Comments on: Is Valentine’s Day a Marketing Scam? http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/ Wed, 23 May 2012 15:40:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/#comment-59970 Peter Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:10:15 +0000 http://studenomics.com/?p=591#comment-59970 Valentines Day...what a joke? While i don't believe that the day itself is a scam, the media have most certainly turned it into one. Simply put, if the media didn't tell everyone to go out and do this and buy that (so they can profit) the so called "holiday" would cease to exist. Also, as you mentioned MD, why do prices take such a jump on February 14th? Meanwhile on the 15th prices are halved (give or take). If that isn't a media scam then what is? If the true meaning of Valentines Day was to express love and gratitude then shouldn't that be the other way around? As a marketer myself, I can see the obvious business advantages to such days. However, if i told you to that, for example, June 7th was 'Crash Your Car Day', would you do it? It is because of these reasons that I refuse to have anything to do with Valentines Day. When it comes to my partner, if she is unwilling to accept my beliefs then we probably shouldn't be together anyway. I am proud to take the stance that I take about this "media holiday" and hold a very similar stance to other events such as Easter and Christmas. At the end of the day the only question that you should ask yourself is why should I do something special on that one particular day each year? Because the media tells you to? Shouldn't you express your love for your partner every day? Valentines Day…what a joke?

While i don’t believe that the day itself is a scam, the media have most certainly turned it into one. Simply put, if the media didn’t tell everyone to go out and do this and buy that (so they can profit) the so called “holiday” would cease to exist.

Also, as you mentioned MD, why do prices take such a jump on February 14th? Meanwhile on the 15th prices are halved (give or take). If that isn’t a media scam then what is?

If the true meaning of Valentines Day was to express love and gratitude then shouldn’t that be the other way around?

As a marketer myself, I can see the obvious business advantages to such days. However, if i told you to that, for example, June 7th was ‘Crash Your Car Day’, would you do it?

It is because of these reasons that I refuse to have anything to do with Valentines Day. When it comes to my partner, if she is unwilling to accept my beliefs then we probably shouldn’t be together anyway.

I am proud to take the stance that I take about this “media holiday” and hold a very similar stance to other events such as Easter and Christmas.

At the end of the day the only question that you should ask yourself is why should I do something special on that one particular day each year? Because the media tells you to? Shouldn’t you express your love for your partner every day?

]]> By: Roger http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/#comment-1501 Roger Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:10:25 +0000 http://studenomics.com/?p=591#comment-1501 In answer to your questions: No, I don't need a special day, but it can be nice to celebrate when other people are celebrating. No, again, I don't need a special day, but it can't hurt. No, I don't *NEED* to go out, but it is nice to be romantic every now and then. (Although, preferably, not on a day when everyone else is out and the restaurants have two hour waits.) Because hotels and restaurants are run by smart people, and with the larger than normal demand for their products, they're going to try to get every dollar they can from the love-struck masses. Is Valentine's Day a scam? Probably about as much as any other holiday that encourages mass consumption on an annual basis. In answer to your questions:

No, I don’t need a special day, but it can be nice to celebrate when other people are celebrating.

No, again, I don’t need a special day, but it can’t hurt.

No, I don’t *NEED* to go out, but it is nice to be romantic every now and then. (Although, preferably, not on a day when everyone else is out and the restaurants have two hour waits.)

Because hotels and restaurants are run by smart people, and with the larger than normal demand for their products, they’re going to try to get every dollar they can from the love-struck masses.

Is Valentine’s Day a scam? Probably about as much as any other holiday that encourages mass consumption on an annual basis.

]]> By: Melanie http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/#comment-1466 Melanie Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:53:17 +0000 http://studenomics.com/?p=591#comment-1466 My husband bought me a valentine's coffee mug. My response-- "Oh, that's sweet. I hope you got this at the dollar store." Going on 19 years. Certainly not because of chocolate and overpriced hallmark cards. Though I do like chocolate. I also like your blog, though I'm probably too old for it. But I have a 17 year old son and I keep trying to get him to read it. He won't, so I read it and somehow I manage to bring up almost everything you say in our conversations. My husband bought me a valentine’s coffee mug. My response– “Oh, that’s sweet. I hope you got this at the dollar store.”

Going on 19 years. Certainly not because of chocolate and overpriced hallmark cards. Though I do like chocolate.

I also like your blog, though I’m probably too old for it. But I have a 17 year old son and I keep trying to get him to read it. He won’t, so I read it and somehow I manage to bring up almost everything you say in our conversations.

]]> By: Steve http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/#comment-1458 Steve Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:49:11 +0000 http://studenomics.com/?p=591#comment-1458 I dislike Valentine's day. There's so much pressure from everybody to do something special. I get pressure from the gf. I get pressure from coworkers asking what I'm going to do. I even get pressure from the students I tutor. Fortunately, we decided to just stay in cook dinner and use our anniversary, one week from now, to do the whole going out thing. I dislike Valentine’s day. There’s so much pressure from everybody to do something special. I get pressure from the gf. I get pressure from coworkers asking what I’m going to do. I even get pressure from the students I tutor. Fortunately, we decided to just stay in cook dinner and use our anniversary, one week from now, to do the whole going out thing.

]]> By: Jasmin http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/#comment-1454 Jasmin Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:43:59 +0000 http://studenomics.com/?p=591#comment-1454 In my universe, it's pretty much always been 50%-off-chocolate eve. I'm the one always getting in trouble because I say "I don't care" and actually mean it, and then he (whoever he is at the time) does something for me and gets upset that 1) I'm not crying from happiness and 2) didn't do anything for him. I hate cut flowers of any flavours. I don't consider dead plants to be representative of "eternal love", and a waste besides. Get me something potted if you have to go that route. Buy me chocolate, if you absolutely have to, but for the love of everything do it the day after and catch the discounts. Save your time/energy/money/creativity for my birthday, which is the important date as far as I'm concerned. In my universe, it’s pretty much always been 50%-off-chocolate eve. I’m the one always getting in trouble because I say “I don’t care” and actually mean it, and then he (whoever he is at the time) does something for me and gets upset that 1) I’m not crying from happiness and 2) didn’t do anything for him. I hate cut flowers of any flavours. I don’t consider dead plants to be representative of “eternal love”, and a waste besides. Get me something potted if you have to go that route. Buy me chocolate, if you absolutely have to, but for the love of everything do it the day after and catch the discounts. Save your time/energy/money/creativity for my birthday, which is the important date as far as I’m concerned.

]]> By: Suzie Bee http://studenomics.com/random/is-valentines-day-a-marketing-scam/#comment-1452 Suzie Bee Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:50:32 +0000 http://studenomics.com/?p=591#comment-1452 I actually do think that Valentine's Day has been exploited by marketing departments. It's become hugely commercialised with many people having over-inflated expectations which subsequently cause rows because their partner is supposed to *know* that "I don't want to do anything special" means "Please hire a horse-drawn carriage and book a table at The Ritz". However, the essential core is a good thing, reminding us not to take people we love for granted and giving us an excuse to make them feel special. I actually do think that Valentine’s Day has been exploited by marketing departments. It’s become hugely commercialised with many people having over-inflated expectations which subsequently cause rows because their partner is supposed to *know* that “I don’t want to do anything special” means “Please hire a horse-drawn carriage and book a table at The Ritz”. However, the essential core is a good thing, reminding us not to take people we love for granted and giving us an excuse to make them feel special.

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