DISCUSSION

Retailers are bringing the love on Valentine's Day

February 13, 2015Written by Tom Ryan

Beyond the pink cutout hearts on windows, some chains are taking extra steps for Valentine's Day to encourage intimate engagement among its customers.

In a partnership with Match.com, Starbucks is inviting customers on Feb. 13 to join the "World's Largest Starbucks Date." Using the "Meet at Starbucks" feature, Match.com members can send an e-mail to someone they might like and simultaneously locate a Starbucks location for a date. According to Match.com, more than one in three singles said that having coffee together is a favorite activity for a first date.

"We're a place where people come together to share important life moments — big and small," said Sharon Rothstein, Starbucks' global chief marketing officer.

Qdoba is bringing back its buy-one-get one for a kiss campaign. Guests who order a Smothered Burrito on Valentine's Day and "share a smooch" with a loved one, friend, "or even a willing stranger" earn the second burrito on the same visit for free. David Craven, Qdoba's VP of brand marketing, said, "Smothered for a Smooch is meant to be fun and a bit over-the-top, and both our guests and our team members have a lot of fun sharing the love at this event."

In a somewhat similar vein, McDonald's has been running a Pay with Lovin' campaign that began Feb. 2 and ends on Valentine's Day. On a random basis, cashiers have been letting customers pay for their meal by making a call to a loved one, offering a compliment to a friend or family member, undergoing a "family hug," making a friendly fist bump with the crew member, or some other action.

Said Deborah Wahl, chief marketing officer for McDonald's USA: "We're on a journey to change the relationship and conversation and Pay with Lovin' is a direct way for us to engage with our customers."

Food for thought, however, is new research from consumer psychologist Lisa Cavanaugh, assistant professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, that revealed how the practice of highlighting relationships in advertising and promotions can have negative consequences for sales and consumers' willingness to indulge themselves.

"Many consumers don't have those relationships," said Ms. Cavanaugh. "By reminding people of relationships they don't have, marketers inadvertently make consumers feel undeserving — less worthy of treating and rewarding themselves."

Discussion Thread0