Valentine’s Day calls for authentic expressive gestures, which convey significance and meaning more so than at others times of the year. Businesses are using direct mail to add the necessary substance required to win consumers over.
According to the US census 53% of women would dump their boyfriends if they did not get them anything for Valentine’s Day. Needless to say this is a motivating factor for many men to jump on the bandwagon and go buy some candy, jewelry, or flowers. How are they deciding where to buy these items? They are purchasing their gifts from the companies who sent out an advertisement with a discount code, coupon, or sale and are on the forefront of the consumer’s selection set. We tell how businesses are spreading the love this holiday to make sure that they are on the edge of the buyers mind.
$13.19 billion is the average annual Valentine’s Day spending according to StatisticBrain. There are 196 million roses produced for the holiday. 73% of those roses are purchased by men and the rest by women, 14% of which are sending the roses to themselves. Proflowers.com sent out a direct mail piece this year that provided a promo code to receive an additional 20% off of already discounted purchases. This accomplished two things for the company. It helped them take a larger market share during the most important time of the year for flower companies and raised awareness of their services to consumers who are less technologically inclined since proflowers.com is an internet based business.
Companies like iGourmet, Proflowers, and Edible Arrangements are fighting in the generic Valentine gift arena but other businesses are also taking advantage of the holiday spending sprees. While chocolate and flowers are nice, they are also very uncreative and lack originality. Sherwin Williams sent out a special “Paint Lovers Sale” mail piece which offered 30% off all paint and supplies. What the paint company knows is that there is quite a large portion of women who would take a repainted room over a bunch of tulips in a ruby vase any day of the week.
Krispy Kreme sent out a mailer advertising their annual heart shape donuts stating “A love like this only happens once a year.” When you purchase 1 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts you will get Valentine’s cards and each card has a coupon for a free Krispy Kreme donut. This is something Krispy Kreme does every year because of the high response they have received from this advertisement. Men’s Warehouse is sending out a, “Celebrate the love” mailer that offers 40% off all tuxedo rentals. Even some schools are taking advantage of the atmosphere during this time of the year. Kaplan University sent out a post card that stated, “Looking for commitment this Valentine’s Day?” Recipients who were interested in the University were then given the option to scan a QR code or visit the schools site.
The times when people are more nostalgic marketers see a better response from traditional advertising channels. The companies who have done direct mail in the past are aware from this. When is the last time a wife, girlfriend, or mother has expressed their appreciation for the endearing facebook post? Letters and postcards convey thoughtfulness that cannot be accomplished through digital channels and also reach a whole different audience. It is always vital for marketers to take the consumers demeanor into account. Holidays change perceptions and spending habits, which can prove to provide the grounds for substantial marketing opportunities.