Town could change its name to SecretSanta.com

What would old St. Nicholas say?

This small northern Idaho town has been asked to change its name to SecretSanta.com for a year to promote a new Web site.

It’s the latest advertising ploy by Philadelphia consultant Mark Hughes, who five years ago persuaded the town of Halfway, Ore., to change its name to half.com to promote used books, movies and CDs.

Halfway got $145,000 for the stunt. But Hughes isn’t offering Santa cash. He plans to make a documentary, including a segment on the town’s lone Elvis impersonator, and split the proceeds if it sells.

“The movie will be called Santa’s Little Secrets,” Hughes said. “Every small town has its secrets and special stories.”

What makes the town attractive to marketers is obvious: Every year, the local post office gets hundreds of letters addressed to “Santa,” said Gidget McQueen, the clerk of the water and sewer district.

Since Santa isn’t incorporated, the district is the closest entity to local government, and its board on Wednesday will meet to discuss the name change.

“It’s a lovely little town,” Freda Ferguson, a 38-year Santa resident, told The Spokesman-Review. “There’s a post office, a resort and a beauty salon.”

Hughes’ deal with Halfway led to the sale of the half.com Web site to eBay for $300 million after The New York Times and the “Today” show carried the story, along with papers in China and Australia.

When the money started flowing, some Halfway residents wondered if the town should have charged more, said Mayor Gordon Kaesemeyer.

For his Santa deal, Hughes, the author of “Buzzmarketing: How to Get People to Talk About Your Stuff,” estimated the planned film could bring in between $10,000 and $500,000.

The Web site SecretSanta.com is a small company started by two New York brothers to arrange family and office gift drawings, Hughes said. SecretSanta.com generates income through a “wish-list” area, where coupons and advertising related to the requested items appear.

If Santa turns him down, Hughes said he’ll ask the commissioners of Benewah County, where Santa is located, to create a town for him.

“There’s lots of empty space around here,” Hughes said.