Santa’s favorite type of cookie and how many elves are helping at the workshop, the toll-free hotline is a fun way for families to celebrate the season,” she continued.
The telecom company is promoting the program through Verizon’s organic social media channels, as well as dedicated NORAD Tracks Santa accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Verizon’s call center employees will also spread the word about the effort through word of mouth.
The partnership allows Verizon to promote its 5G services, according to Hallbach. “This partnership allows NORAD and its volunteers to experience firsthand the benefits of connecting faster and with more people through our advanced 5G on-site network and enhanced tracker to monitor call volume for Santa,” she said, adding that Verizon hopes that the program demonstrates its “dedication to fast, reliable connectivity in a fun and memorable way.”
Hallbach declined to share how much Verizon spent on the partnership, or if any of that spend comes out of its marketing budget.
