Just like the Yuletide holidays, Valentine’s Day is an occasion that provides many opportunities for businesses. The day is about love, whether for family, friends, or significant others, making the period a perfect time to run marketing campaigns.
The best Valentine’s Day campaigns are usually ones that connect to their audience, including giving discounts and special offers or partnering with like-minded brands.
Different brands over the years have tested many good marketing strategies around the holiday of love. By sharing the spirit of the holiday, they were able to endear themselves in the hearts of their target audience. Here are some examples of eCommerce businesses’ best Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns.
What Are the Best Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaigns in the Philippines?
What are good campaign ideas for Valentine’s Day? There are several methods you can utilize to promote your brand, and many businesses have put their flair into attracting customers. One of these may inspire your next marketing strategy.
1. #SendingAKiss by The Body Shop
The Body Shop drove engagement on their Instagram page through their #SendingAKiss contest. Customers just needed to follow the shop, share a selfie of them blowing a kiss to a friend, post it with the hashtag #SendingAKiss, and add their country of residence in the caption.
Because The Body Shop tied its product to Valentine’s Day, the brand cleverly expanded its reach. While prizes varied per country, winners could win various lipsticks. Contestants likely tagged their partners in their selfies, thus allowing the business to organically grow its audience without using many resources.
2. Dunkin' Love by Dunkin Donuts
Dunkin Donuts went out with their Dunkin’ Love event by hosting a social media contest, a free Facebook Live musical performance, a custom card builder, and Snapchat geofilters. They also introduced new coffee and donut selections themed to Valentine’s Day.
The company hosted a photo contest on Instagram, asking users to share how Dunkin Donuts is part of their love stories with the hashtag #DunkinLoveContest. Winners received $2,500 and a year’s worth of coffee and donuts. They also partnered with musicians Us The Duo to perform the night before Valentine’s Day.
Finally, Dunkin Donuts introduced a custom card builder on iMessage, a new emoji keyboard on their app, and two geofilters for Snapchat. All these promotions meant much user-generated content spread across different social media platforms, allowing the company to expand its audience.
3. Halfway by Sakay.PH
A common joke in the Philippines makes jabs at couples living long-distance relationships due to living on opposite sides of Metro Manila. Because commuting for hours often makes it difficult to see your significant other, Sakay.PH presented a solution for Valentine’s Day.
They introduced Halfway, a feature through their website and app that allowed couples to set two points and then showed them where they could meet halfway. The campaign took off, with 249,184 app downloads and usage on the website and 10,395 active users on Valentine’s Day.
4. #KwentongJollibee by Jollibee
Fast food mega corporation Jollibee took the internet’s hearts by creating the #KwentongJollibee series in 2017 and has kept the tradition going every year since. These short films tell stories about love and relationships, resonating with audiences everywhere. They have over 800 million views on Facebook and YouTube.
For 2023, Jollibee is again celebrating Valentine’s Day with stories. However, this time through a contest called #MyKwentongJollibee. Users can post videos or photos to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter, with a chance of being featured by the company.
Like The Body Shop and Dunkin Donuts, Jollibee utilizes user-generated content to drive social media engagement and extend its reach.
5. #SayItSaCanva by Canva
Many use Canva to create different artistic posts through its extensive library of templates. The company launched various templates to celebrate Valentine’s Day, encouraging users to express themselves through their #SayItSaCanva campaign.
Users can now create posts and cards easily and share them with their loved ones. Canva also had a design challenge where customers could share their love letters on social media. The top 30 notes had their designs printed and sent to their recipients, along with a box of goodies. The winners also received a Canva Pro subscription.
Like all the other examples, Canva used social media and content made by its customers to boost its brand and grow its audience.
How Can I Promote Valentine’s Day?
Promote Valentine’s Day through social media, collaborations, or limited-time offers. There are many ways to drive engagement and increase sales that don’t involve spending many resources. As the examples above show, social media is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal.
5 Marketing Tips for Valentine’s Day
1. Personalization and customization
Personalizing and customizing your products and marketing messages is essential to drive engagement. For instance, Tiffany and Co. hosted a Valentine’s Day Concept Salon where customers could engrave letters or symbols into select jewelry pieces. Getting into the spirit of Valentine’s Day encourages your audience to join in.
2. Limited-time offers
Creating a sense of urgency through limited-time offers can drive customers to purchase your products.. Use this Valentine’s Day strategy to release products with a message that they are only exclusively available during the holiday.
Toblerone launched their #BeMoreThoughtful campaign with a limited-edition Valentine’s Day pack with a blank area where you can write a personalized greeting, along with a QR code that allows you to record a video message for a loved one. They also pulled in Lucky Manzano as their love guru to give advice to all things love-related!
3. Giveaways and contests
Contests and giveaways are a way to increase awareness of your brand and drive engagement. Several companies use these campaigns to expand their audience and promote their products. They’re also a way to build rapport and goodwill with your existing customers.
Aside from the contests done by The Body Shop and Dunkin Donuts, Telecom brand Globe utilized this form of marketing through their #MayFurEverWithGlobe campaign. They encouraged users to create posts highlighting their love for their pets.
Select users won 2000 Globe or TM credits, which they can convert to either Lazada or Shopee credits. The company also sent love offerings to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on behalf of the winners.
4. Collaborations and partnerships
Working with another brand or company is very on-brand for Valentine’s Day. Both entities can mutually grow their audiences through collaboration by utilizing each other’s followers.
Chocolatier Auro Chocolate partnered with Macao Imperial Tea to create the Auro Series of milk teas. These limited-edition drinks came in three flavors and were available in all Macao Imperial Tea branches in the country.
5. Discounts and vouchers
Boost your sales by encouraging customers to give gifts through voucher marketing. Discounts are so attractive that 75% of consumers scour their inboxes looking for them! By giving your customers a voucher for something like free shipping, they will be more likely to make a purchase.
An example would be our very own Love: Delivered campaign where select RUSH-powered brands are offering free delivery on all online orders, valid for a limited time. Providing simple benefits such as this can make all the difference in your customer’s experience, ultimately leading to repeat purchases and improved retention. Additionally, other popular brands in the country such as FoodPanda, GrabFood, and Shopee, have utilized this form of marketing.
What’s Trending this Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day offers many opportunities for companies to promote their brand. They endear themselves to their audience by crafting relatable campaigns, potentially boosting sales and brand awareness. Though you can use several marketing strategies, social media seems to be the most effective because of its potential for user-generated content and engagement.
If you’re an eCommerce business, consider implementing similar strategies. On the other hand, if you’re starting out, consider Rush PH’s eCommerce solutions. Through our all-in-one platform, we help you find customers, hand out vouchers, and take care of deliveries. For more information or inquiries, contact RUSH PH!
