hallmarketing

As a marketing professional, it’s hard not to grow cynical. When you learn how to make a product, create a need for it, and then gloss it over with a shiny coat to make it almost irresistible to an end consumer, it becomes hard to believe anything you read in a brochure or on the back of a package.

With Valentine’s Day upon us today, I think we are all in agreement that it floats high at the top of the list of the most well marketed products known to man. Take a random day, create a cute little half naked boy who shoots arrows dipped in a love potion, and add an overwhelming heaping of romance to the mix and you’ve got a winning recipe that will have women high on expectations and men scrambling to buy what’s left of the overpriced roses by 6 pm.

Make no mistake, I’m not against the concept of Valentine’s Day, but I’m actually in awe of the marketing team that concocted the notion. To convince masses across the world that this day holds some symbolic meaning of love and that no other day can match it is a feat that they impressively overcame. That is definitely something I would love to add to my CV. Of course, I am aware that there is a history behind St. Valentine and that this day is his namesake, but in the present time that history is pretty much moot. Today, it takes less history and more Hallmark.

The majority of men dread Valentine’s Day, but I’m of the opinion that it can actually pan out to their advantage if they view it from the right angle. If we have grown so convinced that romance can only truly exist on February 14 of every year, then that’s a free pass for men! Just get it right on that one day and the afterglow will carry over for the next 364! Mess it up, and I would most definitely not want to be in your shoes.

Now, in case the men reading this actually believed me for a second, let me state for the record that I am most definitely exaggerating. While we are all guilty of dreamy ideals, most women don’t really fall for the hype and are not satisfied with romance as a one day special that is only served on the Valentine’s menu. All I’m doing is trying to prove a point to merely ask us all to step back and think that maybe going to an overcrowded restaurant to see cheesy red balloons and eat a ridiculously expensive meal only truly benefits the restaurant owner who will most likely serve you food that is low on quality and high on margin.

Try eating in this year. Light your own candles on your balcony and buy your own red napkins. You may be surprised by how much more you enjoy it.

Now, on a more personal note: I will still gladly accept flowers on this day. You know, in case you were wondering.