Jan 24, 2020 
Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us but do you have your marketing ideas in place yet? No? Then don’t panic. There is still time to get some really cool digital marketing campaigns in place.
To provide you with some inspiration, we have taken a look at what other businesses have done to get their brand out there and in the romantic pink haze of this important date on the calendar.
And you have one great thing on your side.
Many people leave their Valentine’s Day shopping until the last minute, which means that if your brand is not out there yet, it still can be.
Noted as being the second largest purchasing event of the year, this really is too good an opportunity to miss out on if you are looking to boost sales.
So get your creative hat on and come with us as we look at some of the best digital examples of Valentine’s Day marketing for B2B, B2C, e-commerce, non-ecommerce, PPC ads and social media.
B2B
https://www.insegment.com/blog/use-valentines-day-b2b-marketing/
Cisco email marketing campaign for B2B.
For B2B marketing, making use of email is a great idea. And it doesn’t have to be anything completely out-of-the-box. But how do you utilise Valentine’s Day in a suitable B2B way?
Maybe break away from formal and corporate and verge towards getting a little on the softer side with customers.
Use the same type of content, such as how much you appreciate them. Maybe add in some superb photography and images that are eye-catching, fun and provokes a response.
You could tie it in with a charitable donation or a special money-off discount. The core message should focus on valuing their relationship and commitment to you.
Whichever sector you are in, choose your target list carefully and start off with a must-read subject line before shooting some lovingly created V-Day inspiration into their in-box.
B2C
https://foodscene.deliveroo.co.uk/promotions/valentines-day-changing-traditions-14th-february.html
Deliveroo B2C campaign
This is a great example of a B2C campaign as it is based upon detailed market research. Back in 2017, Deliveroo surveyed 2,000 people to find out how they felt about Valentine’s Day.
The results were surprising showing that as many as 1 in 4 of us would rather be with friends than the ‘love of their life’. When it comes to couples, 37% said they would be happy to make up a threesome for dinner.
Deliveroo used these results freely across the press as well on social media. Whilst research does take time, this example shows that it can create memorable and powerful results.
And don’t think that research has to be costly – try sharing a Google form and see what response you get.
Ecommerce
Booking.com went the whole way when it came to Valentine’s Day, making sure that not only was their content appealing but that viewers would book as a result.
Their story is all about finding a brilliant place in the world to ‘pop the question’. Using global research, they studied the happiness levels that travel can inspire.
45% of those surveyed felt that booking a trip could bring with it more of an emotional high than getting engaged. It therefore struck them that a combination of the two i.e. travel and getting engaged, would bring about happiness levels that would be off the charts!
One of the 5 places listed was the wonderful Bagan Lodge in Myanmar. Their content was along the lines of, ‘You have the ring and know what you want to say so find a great place to pop the question!’ This way, how could your partner say ‘No’?!
Non ecommerce
Ikea valentines day advert – Copyright Ikea
Ikea’s Baby Coupon was part of a marketing campaign with a difference for a past Valentine’s Day.
Their idea was to provide happy shoppers with a free baby’s cot for those born exactly nine months from February 14th i.e. November 14th! Whilst some may have thought the marketing a little off-the-wall or even risqué, most loved it, finding it funny and creative.
Using a coupon like this is a good example of how non-ecommerce marketing can work incredibly well, particularly when it is as distinctive and exclusive as this award winning campaign.
PPC ads
http://www.maplenorth.com/2013/01/29/valentines-day-ppc/
Appropriate keyword research, such as that used in Pay-Per-Click ads and SEO campaigns, can ensure that you are search engine ready in time for February 14th.
By adding in more location focused keywords into your campaign such as ‘Valentine’s Gifts London’ or ‘Red roses for Valentine’s Day London’ you will face less competition than if you stay too generic.
Also look at keywords that are tied into a special offer, similar to ‘Free delivery to London if you purchase by February xxx.’
Remember that 70% of searches for flowers or restaurants will be done on a mobile, so ensure that you appeal to this traffic. Also include a strong call-to-action, unless you want to miss out on conversions.
By using these keywords and phrases within your PPC ads, you can make sure that you get plenty of traffic coming your way.
Social media
https://londontheinside.com/pip-nut-to-open-the-love-lab/
Social media lends itself incredibly well to Valentine’s Day advertising.
In the above example, Pip & Nut are promoting their 3-day event in London.
Comprising a series of workshops, those interested can pop in and create their very own personalised nut butter in the Love Lab. This of course makes the perfect Valentine’s Day gift!
Getting into the mood in a big way, they are also going to have a wall of poetry and special post box for visitors to send cards.
Truly a great Valentine campaign, this gets the public really stuck-in and very much hands-one. Not only will they be finding out more about the Pip & Nut product range but will be able to create heaps of user-generated content to go onto the website.
Providing an experience such as this, revolving around your brand is a great idea if you can afford a pop-up.
If your budget is tight, make the invitations for Feb 14th lovers to come to your store or maybe give away free samples instead, sharing the love.
This article would not be complete if we did not mention the social media campaign carried out by the Body Shop in 2018.
The idea was for shoppers to share their selfie on Instagram, tagging a girlfriend with the #SharingAKiss hashtag, providing them both with a chance to win the Body Shop’s new lip balm collection.
Each Instagram account holder using the hashtag was then entered into a prize draw. The campaign was simple but worked well as it promoted friendship.
The result was 1000s of participants.
A campaign like this is simple to do and truly affordable. By keeping the focus on love and friendship and including your own hashtag, all you have to do is pull out a winner (as long as you have some T&Cs).
Don’t forget to show the winner being selected on your social media pages, thus sharing the love!
Summary
The clock is ticking so get started now on putting together your digital Valentine’s Day campaign.
An important date on the calendar for lovers, it is also a must-do event when it comes to boosting sales and cementing business relationships.
All images are copyright their lawful owners and are not used for advertising purposes.
Contact us 
