Five Examples of Valentine’s Day Marketing to Watch Out For

It seems like every year around this time, we start warning you about the consumer element and the Valentine’s Day marketing overkill that could have you struggling with moving forward on your Postconsumer journey. It’s easy to get swept up in the romance of Valentine’s Day. It’s even easier to fall prey to busy schedules and easy consumer fixes and just one-off a Valentine’s Day gift for your loved (or lusted after) one. And while we’ve cautioned you about these marketing ploys in the past, we figured this year we would reach out and give you some tangible examples and advice to use. While the number of marketing traps to watch out for is beyond the scope of this article (though you could dig deeper in our marketing and media section), these five examples are ones to certainly be alert for!

Marketing Trap Number One: The Valentine’s “Add On”

So you’re debating ordering flowers or buying a piece of jewelry, and suddenly you see the massive Valentine’s Day “add on” promotion. Get these flowers or this necklace and get a FREE Valentine’s Day teddy bear with it. And boy howdy is that Valentine’s Day teddy bear cute. Your girlfriend/boyfriend/mother/bestie would LOVE it. It’s so adorable. And so you buy the flowers or jewelry or whatnot because it’s such a value to get the adorable free teddy bear too. Does this sound familiar? Be honest, you’ve been tempted by or effectively marketed to using this technique several times. But here are three things to keep in mind the next time you’re tempted by this. Firstly, nothing in life is ever really free (except for these things). The cost of that teddy bear has been worked into what you’re purchasing somehow. Secondly, in order to get a teddy bear that was cheap enough that you wouldn’t realize you were absorbing the cost of it, the likelihood that it was produced in an environment that doesn’t exactly honor human rights is high. And, finally, take a moment and step back and think about whether your gift recipient really needs (or even wants) a teddy bear holding a satin heart.

Marketing Trap Number Two: Seasonal Appropriateness

Of course you absolutely need new lingerie because it’s Valentine’s Day! Candy is worthless in February unless it comes in a clever heart-shaped box. And don’t buy jewelry for February fourteenth unless it involves a diamond (preferably princess cut or heart-shaped). You’ve seen these marketing messages about how important certain elements are seasonally at other holidays too (who doesn’t need a red and green throw blanket in December?). They’re powerful ways to get you to make consumer and merchandise choices based on the idea that if everybody else is doing it, so should you. But don’t fall into the trap! Even if you are buying presents (and there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s where you are on your journey), you don’t need to buy them just because pink hearts mean Valentine’s Day. Get out of the paradigm and you’ll have an easier time making consumer choices that are driven by you, not driven by an industry.

Marketing Trap Number Three: These Offers Are Only Available for Valentine’s Day

You will only get this price during the Valentine’s Day sale! This merchandise is only available for Valentine’s Day this year. Buy it while you can because this price is fleeting and the merchandise is temporary. Now that you’ve listened to all of that, step back, breathe and think for a moment. Of course that’s not true! You and everybody around you knows that all Valentine’s Day merchandise will be even cheaper after Valentine’s Day (though that is not necessarily a reason to buy it). And while there may be some limited edition Valentine’s Day merchandise out there, we all also know that for the most part Valentine’s Day items are the same year-after-year. Do not get pressured into buying something just because it’s “only here for Valentine’s Day.” We all know that that’s simply not true.

Marketing Trap Number Four: Speaking of Those After-Valentine’s Day Sales

The advice here is the same as the advice we give for after-Christmas/winter holiday sales. Just because something is suddenly absurdly cheap, it does not mean that you need to buy it! Yes, it’s always tempting to grab up a deal. We understand that – and marketers understand that, too. The entire structure of clearance sales is based on getting you to clear out merchandise while not subjecting the retailer to a total loss on it. But the real question that you need to ask yourself when you see these sales is this: do you actually need or even really want any of this “stuff?” Chances are high that the answer is “no” and you’re just responding to the “rush of a great deal.” Walk away from the sale for twenty-four hours and think about whether you really want to purchase that giant blow-up Valentine’s Day yard decoration. Chances are with a day between the impulse and the actual purchase, you’ll decide it’s not worth it at any price.

Marketing Trap Number Five: She/He Will Only Love You Because of “Stuff”

This, of course, is the biggest trap of Valentine’s Day marketing. The idea that you have to give “stuff” to people you care about in order for them to believe that you love them. It’s simply not true, and we’ve got lots of alternative ideas for Valentine’s Day treats that aren’t plastic hearts or nylon cupids. Your value is not your stuff. And if the person you want to be with thinks that your value is your stuff, then we’d gently encourage you to evaluate that relationship. From experiences like going out or cooking to just the value of your words expressing how you feel, there are plenty of (better) ways to show you care than with chocolate and gemstones in boxes. Trust us. Just because the TV commercials say it’s true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true.

Did we miss an idea for creating an experience gift that you want to share with us? If so, just tell us about it on one of the social media channels below.