As we come to the end of January, business owners and marketers are likely already thinking ahead to their Valentine’s Day campaigns. The “day of love” is divisive. Some see it as an opportunity to shower a significant other with affection, while others view it as a Hallmark holiday pushed exclusively to sell us things.
If you run a sustainable or socially-conscious business, you might be wondering whether it’s ethical to jump on Valentine’s Day as a marketing opportunity. My view? Absolutely, as long as you do so mindfully. With that in mind, I’ve put together a few ideas to help you with your Valentine’s Day content without compromising your values.
Share Sustainable Gift or Date Ideas
Like so many other holidays, Valentine’s Day often feels like it has been taken over by what I broadly term “plastic tat.” Think kitschy gifts that will make someone laugh for two minutes then be in landfill forever, single-use decorations that will be thrown out a week later, and unnecessary limited-edition versions of products people already own.
As a sustainable brand, you can stand out by sharing more sustainable gift and date ideas. Highlight your own products or services if appropriate, but showcase some you love from other brands, too. Bonus points for including some zero-cost or very-low-cost options.
Suggest Fun Ways for People to Use Things They Already Have
In the sustainable fashion world, there’s a concept called “shopping your closet.” This means looking creatively at the clothes you already own, restyling them and wearing them in different ways to create new outfits without buying anything new. (By the way: if this sounds fun to you, I recommend the app Indyx. Not an affiliate, I’m just obsessed.)
You can play with this theme for Valentine’s Day. If you’re a fashion brand, show people how to put together a date outfit from items they already have. Homeware or craft brands could share eco-friendly, plastic-free Valentine’s Day decor ideas. Self-care or beauty brands could create instructions for how do to a home spa day with products people already have.
Highlight Unconventional Valentine’s Day Traditions
Valentine’s Day is perfect for user-generated content, or UGC. If you have a blog or a following on social media, why not invite your followers or team members to share their unconventional Valentine’s Day traditions?
Alternatively, you could focus on Valentine’s Day customs and traditions outside your home country. In Germany, for example, pigs are considered a symbol of love and luck, and exchanging pig-themed gifts is a popular tradition. And in Japan and South Korea, women traditionally give chocolate to the men in their lives on February 14th, while men reciprocate on March 14th, also known as “White Day.”
Celebrate Love in All Forms
In countries like the UK and US, Valentine’s Day is most often focused on the romantic, monogamous couple as a unit and as the pinnacle of what “love” is. However, love can look so many different ways. If you’re a brand that cares about diversity and inclusion, why not use Valentine’s Day to celebrate love in all its forms?
Make sure LGBTQ+ relationships are represented in your content if you’re focusing on romantic love. Celebrate the importance of friendship (February 13th is unofficially “Galentine’s Day,” dedicated to female friendships, or “Palentine’s Day,” celebrating friend-love more broadly.) In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called ystävänpäivä, which translates to “Friends’ Day.”
Celebrate love between families, within communities, and between humans and their pets. Content related to self-love can also go down well at this time of year.
Announce or Spotlight a Charity Partnership
For many sustainable brands, partnering with a charity or non-profit organisation is a vital part of living up to their socially-conscious values. If you already have a charity partnership, Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to highlight it under the framing of showing love to your community or the planet. If you don’t have a charity partnership yet, now is the time to find a cause that aligns with your values and start building a relationship.
Want to Stand Out This Valentine’s Day? Let Me Show Your Content Some Love
If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, creative person, or marketer working with an ethically-minded brand and trying to do things differently, you’re my dream client! I love working with sustainable brands and helping them to use content to reach an audience, share a message, and make a positive difference in the world.
Because generative AI is so harmful to people and the planet, CopyFlair is a proudly AI-free business. All content my clients receive is 100% human, 100% of the time.
Book a discovery call or email me to talk about how I can make your Valentine’s Day campaigns sparkle.
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