Faith Popcorn - On Valentine’s Day 2008

Posted on | February 11, 2008 |

by Faith Popcorn

Surveying the 2008 Valentine’s Day scene, the plethora of personalization options available stands out. It seems that anything “off the peg” will simply not cut it this year.

We’re seeing everything from help with customizing love notes, courtesy of www.mydearvalentine.com, which also offers a love meter to quickly measure compatibility, like eHarmony but without the commitment. In fact, there are over one million hits for “love compatibility” on Google, everything from calculators, to astrological, to psychic, tantric, and everything in between. It occurs to me that one might increase his or her odds by getting out from behind the keyboard to try and meet somebody.

Then there’s www.personalizationmall.com, which offers monogrammed intimate apparel; perhaps for those who have a penchant to scream the wrong name when in the throes? And, there’s www.photoworks.com which offers a range of photo-based gifts with the promise “cards and gifts that take just minutes to personalize and look as if they took hours to create… ” Great– institutionalized cheating.

All this suggests the continued inability of conventional retail to capture the imagination of shoppers, an extension of the Christmas doldrums. Think about what you’re seeing in stores, or advertised by them. Anyone find a good gift idea?

And, the one that is of particular note for me, a real surprise, since I’ve been such a fan of their marketing, is The Diamond Trading Company (”A Diamond is Forever”). You may recall not long ago, they introduced the right hand ring as the ultimate statement of independence and self-worth. Move over L’Oreal, “I’m worth it,” has been taken to another level. Why wait for “Mr. Right,” so the thinking went to get yourself that sparkler, get out and get it for yourself. You can afford it, you’ve earned it, you want it, so have it. And wear it on the right hand, as an affirmation, and just to make sure no one thinks you’re actually off the market? Great idea, big business winner.

So, imagine my surprise seeing as the first “sponsored link” on Google (not cheap these days), the offer to “Be Her Valentine’s Hero: Show her you really know who she is with a diamond right hand ring” HUH? WHAT? Does the DTC mean to take this simple and masterful act of sisterhood out of women’s hands? Is this intended to be training wheels for guys with commitment issues? For me, it’s one of the great gaffes in recent marketing history.

For over three decades, Faith Popcornâ€™s BrainReserve has been the leader in bringing applied futurism to Fortuneâ€™s Global 500 Brands, including: Campbellâ€™s, Colgate, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pepsi and Yum Brands. Its founder, CEO and Chief Visionary Faith Popcorn drives the companyâ€™s overall perspective, direction, and leads the implementation of our mission in real time: to guide our clients to their Best Future.