With consumers predicted to spend $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, an 8.4% increase on 2022, economic worries will be ‘put on hold’ for many as they flock online (and offline) to score some love-induced deals. And they’re starting earlier than ever before – with search trends for ‘valentines day’ picking up from the moment we welcomed in the New Year. 

Valentines Day Search interest: (Source = Google Trends)

Top Tips to Get Laid-ened with Orders

With two weeks left until the big day, how do advertisers and brands ‘get lucky’ and score with consumers this Valentines?

Start Early, Finish Late

Make the most of the whole Valentine’s Day period. Despite being a one-day event, search interest and gift research has started earlier this year so consider running your marketing efforts to match this interest, gaining recognition and ensuring you’re front of mind when the peak of Valentine’s Day (7th February) hits. 

Be Playful

One way to get consumers engaging with your brand is through interactive ad campaigns which they can ‘play with’. Such as product selection creatives and gift finders – helping people find the perfect Valentine’s gift for their special someone (or for themselves). Allowing users to input details within a creative; such as gender, price range, and product type guides them towards finding the perfect gift and creates a more personalized and positive experience. Additionally, by building in trackable interaction points within these product selections you can then leverage them across all channels to make the most out of your campaigns.

Check out this gift finder we’re running with our client Lovehoney…

Get Curious…

Use previous learns and Google insights to think outside the box and get curious with your marketing. 2022 was another tough year for many and with increased economic uncertainty Valentine’s Day comes as a great opportunity for people to show appreciation to those they love. Whether you’re designing the creative, writing the copy or setting up targets, get imaginative with your ideas – and instigate that ‘love at first sight’ feeling.

Go Al-Fresco

For such a brief ‘festive’ period, it’s important to be present in the eyes of the consumer at all times. Consider injecting digital qualities into your traditional marketing methods to achieve greater reach across every touch point, for instance using Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) campaigns to target consumers on popular commuter routes. DOOH campaigns are a great way to connect with consumers outside of their devices, reminding them that Valentine’s Day is coming up and putting your product front of mind.

Take a look at this campaign from Gu as an example…

Ramp Up the Pressure

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time for advertisers to get in front of their audience, creating a sense of urgency and demand for their product. Advertisers should use the time sensitive nature of Valentine’s Day to play the ‘for a limited time only’ card, boosting the consumers’ sense of urgency, and incentive to buy. Consider ramping up the ‘pressure to purchase’ with countdown ads across social and display – enhancing your ad copy and encouraging the consumer (who might already be searching for your product) to take action sooner rather than later. Getting in front of the right consumer with the right message at the right time.

Check out the Black Friday countdown we ran for Kickers…

Stay on their Mind…

With gift purchasing, consumers rarely purchase on their first interaction, which is why it’s important to stay on their mind – and advertisers can do this via dynamic retargeting. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to implement retargeting efforts into your campaigns, serving ads with personalized content based on the consumers prior website activity and online engagement. If a user browses a specific product on your website but doesn’t convert, don’t let them forget about you – target them specifically, providing additional points of contact with your product to increase the likelihood of them returning and making a purchase.

Love is Love

Remember the value, and importance of embracing real-world diversity in your marketing. Love is very much love, and your brand needs to mirror real-world demographics within their campaigns – deviating from the stereotypical heterosexual depictions of relationships. With so many variations of love in the world brands should strive to represent each and every family, and relationship dynamic. Consider phrases such as ‘Whoever You’re Loving This Valentine’s’ or ‘Show That Special Person You Love Them’, to ensure products are accessible to everyone. It’s also important to be mindful that not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day, and to some people it may be a sensitive or unwelcome celebration. 

Take a look at this email from Moonpig that recognizes Valentine’s Day isn’t for everyone…

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For more information on how to succeed this Valentine’s Day, and to get external insights into your campaign performance, get in touch with the team today.