The Intellectual Hub : Vals Day:My take on How Four Brands Chooses to Celebrate it

It’s another festive session. Yes, Valentine is indeed here with us again. As would be expected, many brands want to cash in on the session to engage and connect with their target and ultimately make high Sales in the period. The communication approaches for these ends have been wide and varying across brands .While many are using the Promotional strategy of the marketing mix, others have taken to a more consumer engagement approach.

Flipping through Newspapers and surfing the internet, my concern has not only been to get a gift at a discounted price for my Valentine, if even I had one. What has been critical to me is my curiosity to find the strategies that brands have rolled out to announce their existence in the session.

It had been a very selective, and adventurous inquest. In my search, I was particularly attentive to Commercials in the Friday, February 13,2015 edition of the Daily Graphic. My selection of this media vehicle was informed by the fact that most of the Val's Day promo was carried by it.

I wasn’t much impressed by the usual promotional sale strategy in which prices of products and services are pegged at discounted prices. In my estimation, I felt such strategy was so simplistic, and bereft of creativity.

Further, I think the usual price reduction method is too predictable and transactional in nature and does not foster consumer engagement, which many brands must strive to court with the love and openness occasions like Valentine presents.

Besides, it doesn't play any role in building high brand loyalty which is critical for customer retention and its attendant effect of sustaining an economically viable business.

In the light of the above, I didn’t feature any brand who adopted such approach in my analysis, even though my research indicates that many brands had adopted the Promotional Sales Strategy.

I am not a marketer. I will not claim to be one. I did Communications Studies, specializing in Public relations and advertising. I will therefore apologies to my marketing colleagues who will find it difficult to accept that Valentine’s Day should only be a relational and not transactional adventure between a brand and its consumers.

Let me hasten to add that my reservations with some of the communication approach does not in any way render them inferior. I have learnt not to pass judgment without full complement of information. The reason a company adopt a certain approach is highly discretionary and experiential and I don’t think I want to assume the responsibility of Judge in their matter.

This exercise is academically- opinionated which I believe none of these brands will be happy to deny me of, not when it is Valentine. I mean no malice, I have no moral right to do same; I don’t wish to be judgmental, I have no professional competence to proceed on that tangent.

With my intentions clearly articulated, I think I can proceed with my analysis.

The Analysis is done in order of preference:

BRAND: MTN

WHAT IT IS

Share you Love story and Win! Visit mtn on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more info.

ANALYSIS

· I like the fact that the campaign was relational in nature.

· It had not deviated from the principles underlying the Valentine’s Day celebration.

· It recognizes an inalienable human craving that is the need to be listened to.

· It presents an opportunity for Consumers to win which is highly incentivizing in occasions such as this.

· It is a subtle way of getting subscribers on the designated Social media sites of the Company.

BRAND: TV3

SAVE A LIFE CAMPAIGN

ANALYSIS

· It is a subtle way of engaging with like-minded people.

· It is also a good yardstick for measuring brand loyalty. It takes more for one to make out time on a Valentine to donate blood.

· It had not deviated from the principles underlying the Valentine’s Day celebration

· It is Human- centered.

BRAND: TIGO

· .

ANALYSIS

It is progressive. It t rides on the back of the popularity of the ‘Drop that Yam’ campaign.

It is inspirational.

It appeals to our everyday relationship life.
It is Human-centered

BRAND :UNI BANK

ANALYSIS

Attempt at creating brand visibility is highly commendable,however,i strongly and respectfully submit that this lacked creativity as the piece does not connect the Valentine's Day to the brand position of the bank,not even to the 'Caring for you' slogan.