Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is one of the top most lucrative observances in the marketing calendar and needs a spot in your marketing plan.

Roses are red, violets are blue, if you’re a marketer, V-Day’s for you!

Valentine’s Day might find its origin in ancient Rome, but the hearts and chocolates we find in stores today are a hype and tradition created by marketers for a much needed After-Christmas boost. So it is ironic that as marketers, we are now questioning the validity and efficacy of joining the masses in the crowded marketing space during this time.

Is it really necessary to include Valentine’s Day in our marketing plans? Is there really a way to set our brands apart from all the roses and chocolates? The answer is a resounding yes and these marketers illustrate how Valentine’s Day can be your biggest campaign for the year.

1. “Sweet Then Sour” – Sour Patch Kids

Rather than going with the traditional sticky sweet romance, Sour Patch Kids commissioned Wattpad, an online writing community, to collaborate with fan fiction writers and create stories about romances being “sweet then sour”. Other writers were also encouraged to enter the contest by tagging their stories with #SPKSADcontest.

2. Valentine’s Day themed posts – Deadpool

Social media doesn’t need to always be huge campaigns. Deadpool, a strange choice for Valentine’s Day themed content I must agree, capitalised on Valentine’s cheesy rep by remodelling their non-romantic comedy PG18 superhero movie into the usual rom-com movie posters. Add some witty copy and voila – you’ve got your audience chuckling.

3. #DateInABox – Heineken USA

Not solely a social media campaign, this ad campaign showcases how all of your marketing elements can work together towards the same goal. Heineken prompts ladies to dare their significant others to share their date on Instagram by using the hashtag #DateInABox to win a mystery date on Valentine’s Day. A good way to engage both guys and girls in the V-Day spirit.

4. Awkward Scenarios – Tesco

Schmaltzy, cheesy, mushy – take your pick. With a lot of consumers getting tired of the V-Day spiel, Tesco capitalised on the snarky comments we wished we said out load in this series of sarcastic vines showcasing awkward scenarios where you bump into your ex. The Vines are funny, relatable and didn’t cost big bucks to produce, making for a fresh approach to Valentine’s social media content.

5.  Serenade – Heineken (again)

In 2012 people were too shy to ask their crush on a date. Enter Heineken with this comprehensive social media campaign. Users simply enter their crush’s name in a Facebook App and Heineken then posts this personalised musical serenade on your crush’s Facebook wall for them to watch. It’s light, it’s funny and it doesn’t try to justify why buying this product will somehow end in happily ever after – leaving your crush with the decision on whether they will respond to the Serenade and accept your invitation or not.

Didn’t include Valentine’s Day in your 2017 planning? Need a great social media campaign? Digital Fire is a full service marketing agency and can assist you with all your Social Media marketing needs from campaign conceptualisation to execution and community management.

Contact us for more information.

References:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/valentinesdayhistory.html

https://contently.com/strategist/2016/02/12/8-valentines-day-marketing-campaigns-that-arent-boring/

http://sendible.com/insights/10-ideas-for-social-media-your-business-this-valentines-day

https://www.veinteractive.com/blog/10-creative-valentines-day-ads-and-campaigns-2/