Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Valentine's Day Contest to Win Customers' Hearts

In the past week, companies of various kinds took their marketing for Valentine's day to a new level. Continuing to create a once-in-a-year experience and building trust were the underlying themes of this year's marketing focus. The fact that we are still in the middle of a pandemic makes companies more innovative to create the in-person experiences memorable while safe. This year's total consumer spending on Valentine's Day was forecasted to reach $27.4 billion, a 30% jump from last year. 

Here are two examples of how retailers tried to get a bigger slice of the pie through marketing campaigns. As you can see, both campaigns focused on the in-person experience after almost a year of COVID fatigue and attract customers to visit the brick-and-mortar stores. Customers, even not engaged directly by these events, will be attracted by the headlines to visit the stores. Therefore, the long-tail effect of these campaigns on one day can make a difference in the recovery of retailers in the year ahead. 

Dunkin' Donuts

Along with the traditional pair of Pink Velvet Macchiato and Mocha Macchiato and the heart-shaped donuts, Dunkin' put up a "Marriage is on the Menu" contest by partnering with I Do Drive-Thru. This campaign attracted Dunkin's obsessed couples to have their ceremony and gave out gift baskets with wedding gear, photograph service, and a $500 cash prize. The company mentioned that they were inspired by so many love stories from their fans and they would like to be part of it. 





Lowe's

This year, Lowe's tried to demonstrate the romance related to home improvement. They put up a reservation page on their website to collect stories in some of the cities that are "the most romantic" in the US. The 50 winning couples get an in-store experience at the local Lowe's stores. Those select stores were decorated with Valentine's Day spirit and the couples could engage in fun activities such as painting a canvas together in the color of pink.




Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2021/02/03/valentines-day-lowes-lowemance-contest-date-night/4300011001/


No comments: