Sweeney Sweeney
Valentine's Day

More, More, More… a Valentine’s Day Mantra

Rachel Lowe

Valentine's DayLove is in the air… and so are gifts! According to the National Retail Federation, last year U.S. consumers broke records on Valentine’s Day with $20.7 billion in spending. Does that mean more people are in romantic relationships than ever before? Not necessarily. In fact, it is extremely common for people to get Valentine’s gifts for children, pets, co-workers and friends.

On top of that, the usual suspects – florists, candy makers, bakeries, restaurants and jewelry stores – have now been joined by all kinds of other brands who have gotten more and more creative in getting more and more consumers to spend more and more money on Valentine’s Day.

Here are just a few that have caught my eye (and maybe my wallet)…

  1. Your pet needs some love on Valentine’s Day too. The other day, I found myself impulsively buying my puppy a cute valentine’s toy after seeing a display of dog and cat toys in an array of pink and red hearts. Right now, you can’t walk into a pet store without seeing a similar display, and many adoption centers are beckoning people to come find their valentine in the form of an adorable pet.
  2. Galentine’s Day is a thing. In recent years the now ever-popular ‘Galentine’ term was coined and now widely celebrated. Women join together around Valentine’s Day and enjoy a girl’s night and/or exchange a gift. So naturally, businesses have capitalized on that. Many brands offer special Galentine’s deals or even events to attend. So far, I have seen promotions for Galentine’s pop-up shops at boutiques, special Galentine’s deals at breweries, museums and even ladies only parties at candle making shops, cooking classes, etc.
  3. Weekend getaway is the new dinner and a movie. At least, that’s what brands in the travel industry are hoping. Travel agencies, airlines and hotels are capitalizing on Valentine’s Day by offering deals or suggestions on romantic getaways to celebrate. Not a bad move considering, the average spend on Valentine’s gifts has continued to rise (even though the number of people saying they celebrate it has decreased) according to National Retail Foundation.

Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, you cannot avoid the social posts, emails, signs, banners, TV spots, instore displays, deals and/or all of the above from all kinds of different brands that have already replaced Christmas. Don’t you just love, love?

Valentine's Day /

Rachel Lowe

Digital Marketing Manager

Rachel is a young veteran in the marketing industry with expertise in both digital and traditional marketing. She currently leads the agency's digital services with experience supporting numerous brands, including Bruegger’s Bagels, The Container Store, JOANN Stores, Mr. Chicken, San Diego Lighting Association and more. Rachel holds certificates in HubSpot, Email Marketing, SEO/SEM, Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Sprout Social and Video Advertising. She is also a member of the PRSA Cleveland board of directors and is the VP of Communications on the executive committee. Most recently she received the PRSA Rising Star Award, recognizing and honoring an outstanding professional with seven or fewer years of experience. A proud graduate of The Ohio State University, she holds a bachelor’s in strategic communication, and minors in fashion and retail studies and professional writing. Rachel is also certified in Digital Marketing Strategies Data, Automation, AI & Analytics from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Executive Education program.

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