These brands are tugging on consumers’ heart strings (and purse strings) to help them express their love.
The long, dark days of winter are upon us, and we are all impatiently awaiting spring’s blooms, but one holiday punctuates the winter doldrums with its warm glow. No, it’s not the revelry of Mardi Gras or even the festive parades or green beer of St. Patrick’s Day. It’s Valentine’s Day, and smart marketers are using all of those warm and fuzzy feelings to help connect their brands with the hearts and minds of millions during this season of love. This year, we’re highlighting some brands that have really hit the bull’s eye with Cupid’s arrow with their heartwarming and sweet campaigns.
Necco Candy’s “Sweethearts” Campaign
2016 marks the 150th anniversary of the candy maker’s Sweetheartscandies. These heart-shaped sweets are everywhere this time of year and always provide a fun, festive way to share your affections with a loved one or friend. To celebrate Sweethearts anniversary, the candy-maker is rolling out an updated approach by embracing social sharing and even highlighting more modern societal themes like single motherhood and marriage equality.
On its Share Your Sweet Story website, Necco is encouraging fans to share their sweet stories involving “love, friendship and words from the heart” for a chance to win $5,000 for the most heartwarming story. On its homepage, a video highlights the story of Jack and George who have been together for 55 years, celebrating this Valentine’s Day as a legally married couple for the first time. The page features an interactive timeline slider for users to select years from which to view stories and a whole host of heart-warming personal tales.
Teleflora’s Love Note Concierge
So, you remembered the flowers but now have no idea what to write on the card? This common theme among sweethearts spurred flower delivery company Teleflora to employ a love note coach to help the tongue-tied find just the right words to say. Through February 12, trained call center representatives will help you bring out your inner poet and create the perfect accompaniment to your bouquet, as a free service to customers.
To ensure its representatives were full of artistic insights, the company recruited Hannah Brencher, founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, a worldwide effort to inspire connection among strangers through the exchange of hand-written letters, to train representatives in the lost art of letter-writing. Teleflora also deserves high praise in this season of love for its beautiful video vignettes What is Love. These moving videos at the center of the brand’s Valentine’s campaign will surely tug at heartstrings with their focus on showing the diverse faces and enduring power of love.
Groupon’s Valentine’s Day Proposal Package
Finally, if these subtle, sweet campaigns don’t do it for you, Groupon’s enormous offering just might. Think a wedding proposal with a personal kiss-cam on a Jumbotron at your perfect proposal-ready location. If you didn’t spend all of your money on the perfect ring, this oversized proposal event might be the perfect fit.
According to Groupon, the proposal package includes a 12’x16’ LED screen delivered right to your door, animated graphics and the ability to customize your proposal with pictures and your own message. So if your motto is “bigger is better,” this proposal deal might be the one for you. No baseball field needed.
What are your favorite Valentine’s themed campaigns? Use #valentinebranding and let us know what you think.
