The Brandcast

It’s the day after Valentines day, and I can’t help but marvel over all of the lavish presents I see lurking around my office. There are several bouquets of roses, lilies and orchids. Ladies are excited to display a new necklace or set of earrings. And I’d be lying if I tried to claim that I didn’t appreciate these little luxuries.

Ordinarily, though, my husband and I make a point of being more-savings minded, and enjoy the challenge of finding the best deal on anything from designer jeans to flat-panel TVs. So what is it about February 14th that causes all of our logic to go right out the window?

Love.

Sure, a little precedent and tradition are mixed in there too–but the irrational buying power of love is where brands and consumer items can capitalize, big time.

Valentine’s day is one of those occasions where people are more likely to listen to a commercial than the wisdom of their mother. While she was busy explaining that it’s ‘the thought that counts’, DeBeers was psyching out men everywhere to save two months’ salary or more, to buy the biggest or best quality diamond ring possible… if they planned on the proposal working out in their favor. Many of these messages correlate the size of a diamond with the size of one’s true level of commitment or love. So what guy, after that, is going to blow the moment with a .001 diamond shaving that can only be seen under a microscope?

Long-stemmed roses and boxes of gourmet chocolates are, of course, other Valentine’s day mainstays that aren’t without their lofty price tags, either. Bouquets from an average florist with just a half-dozen roses can fetch upwards of $75, when they’re less than a quarter of the price during summer months. And Godiva, a leader in the gourmet chocolate industry, creates special occasion gift boxes that are, you guessed it, pricier than similar offerings throughout the remainder of the year.

So, what gives?

You do! Luxury items will certainly cost more during this time of year, because anyone in a relationship is between a rock and a hard place. Retailers know that many people, faced with the choice, would rather pony up the extra bucks than be perceived as stingy or unloving by their partner. (Or have to sleep on the sofa with the family dog.)

While this situation isn’t a reality throughout the rest of the year, smart brands make their bank by anticipating trends like Valentine’s day, and responding to the market climate by adjusting prices upward, increasing available stock and pumping up their communication efforts.

While brands and retailers will continually search for new forecasting methods and more creative ways to solicit timely demand for a seasonal product, you can save some extra money by planning a few weeks in advance on certain items. Otherwise, though, there isn’t much more you can do. The incredible power of love in branding took the Diamond from a relatively obscure stone, to the top spot on every womans wish list. And while I know that it’s just a hunk of carbon, a little branding, a little mystery and a really great guy presenting it made my little ring, at least emotionally, absolutely priceless.
To read more about the history of Diamond marketing, visit:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/198202/diamond