Social Media & E-Commerce Down With Valentine’s Day Fever

This Valentine’s Day, I don’t know about Love but brand promotions and offers are definitely in the air. A quick check of the vibe all around and you will realize that while couples (surprisingly) and singles (expectedly) are not quite going ga-ga over this annual cheesy love fest, the brands are holding nothing back to draw one & all into splurging in the name of  St. Valentine.

The increase in the number of e-commerce sites, selling almost the same product items and brands, means that there is a mad rush during ‘Days’ to promote the site and to attract maximum buyers by dishing out lucrative and tempting offers. Here are some of the offers doing the rounds, this Valentine’s.

1. Flipkart – All You Need Is Love. But Great Offers Wouldn’t Hurt Either!

The e-commerce and marketplace (perhaps) giant has dedicated a separate page to Valentine gifts and offers. The page – with the red hearts and him-her sections – has multiple products on offer. Right from books, wallets, perfumes – everything is on offer! An additional offer is live for people who shop for Rs. 5000+ worth of electronics on the site; a lucky draw winner stands a chance to win an iPad Mini every day.

2. GroupOn – Best Valentine’s Day Deals In Your Town

Armed with a heart laden landing page, GroupOn is offering umpteen deals and offers across brands. Be it spas, hill-station resort stays, dining or jewellery – there is something for anyone & everyone. The deals are quite good actually; a 1N/2D stay at the Fariyas, Colaba is up on offer for half (Rs. 6999 from Rs. 12,000) whereas a meal the Boulevard, The Orchid is for Rs. 888 (as opposed to Rs. 2100).

3. eBay.in

eBay, India’s largest marketplace, is offering some pretty exciting offers –  a 4N/5D Super Star Libra Cruise to Goa and Lakshadweep for one lucky couple. Apart from this, eBay is offering interactive help as it has put up a list of gift ideas (men should rejoice at this) and has introduced the Gift Picker which helps you select the best gift for your partner after you answer a couple of simple questions.

 4. Jewellery

Valentine’s Day is a celebration much hyped (and willing + smartly so) by Jewellery brands. In keeping with this, every other jewellery brand is offering discounts, special prices and offers for the Big V-Day. Bluestone has taken the heart symbol very seriously is offering multiple heart-shaped jewellery items; CaratLane is asking customers to add a bit of mystery to their love stories by surprising their spouse/partner with a diamond jewellery gift; Surat Diamond has launched a special V-Day collection for the lovers on board!

Social Media Takeover

Now, it is not just the brand but the eager-to-trend-a-hastag Twitterati too has jumped on the Valentine’s bandwagon. As of today, #LoveGuru is trending on Twitter.

Baskin & Robbins India has introduced ‘Pinky the Spoon’ character on their Facebook page who has been engaging audiences by asking them Valentine’s tips on how best he can score a date!

My Thoughts

Valentine’s Day has been a hit with college students and young couples for a long time now. Every year, people cringe about Valentine’s and talk about how ‘love must be celebrated all year round and not on one day‘ and every year brands go into full promotion and sale mode. The fact that this cycle is on loop mode since years suggests that no matter the philosophical talk, people are celebrating Valentine’s. I used the word people because singles and couples alike have found their niche and space in this cluttered brand/service market that is catering (or creating) to their every whim and demand.

So, the fundamental question is: Are you down with Valentine’s Day fever too?

Top Image Courtesy |  123rf

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