How Aussie Businesses Capitalise On Consumer Emotions On Valentine’s Day

In this guest post, lecturer in marketing at UQ Business School, Dr Nicholas Pontes (image below), discusses how Australian businesses are capitalising on a ‘fickle’ event, and why many Australians are planning to boycott the day in 2019.
Valentine’s Day is an important date for the Australian economy in a quiet time post-Christmas, with a spend of $1.09 billion anticipated to be dropped on gifts and experiences of every kind.
Valentine’s Day is the most important day of the year for a number of industries, including florists and confectioners – consumers will spend around $123 million on flowers and it’s the third busiest day of the year for the chocolate industry, after Easter and Christmas.
Valentine’s Day has also become the most popular non-holiday non-weekend day of the year on which Australians get married.
For businesses, small and large, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest opportunities to capitalise on consumer emotions, with huge financial benefit on the table.
Consumers will spend high on getting ready for the occasion with projected sales for clothing and lingerie to reach the $90 million mark.
But nothing communicates love more than diamonds.
Australians are expected to be spent $53.6 million dollars on jewellery and accessories with men spending on average $386 dollars on their loved ones while women will spend around $267 dollars on this category, much higher than the $90 projected expenditure per person for this date.
Why do consumers buy into Valentine’s Day?
From a behavioural perspective, spending more resources (via more expensive gifts, unique experiences and devoted time) towards their loved ones is a signal of long-term commitment, which in turn reinforces their relationship maintenance goal.
Because resources are scarce, the more one spends on their loved ones, the less they will have to spend on attractive alternatives.
This provides their partners with some sense of security that their relationship is long-lasting.
Smartphone optimisation, and SEO are key
This year, retailers will take advantage of increased demand and consumers’ desire for convenience.
Google Insights reports show that on the day prior to Valentine’s Day, gift searches on mobile surpasses those made via a desktop, with 36.9 per cent of consumers using a smartphone and 44.7 per cent using a tablet to help them make purchase decisions and compare prices.
Taking advantage of keyword packs to maximise coverage and utilising Google’s Call, Promotion, and Location extensions to drive relevant traffic, is an important strategy to capture demand for key categories in the days leading up to and on Valentine’s Day.
Marketers will take advantage of last-minute and deal-hungry shoppers, directing searchers to targeted landing pages featuring the best Valentine’s Day offers.
Value adding and personalisation target the last minute and impulse shopper
Australian businesses are also capitalising on demand by offering last minute delivery and personalisation.
Freshflowers.com.au, for example, guarantees consumers same day Valentine’s Day flower and gift delivery, while EdibleBlooms.com.au allows customers to use AfterPay providing flexibility on payment options.
Giving consumers the option to buy online and pick-up in store also enhances convenience and increases the window that businesses have to sell their product or service.
Targeting last minute and impulsive shoppers, retailers often offer additional products like a love card, special gift wrapping, and/or bundle product specials that can increase customers overall purchase basket by 30 per cent and more.
Even the Valentine’s Day boycotters are contributing to the industry
Despite its importance to Australian retailers, some data suggests that around 60 per cent of Australians will boycott Valentine’s Day altogether.
For some, Valentine’s Day is a time to be reminded of loneliness or a time of self-reflection and evaluation, and as a result, many consumers enact distinct rituals (e.g., girls’ night out, self-gifts) for their single situations.
Evidence suggests that many of these people will use the date to catch-up with friends (15 per cent), buying themselves a present (11 per cent), and dine out (4 per cent).
Spend on others, spend on yourself. Either way, retailers should celebrate the surge of customer spending surrounding Valentine’s Day.
Latest News

Australian Road Safety Foundation Utilises Geo-Targeting Technology To Protect Kids In School
The Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) has teamed up with Spotify and some of Queensland’s leading musicians in a national first that will geotarget drivers within school zones. The Slow Down Songs campaign, which is being piloted in Queensland, will work to keep kids safe within school zones by dramatically slowing down songs and serving […]

Florida Financial Officer ‘Offers’ To Host Olympics With “Bonkers” Pitch
Florida’s chief financial officer on Monday (local time) told the International Olympic Committee that Florida would be happy to host the Olympics amid speculation that current host Japan may back out. Jimmy Patronis sent a letter to Thomas Bach, the head of the IOC, as Agence France-Presse reports, “to encourage you to consider relocating the […]

Kerry O’Brien Rejects Order Of Australia Award, As Media Greats Score Gongs
In top news for those who strive for averageness & mediocrity, the Order Of Australia list becoming increasingly uncool.

ABC Reporter Confronted For Speaking During Invasion Day Rally: “How Dare You”
Sadly, the 26th of January is turning into a day of division. On the upside, everyone in Cronulla behaved themselves.

Salesforce And Accenture Combine To Help Businesses Achieve Sustainability Goals
As predicted by B&T, sustainability to be the buzzword for 2021. We're less confident of our crêpe Suzette prediction.

When You Do And Don’t Need AI
Here's top tips for when you do and don't need AI. Alternatively, ask Alexa if she thinks it's worth reading.

30 Under 30: Industry Success Story Ricci Meldrum Reveals What Makes The Best Ads Great
Here, B&T's chatting with TBWA Melbourne MD Ricci Meldrum. Well, it was more a question-answer thing than a chat per se.

Selena Gomez Tries Vegemite By The Spoonful – Doesn’t End Well
Selena Gomez tastes Australian delicacies on her US TV show. Thankfully, it was decided to give Coon a wide berth.

Boost Mobile Continues Refurbished iPhone Deal With Coles
Coles joins the local pub carpark and Cash Converters as the place to land yourself a cheap, secondhand iPhone.

Taylor Swift The Most Popular Artist To Listen To While WFH
Tay Tay tops list for most popular WFH artists. Strangely, no mention of Megadeath or Cannibal Corpse for that matter.

SKYN Condoms Launches Progressive Campaign ‘Pleasure Is An Endless Exploration’ Via PRETTYBIRD UK
It's yet another condom commercial that arguably bears little resemblance whatsoever to most people's sex lives.

TikTok Shares New #SeaShanty Campaign Following Viral Success Of Scottish Postman
With the advertising industry's love of beards & alcohol it was only a matter of time before the sea shanty resurfaced.

Government’s $23.9 Million COVID-19 Ad Campaign Launches In Push To Get People Vaccinated
B&T staff nervous about COVID vaccine side effects. Less nervous about what was in those six pingas on the weekend.

The Agency Versus The In House Model For 2021
Other than Ray Martin's toupee, the "agency versus in-house" debate remains the media industry's great unknown.

Woolies Remains Australia’s Most Valuable Brand
Woolies tops list of Australia's most valuable brands. Not surprising given it's Australia's most expensive supermarket.

Clems Melbourne Promotes Georgia Jones To Head Of Business Management
Clems Melbourne promotes Georgia Jones to the slightly serious sounding role of head of business management.

McCann Snares Creatives Josh Aitken And B&T 30 Under 30 Winner Willy Maitland
Further proof a B&T 30 Under 30 award doesn't just land you a cheap looking perspex trophy comes this industry news.

Events Agency Director Nigel Ruffell Reveals How His Company Survived 2020
There are few industries that have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than events, with agencies forced to pivot in surprising and innovative directions to survive. Nigel Ruffell is the director of The Company We Keep, a live brand experience agency that hosts events at 15,000 pax, and opened its doors in 2018. With […]

Australian Ethical Appoints R/GA As Innovation & Marketing Partner
R/GA forced to immediately remove the foie gras & shark fin soup from office fridge after snaring Australian Ethical.

Shaquille O’Neal To Front PointsBet’s Australian Brand Campaign
Reckon Australia had just about reached online sports betting saturation? Think again with this latest announcement.

Dentsu Strengthens Its Customer Experience Capabilities In Australia
Dentsu sidles up to the tech giants Salesforce, Adobe, Sitecore & Google. Well, maybe not Google for too much longer.

Ex-CUB Marketing Director Chris Maxwell Launches In-House Focused Consultancy Lution
Lution is a marketing, data & tech consultancy and is not to be mistaken with ablution or having to take a poo.

Sky News Australia Nabs Ross Greenwood As Business Weekend Anchor
Australian business and finance expert Ross Greenwood has signed exclusively with Sky News Australia as business editor and anchor of Business Weekend. With more than 40 years’ experience covering business news in Australia and around the world, Greenwood brings expertise to the role of Sky News business editor where he will lead the network’s business […]

Christian Wilkins Becomes Pantene’s First Australian Male Brand Ambassador
Christian Wilkins beats out Peter Garrett and Josh Frydenberg to become Pantene's first Australian brand ambassador.

Brands Deploy Mittens Memes After Bernie Sanders Goes Viral
Becoming slightly bored of Bernie Sanders memes clogging your social media? Let B&T add just a little more clog here.

Bumble Goes Public Despite Apple Privacy Change Concerns
The B&T editor's authoritative research confirms Bumble is ahead of Hinge when it comes to getting completely ignored.

Dan Andrews Cracks Top 20 In Hottest 100: “It’s Officially Time To Get On The Beers”
Victorian premier now referring to himself as DJ Dan Man & The Comrades after snaring Hottest 100 top 20.

The Rise And Rise Of The ‘As A Service’ Model
Here's a top piece on data as a service model. And as data's adland's "new gold", you could turn it into a new tooth.

Fitness First Unveils ‘Put Yourself First’ Campaign Via Thinkerbell
Reinvigorate your New Year goals with this new campaign. Unless those goals were to get more slovenly & take up smoking.

Carat Unveils Its Annual 2021 Trends Report
Looking for flying cars & self-styling hair helmets in Carat's 2021 Trends Report? Alas, no news, B&T's sad to report.