Reap the Rewards from Valentines Day

There are numerous holiday days throughout the year that we have come to celebrate annually; Pancake Day, Valentines Day, April Fools Day, Mothers Day and Fathers Days to name a few. These holidays have created opportunities throughout the year to create innovative marketing campaigns to significantly boost revenue.

Valentines Day today is expected to result in revenue boosts for stores as we watch consumers purchase gifts and cards for their significant other. It is estimated that sales will increase in confectionary, dining out, greeting cards, flowers and clothing from 2017 to 2018 up to almost 16%.

The food & beverage sector has plenty of campaigns, Marks & Spencer have tweaked their ‘dine in for 2’ offer for a valentines special, Greggs is hosing candlelit dinners  in partnership with booking site, Open Table, and McDonalds is holding a competition to win a ‘bling mac’ ring worth $12,500 to name a few.

Intu are running a campaign at their intu Metrocentre asking customers and social media followers to send a photo of their loved one, be it their partner, mother, father or pet! The winner will receive flowers, a dinner voucher, cinema tickets and a £50 gift card. All entries will have their photo posted on the big screen in the Qube from 10^th-14^th February and on the centre’s social media channels. This is an excellent campaign to increase online followers, truly engage with customers, gather data and build brand awareness.

Westfield Stratford launched a “Beefy Peperami Love Grotto” commercialisation unit for Valentines Day, running from the 9^th – 11^th February. This pop up included games and prizes to enhance the consumer experience at the centre.

There are many events and campaigns rolling out across the country to celebrate the tradition of Valentines Day. Marketing teams will be using it as an opportunity to drive footfall, increase dwell time and lift sales, it is a great opportunity to enhance the consumer experience and build positive brand awareness.

Whether you love these annual holiday traditions or loathe them, they offer excellent opportunities to introduce new, innovative campaigns that are relevant. You may struggle to walk through a shopping centre without seeing a big red heart today, but it works – consumers are looking to spend, they have bought into the tradition so it is important to get creative with campaigns, deals and discounts to gain new customers and engage further with current.