Will you be my valentine?

According to me: Valentine’s Day, as cute as it is for teenagers and young people, is a rort. It is another excuse for people to go out and spend money on things that they don’t need at extortionist prices because they have been pressured by some clever marketers.

Yesterday, I received a few “Happy Valentine’s Day” messages, some flowers and a few gifts (mainly from ex boyfriends) all of which I appreciate as a thoughtful gesture, but totally unnecessary. Maybe the chocolates were necessary, but the rest, possibly not.

I am a believer, like many of my friends, that Valentine’s Day should not fall on one particular day so that retailers can up the prices on flowers and gifts that are a tad corny. Instead, it should remind us that we should regularly show people who we love that they are special and that they mean alot. This may mean on the 20 February, you write a small card and leave it on the person’s pillow, or you surprise your loved one with a picnic in the park when they least expect it. Not sure about the ‘do the dishes’ stories I read in weekend papers, because that definately, no matter how those dishes are washed, doesn’t tell me personally that I am special. It tells me that someone has decided to get off their lazy behind and help me in the kitchen.

It’s like Secretaries Day (clever marketing yet again!). Why is it that bosses take their secretaries to lunch on this day and send them flowers, but don’t do it any other day of the year. Perhaps, the old clique is at play here, being that if you send flowers to your secretary regularly it may give someone the wrong idea or even worse, may set an expectation that all men should be so thoughtful and when they don’t live up to this expectation, there is disappointment.  They grow old, sitting at the same desk they sat at 20 years ago, hoping that someone will come and wisk them away

What about Small Business Week? Shouldn’t every day be about helping small businesses grow? Why do they need to have a week where they cram hundreds of speakers in that are lucky to have a dozen people go and watch? Beats me. I have no idea why these illogical things go on – sure they are great marketing initiatives, but what do they really mean? Are they really in the best interests of the audience that they are targeting?

Marketing Eye

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