Whether you hate it or love it, it’s coming up and there’s nothing to stop it: Valentines Day is only a little over a week away. And yes, you might have just recollected yourself from the previous holiday season campaigns, but for many businesses, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to advertise their products and services early on in the year.
Angelina Natividad
Online Marketer at The Next Ad
Feb 5, 2020
Valentine’s Day no longer only revolves around couples
While originally the day was marketed as ‘the most romantic’ moment in the year to shower your significant other with gifts, nowadays we’re starting to see a few new trends develop: gifting out of appreciation and the celebration of ‘singledom’.
Gift-giving focussed
It’s not only lovey-dovey couples that are going to the stores or are browsing the internet for nice gifts to spoil each other – more and more consumers are now using the occasion to surprise their close ones with a present as a token of appreciation. They may be looking to buy something for their parents, children, siblings, friends or maybe even colleagues or customers.
This forms a nice chance for businesses to boost their products or services to an audience that they would previously not necessarily target on this date. You could consider creating easy gift guides focussed on specific groups (e.g. ‘nice gifts for dads/friends/new moms/daughters etc.) or giving your landing pages a subtle, nice design makeover.
Me, Myself and I
Again, we’re no longer only celebrating those who are in a relationship – what about everyone who is perfectly content being on their own?
The Empowered Single Life.
Over the last few years, there’s been an influx of consumers using Valentine’s Day as a moment to treat themselves. Not everyone needs someone else to buy them a present or to take them out to a nice place – why not use all those promotions and deals on spoiling yourself?
Galentine’s Day
You might have heard about this term before, as it is becoming an increasingly popular term on social platforms: Galentine’s Day.
In case you’re wondering: No, I didn’t make this up myself, it’s a real thing. Starting as a fictional holiday made up by a character from the US sitcom Parks and Recreation, the term has actually been gaining more traction over time.
This day (often on the 13th or the 14th of February) is focused on ‘ladies celebrating ladies’, as Amy Poehler’s character Leslie Knope explained. On the contrary (and again), not everybody’s a fan of Galentine’s Day either. But hey, different strokes for different folks, no?
Some general tips to remember
So, whatever you’re doing for Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day this year, here are some general tips that you definitely should keep in mind when running your campaigns:
Since V-Day conversations mostly occur on mobile, make sure to include vertical video ads.
Just like in every single holiday, last-minute buyers panic just before V-Day because they forgot to buy something to their second half. This is why you should put your shipping speed, ease, and options on the spotlight.
Make use of diverse messaging approaches for both gifting and the ‘empowered single life’ (#TreatYoSelf #GalentinesDay #AntiValentinesDay #FriendZoned). You know – Valentine’s isn’t just about couples… being single shouldn’t be something to be shameful for, should it?
Be creative in your messages! Make it unique for your target audience so that they feel identified.
There you have it
So, dear advertisers: get ready, not only for couples but also for singles who are ready to enjoy V-Day too (or G-Day, perhaps). New trends keep coming in and going out… Remembering to keep up with what users are up to on this lovey-dovey day will go a long way.
