As a single girl Valentine’s Day doesn’t apply to me.*
Obviously it does apply to the millions of Australians that are in relationships, or not…but want to be.
I was just standing in line at the newsagents and looked at the entire wall of Valentine’s Day cards. (Really do people send Hallmark cards still?) We have got our client Starlight Cinema coverage in the Daily Telegraph on Sunday for “Things to do on Valentine’s Day”.
As I was walking back from the newsagents past the Crows Nest Hotel on Saturday night they doing “Crowie Shotgun Weddings”. They are having a mini wedding chapel and couples get an official “partners in life” certificate.
What a great idea! (I hope they have a publicist who got them media coverage for it!)
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to think laterally to reach your target audience and tie in a promotion. Here are a couple of ideas:
• Share the love – give away a heart shaped chocolate to ever customer on the day.
• Run a competition on the day to “win a romantic dinner for two”.
• Establish a partnership with another business ie with a local florist and do a joint promotion.
• Run a direct mail piece about “We love our customer all year round” with a discount coupon.
• Hold an “I hate Valentine’s Day” singles event.
From a PR perspective have you noticed that New Year’s resolution articles fill newspapers and magazines every January and tax tips abound in March? Editors always have a need for evergreen stories, but need fresh twists and hooks that are relevant to their audiences.
I have seen a lot of requests from journalists for Valentine’s Day related stores this week.
Why not think of some articles ideas and pitch them to publications. For example, for Valentine’s Day you could write an article on the “top ten” list of tips to make your customers love you all year round, or even a personal story about why you hate Valentine’s Day.
For the cynical, you could say Valentine’s Day is all marketing hype – but take advantage of it! Use it to promote your business….and maybe even pop into the Crowie’s for a shotgun wedding!
* I am one of the cynics so am totally fine with not getting any roses this Valentine’s Day…..but will happily accept chocolates, a free dinner, romantic weekend away…. and if you accidentally over order roses for your partner I will, I suppose, take them off your hands.
Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
