That being said, how do you spin Valentine’s Day through a B2B lens? B2B can, at times, be quite cold, corporate and distant. But perhaps V Day is the perfect time to break that mould, and get a bit cosy with your customers? I think you should treat your customers the same as you might treat your significant other – show much how you value and appreciate them all year round, but maybe use the 14th of February to go that extra mile.
With that in mind, here are some Valentine’s Day marketing campaign ideas for B2B that might just get you feeling the love.
Say it with a gift
Not everyone likes or celebrates Valentine’s Day for various reasons. Regardless, why not make your clients feel a bit special by sending them a gift? You don’t have to come over all romantic and send them flowers and champagne, but some chocolates, or biscuits, or something else they can share (or not share) with their loved ones could be a nice touch, and timely reminder 2 months into the year that you value them all year round. Perhaps accompany your gift with a quirky personalised message, perhaps looking to schedule a “date” (meeting)? Something like this makes your brand memorable, and who doesn’t respond well to freebies?
Think outside the box
One of the most memorable campaigns I’ve executed in my career was a Valentine’s Day one. The big day happened to occur a couple of weeks after a major trade show the company attended, and we wanted to follow up on some leads and interest around a particular product with something a bit creative. We decided on a “lonely hearts” campaign – the product was seeking a companion, and had put together a “dating profile” showing off all of its key features. The campaign consisted of a personalised email (branded up as a message from a “dating” website) as well as a physical card sent through the post. We got a great response, and it was fantastic way to make what was quite a technical product and potentially “dry” subject memorable and different. This kind of campaign could work great for services too, with your company or particular project manager or account manager positioned as the lonely heart. Get the left-side of your brain ticking on this one and you could end up with a great campaign!
A simple message of love
In a cynical world, sometimes it’s nice to just spread a little love. With your Valentine’s Day campaign, you can choose to go all out, tying it to the promotion of your products and/or services. Or you can keep it simple and send a message – whether that’s via email, social media, or both, just letting your customers, partners and contacts that you appreciate them. Maybe tie it in with a donation to charity, or a quick update about the company. But the core message can be that of the appreciation and valuing their time and commitment. That should warm up even the staunchest of Valentine’s scrooges! And with the handy theme, there’s an opportunity to get creative with the copy. Think “we’re better together”, “we just called to say we love you”. You get the point.
I hope this has inspired you to put together a Valentine’s campaign of your own. While it’s not everyone’s cup of tea (ahem), it’s an opportunity to engage with your customers in a memorable way, no matter what you’re selling.
If you’d like to discuss how we could help you run successful campaigns all year round, we’re young, GSOH, not afraid of commitment, seeking meaningful relationships with like-minded businesses. Get in touch.
