What started as a celebration of love now fuels ₹25,000 crore in India and $29.1 billion in the US every February.
Campaigns launch, discounts roll out, inboxes flood, and scrolls are filled with heart-shaped creatives, this time of the year.
But here is a question that marketers at Brand Mender are going to answer with all honesty:
- Is Valentine’s Day marketing a genuine consumer moment, or just a manufactured gimmick we have collectively agreed to exploit?
To answer that, we need to step away from opinions and look at behaviour, data, and intent.
This is going to be a super interesting exploration, so make sure to read till the end.
Let us begin:
Valentine’s Day Spending – Romance or Revenue?
It is February, and love is in the air. Let us find out what revenue this love is generating. Here are some numbers to quickly look at:
Consumer Intent Has Evolved, and Marketers Followed
Valentine’s Day is no longer narrowly defined by couples and romantic partners.
People’s outlook is changing, and this trend is interesting to note.
Recent consumer studies show:
- A significant portion of shoppers now buy gifts for friends, family members, coworkers, and even pets.
- Nearly one-third of consumers purchase Valentine’s gifts for friends, reflecting the rise of “Galentine’s” and broader appreciation-driven narratives.
- Spending is spread across categories like dining, travel, self-gifting, and practical items. It is not just flowers and chocolates!
This shift is important. It tells us Valentine’s Day isn’t being propped up solely by outdated romantic tropes. Instead, consumers have reframed it as a day for expressing connection in varied forms.
Marketers didn’t invent this evolution. They have adapted to it.
In this context, this ad by Flipkart wins your heart by tapping into the non-glamorous parts of love.
Discovery & Influence: Why Valentine’s Day Works Digitally
Valentine’s Day is also a powerful digital discovery moment.
Research indicates that:
- Over 60% of consumers have purchased a Valentine’s gift after seeing it on social media.
- More than one-third actively use social platforms to look for gift ideas.
- Engagement via SMS and push notifications spikes dramatically during Valentine’s campaigns.
This behaviour reveals something critical:
- Valentine’s Day marketing works not because it forces urgency, but because it aligns with active consumer intent. People are already searching, browsing, and comparing. Brands that show up help simplify decision-making. That’s not manipulation. That’s relevance.
So, Why Is Valentine’s Day Still Called a Gimmick?
The criticism isn’t baseless.
Valentine’s Day was heavily shaped by commercial interests, particularly greeting card companies in the 19th and 20th centuries. There is some truth to this, and we acknowledge it.
Over time, the holiday became closely associated with spending, gifting, and consumption.
On social platforms, many consumers openly express discomfort with:
- The pressure to spend.
- The equation of love with material value.
- The exclusionary nature of couple-centric messaging.
Brand Mender is a marketing agency, and as marketers, this is how we want to sum up this hot topic:
For marketers, the question isn’t whether Valentine’s Day is real. It’s whether the brand’s participation feels earned. Handled poorly, it becomes noise. Handled thoughtfully, it becomes relevant.
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