It wasn’t that long ago that couples ached to get physical on Valentine’s Day. These days, many would rather get virtual.
Some of the biggest brands are turning to social media for Valentine’s Day. Major marketers from Mattel to Victoria’s Secret to CBS are pushing holiday hype on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The driver: to get Valentine’s Day exposure. The average person will spend $116 for Valentine’s merchandise, up 12.8% from 2010. Total spending: $15.7 billion, the National Retail Federation says.
“Valentine’s Day is all about being social,” says digital consultant Rebecca Lieb. “Facebook and Twitter let a virtual Valentine’s Day gift be known throughout one’s entire network — so there’s a great deal of brand resonance.”
Some Valentine’s Day social movers:
*Mattel. The toy kingpin’s social-media campaign asks folks to vote on whether Barbie and Ken (who split on Valentine’s Day 2004) should get back together.
Ken is desperate to win Barbie back, and the public relations campaign has played out on Facebook and Twitter. Ken keeps posting about his grand romantic gestures to prove that even though he’s plastic, his love for Barbie is real.
It’s not just about clicks, but purchases. The social-media noise drives folks to BarbieandKen.com to vote on whether the two should reunite. On Feb. 14, Barbie’s Facebook page also becomes a virtual store, where folks can buy Barbie & Ken stuff. It’s the first time Mattel has sold items on Facebook, says Lauren Bruksch, Barbie marketing chief.
*Victoria’s Secret. Victoria’s Secret has racy e-Valentines that it’s urging folks to e-mail or send via social network. Senders select from sexy pictures and expressions that Victoria’s Secret posts on its Web site. Women have the option of including a photo of the Victoria’s Secret gift they want.
*CBS. To promote its new comedy Mad Love, CBS, through Feb. 14, has a virtual gift app…