Wow! We are already through the first month of 2017. Time just does not slow down does it? If you are reading this you know that February 14th is quickly approaching us…Valentine’s Day. What does that have to do with a Marketing Blog you ask? Well, Valentine’s Day is a huge marketing “holiday,” especially for Hallmark, candy makers and florists.
Valentine’s Day originally began as a Pagan Festival, started by the Christian Church to celebrate the anniversary of St. Valentine’s death/burial. Great Britain started celebrating Valentine’s Day as a romantic holiday around the 17th century, and is now celebrated in America, Canada, Mexico, France, and Australia as well. Next to Christmas and Easter, Valentine’s Day has become a huge retail holiday.
Depending on your type of business, Valentine’s Day might be a big money maker for you. What does your marketing strategy look like for this “holiday” coming up? Or, for the year?
There are many marketing firms, companies, consulting agencies out there. Probably more than there are Starbucks. Some are very good, others may not be. As with every industry there are people out there just trying to make a quick buck and really don’t care about the business, or person they are working for. So, choosing someone, other than yourself, to do your marketing should be given a lot a thought. You should like, trust and understand the person or company that is doing your marketing. Do they share your vision? If not, do you least agree with the vision they have for your business?
Hiring someone to do your marketing is kind of like hiring an interior designer. It may be a field you don’t have any experience in, or maybe dabble in a little. Either way, it is all opinions, visions, and ideas. Pretty much everything in life is. We aline ourselves with people who have similar beliefs and values as us. We identify, with particular brands because we identify and/or like their ads. Just like we don’t do businesses that don’t hold our values and have ads we don’t agree with.
Just because someone say’s you should do something, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. It is still your business. You are the one with the vision for your business. Don’t get me wrong, one needs to have an open mind about things, but if you don’t agree with a marketing plan proposed. Question it! If the person, or company, can’t give you a good enough reason for the idea, it’s ok to disagree and say you do not like it. A good marketing person listens to their clients and then makes suggestions based on what their client envisions are for their business. One can come up with some unique marketing ideas, but if it doesn’t fit well with the vision, it is not going to work. Shock value works in some cases, but not in all.
So, whether it’s for your Valentine’s Day marketing, or any time of the year, Don’t Get Sweet Talked into something you don’t agree with or like.
References:
http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day
Geoff Cummings is President | Founder of On the Level Marketing & Consulting, LLC. Successfully helping businesses with all their marketing needs by branding their businesses and keeping their marketing simple and straightforward. On the Level Marketing & Consulting, LLC Creative|Trustworthy|Hassle-Free. www.onthelevelmktg.com, Twitter: @OTLmarketing, Instagram: otlmarketing
