Why Valentine's Day?

Frank Wehrmann Brand Strategist       6P Marketing I got my 1st valentine from Billy Buckley the class bully. Like many other kids in the class he got a book of them and passed them out to friends and foes. Looking back on those days, getting the most valentines was a whole lot like having the most friends on Facebook. Some things never change…

The most memorable and truest valentine I have ever sent is the one I sent to my wife 15 years ago. The sentiment read as follows and is as true today as it was then:


While many retailers blindly jump on the Valentine’s Day band wagon in the same way they jump on other ‘special holidays’, here are some of the reasons why I think Valentine’s Day is a GREAT marketing case study and why I think you need to STOP and think about what you can do with your businesses’ products and services to bind them to your customer’s hearts and minds.

Emotional and logical reasons to believe in your story
Go online and look for the genesis of Valentine’s Day and you’ll find LOTS or different “experts” weighing in on the subject. Some of the material is based on fact, some on fiction. But like “King Arthur,” another mythical account, there are enough bits of tradition lying around to give the heart and mind a reason to believe and accept your bizarre proposition: “Be my valentine?”  

The medium is a core part of the message
Whether it is a cheesy valentine, a home-cooked dinner in bed or a pink bouquet, with the right words and smile, they will get it - you care. The chocolates or the braised duck are only part of it, you need to back it up from the heart, show your true colours and be yourself for the message to work.  

The offer is inclusive
Unlike some holidays – Christmas for example – the loving sentiments delivered on Valentine’s Day have no religious bias or barrier. All spiritual leaders see love and compassion as one of mankind’s most fundamental common denominators, so this holiday’s good for everyone! 

Intergenerational | Ubiquitous
From age five, or when you have a firm understanding of “I love you” means, until the day you die, valentines are “age appropriate”. My great niece (age 5) sends them to my mother, her great-great-grandmother (age 89), and my mother’s thrilled.

Institutionalized random acts of kindness
Your largest opportunity is this: be nice and act nice on the other 364 days of the year as well. All we say and all we do helps your customers believe that they have come to the right place or the wrong place. Being customer focused and nice goes a long way to helping customers remain loyal – in good times and bad times. Think Toyota and make nice! 

Follow-up potential
The valentine’s sentiment opens the doors of discussion and allows you to pursue emotional and or logical courses of action. What you make of the moment once the door has been opened is what marketing and sales are all about.


At 6P Marketing we work closely with a wide range of businesses, helping them make the most of their Brand, their customer data base and their sales potential by developing better and smarter marketing tactics.

Marketing Strategy