Despite a person’s relationship status on February 14th, Valentine’s Day provides the perfect opportunity for small businesses to implement a promotional marketing plan. Even children in elementary school receive gifts on this special day, so it is certainly appropriate to send out Valentine-themed promotional products to potential clients and customers during this time.
However, these marketing strategies must be well thought out to provide the optimal return on investment, and a small business manager would do well to keep the following suggestions in mind.
Neutral promotional products work best
For every person who is happily in love on Valentine’s day, there is an embittered individual who has recently experienced heartbreak of some sort. This is the reason why many restaurants offer two special meals on this day, often a sweeter “love” course versus a spicy “single” meal.
A small business should avoid placing messages about relationships on promotional products and instead focus on objective branding that relates to the general theme of love and peace. For example, custom coffee mugs can offer facts on the history of February 14th and the charitable deeds of St. Valentine as opposed to “15 tips for the single person to get a date.” Reliable advice on relationships is hard enough to come by as it is – no one likes to be told how to handle their personal life, so make sure not to commit this promotional faux paus.
Use the color red, but don’t go overboard
Red is overwhelmingly the most popular color to use on Valentine’s Day. The hue is associated with passion, the heart and roses, and including this color can be a cost-effective way to make promotional items seasonally desirable. Anything from clothing to logo USB drives can be dyed red at a reduced price, and employees and customers can use these practical gifts to show their support of Valentine’s Day.
However, one look at the rows and rows of teddy bears, candy and other burgundy merchandise at a local store shows the over-branding common this time of year. Red promotional pens can be used for correcting papers, but there is not really any use for a red wall calendar. Since Valentine’s day is only in February, it is not the best shade for something that will be hanging on the wall year-round.
Instead of exclusively focusing on this color, experiment with shades of pink and maroon that are distantly related to the shade of red. Even a slight change can make a promotional product stand out from the rest.
Everyone loves edible promotional products
There is an old saying that chocolate and flowers are a woman’s best friends, but this is not completely true – both males and females can enjoy candy and food on Valentine’s Day. A good idea for a corporate gift is an executive wood box that can include snacks such as milk chocolate pretzels and chocolate sandwich cookies.
More extravagant arrangements are available to a small business that wants to invest a little extra capital in a marketing strategy. For instance, Myron recently partnered with Astor Chocolate to create a delectable five-tier tower that includes all sorts of delicious goodies. This is perfect for a group gift that can be sent to an entire office – employees grabbing a handful of salted cashews will continually see a small business message or brand logo.
Though Valentine’s Day only occurs once a year, everyone in the United States will be seeking heart and love-themed promotional products in the month of February, and a successful marketing strategy will take advantage of this trend.