2015 Video Survey Report
TrendER Insights went to the streets to find out how consumers felt about Valentine’s Day, what the day means to them, the role of brands on this day of love and how advertising influences their purchase behavior with regards to Valentine’s Day.
Consumers agreed with the statement that advertising does indeed influence their decision to purchase products. The influence is more prevalent in the decision making process. With the vast number of different types of products on sale leading to Valentine’s Day, it can be overwhelming for consumers, thus making it difficult to make a decision. This is where the influence of advertising plays a role and makes it easier for the consumers to decide on what they can buy. What this means is that products that are advertised during the valentine period are most likely to be picked out and bought by the consumer, with the exception that the consumer already had their mind made up from the onset.Interesting enough, consumers do not think that brands understand the meaning of valentine. They feel that valentine is just another tactic to boost their product sales. It is more of a product focused approach and not a strong brand affiliation connection.
Marketers and brands need to realize that during the Valentine’s period, consumers are more product focused and not necessarily brand focused. The vast choice of products that they are granted can be overwhelming, therefore some sort of advertising communication or promotion during this period is advised, should you want your products to remain top of mind. Advertising in this instance is therefore very relevant.
In conclusion, Valentine’s Day cannot be used as a platform for a brand building exercise, as consumers have already decided that brands do not understand the meaning thereof; Thus it is harder for brands to connect with consumers on an extrinsic level using their products, however there is an extrinsic connection that already exists, which in this case is the love that people share for one another and express on Valentine’s Day. The brand’s role should be on providing products that make those moments extra special than brands themselves trying to be the central focus.
