It's that time of the year again when RED takes over our world: Red roses, Red cards, Red hearts, Red lingerie, Red wrapping paper, Red cupcakes... you name it and it's Red! Before I continue I do want to add a tiny disclaimer to make sure you do not, at any point, think of me as a bitter singleton who is simply jealous of all the lovers out there. In fact, this is my first valentine's day in which I am a very happy, claimed for woman.
Unlike many, I am in a relationship which refuses to celebrate V-Day. No, it is certainly not because it saves me the money or the torture of finding a gift. It is also not attributed to lack of romance, passion or love. Actually, it is quite the opposite. Let me tell you how Lexie sees it: So Valentine's Day comes but once a year, just like Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Anniversaries and all the other mini-traditions we have come to respect through time. Now, as much as most of these feasts celebrate and mark a special event commemorated on a specific day, Valentine's Day is tied to love- an emotion which can be expressed in many ways upon each and every one of those 525,600 minutes.
So what is it that makes many go all gooey at the sight of a bunch of red roses and a box of chocolates on this day? Well, besides the fact that many rely on V-Day to actually show the appreciation to that special someone, it is the social perception and idolisation of this day. What we have come to experience is pure commercialisation of love. I am so sorry if this is taking you back to day your parents revealed Santa Claus is not real, but maybe if we sweep away the rose petals, hoover the glitter and switch the light back on for a minute, you will see what I mean.
How much does it cost you to say "I love you" on an average day? Excluding long-distance phone calls or texts, the actual price is usually £0.00. But what happens on the 14th of February of every year? FACT: British people spend around £1.6bn on Valentine's Day with an average £70 spend per person. Shocked much? So what exactly is the difference between an "I love you" on the, say, 13th of Feb compared to one day later? Are you ready for the answer? Brace yourselves...! You're simply saying 'I love you' to us marketeers other than your loved ones.
I mean we love you, we do, but it is incredibly overwhelming for us to see you make such an effort to create this new tradition were we can boost our sales and dance around as if another Christmas just landed on our company's balance sheet! TA!
Take our beloved ice-cream brand Wall's. Their whole re-branding strategy was set around this made up holiday! Starting from their heart-shaped logo, their launch of new flavours and their campaigns. Wall's have made history just by strategically opting to associate themselves with a day where everybody, apparently, feels the love.
Allow me, however, to take my claim of price-tagged love (or lack of it in this case) to the next level. So us marketeers realised that more people are staying single for longer whilst others have grown to hate V-Day due to heart-breaking experiences. Never fear, we slowly but surely introduced a new range of, how should I say this... appropriate products: Voodoo Dolls, Anti-Valentine t-shirts, mugs, chocolate boxes, stuffed animals, underwear, aprons, magnets and what not. Don't believe me? Check it out yourselves: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/anti+valentines+gifts
Before you start accusing marketeers for tricking you into this fantasy world, run to your closest mirror and take a long look at the person staring back at you. Unfortunately, yes, you have brought this upon yourselves. You see, us marketeers are not the evil people everyone makes us out to be. We propose new things, but it is you consumers who give us the feedback and response to whether you like them or not. We simply anticipate and fulfil your demands. It's as if we're your fairy godmothers or godfathers, you say the word and we make it happen.
Therefore, if you do not feel like equating your love to money, please do not feel obliged. We will get the message and move on, like we always have. But if you think that the 14th of February has to be the day you equate your love to special, expensive treats, then that would give us more of a reason to hate it as people but LOVE it as marketeers-who-love-their-bonuses-at-the-end-of-the-year.
So, here's to all of you who spend so much money on Valentine's Day; A Big Thank You from us Marketeers out there. Thank you for making it our special day, for showing us your love and appreciation and for giving us the strength and hope to go on. For this occasion, we have also created something for you:
This comes in all shapes and sizes, both for females and males at the special price of £31.75 from zazzle.co.uk. I mean, you have to give us some credit... we do think of everything!
Happy Valentine's Day to you all from us all!
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