Attributed to Lovehoney’s International Business Development Manager, Jade Bawa
While the sexual wellness sector is still dusting itself off after a manic Christmas, the next peak trading period — and one of the biggest of the year — is already upon us: yes, it’s Valentine’s. The Lovehoney B2B team is already geared up for the holiday that’s synonymous with couples, but nobody in the sector should be overlooking the power of the singleton, for reasons delved into in a little more detail below.
Don’t ostracize your audience
If your Valentine’s campaign completely fails to take into consideration the single people among us, then you are effectively ostracizing a huge chunk of your audience. By incorporating singletons into your messaging — even if only to acknowledge that they might be purchasing items around this time too — you are making sure they still feel seen and heard, and keep coming back.
The rise of ‘Galentine’s’
What seemingly started off as a joke in a popular sitcom, has turned into somewhat of a worldwide phenomenon, with legions of women – single and otherwise – celebrating Galentine’s each year. Much the same way as Valentine’s, the off-brand version of the day features gifting, dinners, and trips away, and is ‘officially’ celebrated on February 13. You can see in the below Google Trends chart from the UK how interest in Galentine’s day has risen over the last few years, and as a singles-focused event, it’s a great way to tap into a different market around the February peak.
Source – Google Trends
People like self-gifting, too!
Much like Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions on the annual calendar, self-gifting on Valentine’s has gone way beyond being acceptable and is now actively encouraged. Not that we need asking twice, but the most romantic day of the year presents us all with the perfect excuse to buy oneself a gift, and this is particularly more prudent if you’re spending the day single, cuddled up in front of a movie or out with your friends. Don’t forget about this very much real audience when talking about Valentine’s Day.
It can be a hard time to be single
Away from the financial and business-focused aspects of including single people in marketing tactics surrounding Valentine’s, there is also a human aspect. Being single is very much the right thing for some people, and others actively enjoy it, however this can be a hard time of year for some to be single, particularly if a relationship has recently ended. While the majority of messaging around Valentine’s will understandably focus on couples, spare a thought for the rest of the market and try to include in at least some of the marketing and communications in February.
To find out more about all of the products that Lovehoney B2B has to offer, visit lovehoneytrade.com, or email trade@lovehoney.co.uk to place a pre-order.
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