Hello Valentines

February dates of note; Groundhog Day, Pancake Day, Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day… did I mention Groundhog Day?

Valentines Day marks the first ‘big’ card selling calendar day for us in the UK, but have our consumer habits changed in recent years?

This year in the UK, it has been forecast that consumers will spend approx. £1.9 billion on Valentines Day. Split down this looks like, £557 million on dining out, £461 million on ‘gifts’, £211 million on flowers, £173 million on drinks and chocolates, and £57 million on cards.

As many as 65% of us will buy and send a card. The ‘romantics’ would like us to believe Valentines cards started in 1415 when the Duke of Orleans wrote love letters to his wife from prison, however it truly became cemented as an annual fixture for us all by Hallmark years later.

Having recently survived, Texts and eCards, the card business continues to increase in value, around £1 million every year. Healthy figures considering it trails overall spend to drinks, chocolates, flowers, gifts and dinners.

How will you shop Valentines this year?

On the high street, online, or simply on the one you love…?
Whatever you prefer, your consumer habits will support the research and data that helps retailers shape their strategy for next year, which I guess they will be planning long before Christmas…!

Now that’s Groundhog Day.

Christmas 'in the moment'... Hello

When you’re tucking into your turkey this Christmas, spare a thought for the retailers who are already planning next Christmas. They are faced with a number of burning questions:

·      What worked well this year (do we repeat in 2016)

·      What didn’t work well/what do we need to change

·      What will consumers want to see and hear around Christmas 2016

·      What can we do ensure they ‘love us’ again next Christmas

·      What will drive consumers to our store/website next year

Ultimately they are already planning Christmas 2016 before the Valentines Day love hearts and soppy verses have even hit the shelves. This is potentially something consumers do understand, as we’re potentially planning our summer holidays at the point the retailers have made all their buying decisions about everything they need for the next Christmas campaign.

We appreciate that retailers have to plan and purchase early, and this really did get me thinking… What if they are missing a trick by such forward purchasing? With the ever changing ‘INSTANT’ availability of communication open to everyone of all generations, what if something majorly exciting happens during 2016 and all the retailers have focused too much on last year’s big hit?

Should we plan so far ahead or not?

It’s a debatable question. But to conclude, I strongly believe that if you use research to speak to consumers ‘in the moment’ rather than retrospectively you will achieve a more measured response.

As an agency, we believe you should be listening to your customers/potential customers ‘in the moment’ to buy/click etc. to fully understand how they truly feel about you as a brand and importantly, if brand loyalty is achieved. Then it really doesn't matter if you produce a campaign around an old man in space or not!