Valentine’s Day Marketing – What not to do

Let’s be honest here. Most marketing campaigns for Valentine’s Day are cheesy, outdated or just plain offensive by current standards. I’d like to think that in 2019, we’ve evolved past the full-page ads of a woman swooning over a dozen red roses, a man proposing with a diamond ring and where restaurants promote offers/dining deals that favour one gender specifically.

I recently received a DM to one of the social media accounts we manage for a restaurant (who might I add, is incredibly awesome, are socially conscious and very inclusive) from a potential customer asking, “Are same sex couples welcome to your Valentine’s Day event?” My reply immediately and without hesitation was, “Yes, absolutely, everyone is welcome at our house, so we hope to see your booking come through soon.”

I know that our marketing ticks all the boxes, that our ethos and attitude is welcoming and encompassing to all, and whenever I encounter anyone who’s still living in the 1950s coming at me with a dated offer or deal like the examples mentioned above, I nip it in the bud pronto.

Surely, you know what I’m talking about. Those offers where “all women receive a long-stemmed rose” or “ladies get a free glass of bubbles.” Hold up dudes! It’s 2019. Doesn’t everyone love roses? Why should just one person get complimentary chocolates and if we’re celebrating love (and you’re celebrating an extra day of the year to make $$) doesn’t it make sense to bust out the bubbly for everyone? Likely the person that’s paying the bill too!

As advertisers and marketers, isn’t it our job to change and evolve with the times, and to pioneer change? I sure as shit think so but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that collectively we’re there yet as an industry.

So, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, let me pose this to you and anyone else out there contemplating some marketing activity or a post on your socials.

Think about what you post, how you word it and the imagery you use to accompany these deals and campaigns. Be more inclusive and accommodating and  think  about how something you’re posting or putting out there is not only representing your brand and business, but how might it make someone else feel. I’d like to hope it doesn’t make them feel like crap, nor you either.

So, isn’t it time “we” (as marketers and communicators) started thinking outside of the (heart shaped) box? Using our creativity and influence to start spreading more love and positivity and doing away with these archaic outdated messages that no longer serve us or our customers?

Help us change the conversation and do away with the old “norms”.  Use the #valentinesdaymarketingdoover so we can support you and your brands too!  @creativelsoul

Fun Fact – The (pictured) candy  heart “nope” tattoo is in fact actually on my wrist. It was added to my collection 12 months ago, as a reminder to myself to say no to things that don’t serve me well, or to say when something isn’t right.