A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO KOL MARKETING FOR VALENTINE'S DAY 2025: HOW CAN BRANDS UTILIZE INFLUENCERS TO DRIVE SIGNIFICANT SALES?
Valentine's Day is a significant marketing opportunity throughout the year, with multiple celebrations occurring. The two most popular are Western Valentine's Day and Chinese Valentine's Day. During this period, consumer demand for gifts increases substantially, leading to strong spending power. This presents a valuable chance for brands to capitalize on. However, with an abundance of Valentine's Day advertisements, how can brands effectively stand out and create a unique visual experience? AsiaKOL utilizes our AIE Influencer Evaluation Database to conduct a thorough analysis of data related to Valentine's Day and Chinese Valentine's Day in 2024. This analysis provides insights into content trends within influencer communities and effective creative marketing strategies. We have identified three key marketing priorities for brands during this holiday. Additionally, we curate popular themes, marketing strategies, and successful influencer marketing cases to help brands accurately target different audience segments and enhance the effectiveness of their Valentine's Day marketing efforts.
1. What is the best time to market on Valentine’s Day?
According to Google Trends, the keyword search patterns for "Valentine's Day" reveal that among the three major celebrations, Western Valentine's Day has the highest search volume, followed by Chinese Valentine's Day, with White Day coming in third. Starting one to two weeks before February 14, searches for "Valentine's Day" begin to increase significantly, peaking on the holiday itself. Therefore, it is advisable for brands to start publishing pre-launch posts and promotional activities one month in advance. These efforts should be amplified through media reports, advertisements, and influencer marketing to reach a broad audience and attract consumers who are planning ahead.
The AsiaKOL team strongly recommends increasing marketing efforts one week before Valentine’s Day and maintaining that momentum through February and into White Day in March. After Valentine's Day, brands should also consider planning for gift-giving for White Day to make the most of this valuable period in the first quarter of 2025.
2. What are the consumer concerns and marketing keywords for Valentine's Day?
AsiaKOL has compiled a keyword cloud for Valentine's Day and Chinese Valentine's Day in 2024, analyzing consumers' preferences. During Valentine's Day, shoppers typically focus on items such as perfumes, desserts, meals, chocolates, and often choose flower-related or special limited-edition products as gift options. In contrast, when it comes to Chinese Valentine's Day, consumers frequently mention items like perfume, jewelry, light luxury goods, suites, accommodations, dating experiences, and dinners. While many of these keywords overlap with those associated with Western Valentine's Day, the emphasis on rituals related to travel and dining is stronger in Chinese Valentine's Day celebrations.
Desserts are very popular during Valentine's Day, and in recent years, light luxury items such as bags, perfumes, and beauty and skincare products have also gained popularity as gifts. Sales across luxury goods, beauty products, and food are expected to experience significant growth around this holiday. To capitalize on this trend, major brands should consider launching relevant offers and discounts, providing customers with cost-effective gift options to enhance their visibility and attract more buyers.
3. Distribution of KOLs on Valentine's Day by field and type
A detailed analysis of the types of KOLs who mentioned Valentine's Day on social media reveals that there is little difference in the discussion surrounding Valentine's Day and Chinese Valentine's Day. The mentions are concentrated in five major categories: fashion trends, travel, beauty and skincare, food and cooking, and performing arts. Notably, the representation of mother and baby KOLs on Chinese Valentine's Day is relatively low, although the proportion of products they promote is slightly higher. Given these findings, major brands can target unmarried couples on Chinese Valentine's Day while highlighting the sense of ritual among married couples as a focal point for marketing on Valentine's Day.
4. Valentine's Day KOL marketing strategies for three key groups
When planning Valentine's Day marketing, brands should consider targeting not just "couples," but also conducting segmented marketing for different groups such as singles, friends, and families. By creating tailored content for each audience, brands can engage potential consumers through creative strategies. Below are examples of influencer marketing content aimed at various demographics, which can inspire brands in their campaigns.
(1) Couples
Internet celebrity couple @illywang shared a short video in which they unboxed their customized photobook. This book compiles their cherished photo memories and evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, resonating with couples everywhere. At the end of the video, they also offered a limited-time exclusive discount code, which serves as an effective shopping guide for their followers and helps brands track sales results more easily.
On the other hand, KOL @sunyajess promoted a Valentine's Day perfume gift set. Through exquisite couple photos, she conveyed a romantic atmosphere and a high-end appeal for the perfume. At the end of her social media post, she seamlessly included information about gifts for purchases over a certain amount, as well as promotional activities where customers could redeem items by showing the post. This strategy was aimed at attracting couples to visit the physical store.
(2) Singles
On Valentine's Day, the focus often revolves around couples, which can lead brands to overlook the strong purchasing intentions of singles and those who are heartbroken. In a recent post from KOL Zora, she shared the story of an independent woman to inspire everyone to treat themselves on this holiday, regardless of their relationship status. For instance, she suggests buying a new set of underwear to add a personal touch to the day. This unique marketing approach can truly resonate with women of the new era.
Besides, KOL Becky employed personalized copywriting and showcased a selection of accessories themed around "Love Yourself". She conveyed the message that "Valentine's Day is not just for couples," actively highlighting how single people can celebrate the occasion. This approach resulted in a high interaction rate for her post. Brands can gain valuable insights into the “power of singles” and uncover unique business opportunities beyond romantic relationships, thereby encouraging a new wave of consumption.
(3) Best friends and family members spending time together
Many people not only focus on self-care but also choose to celebrate with good friends, besties, and sisters who understand them just as well as romantic partners do on Valentine’s Day. They often exchange gifts to show appreciation for one another. KOL 1_shiuan_0 appeared on camera with her long-time friend ggu__kim to promote the Besties fragrance. They shared beautiful photos highlighting their friendship and encouraged followers to gift the fragrance to their besties, even if they don’t have a partner. The promotion was quite successful.
Many people choose to celebrate Valentine's Day by dining at restaurants. In addition to couples, some customers dine with their families. KOL Goris Sky shared a Valentine's Day dinner with her family and partner, posting photos of the food and descriptions of the dishes, which successfully captured the attention of her followers. As a result, restaurants can focus on providing upscale experiences during Valentine's Day, allowing couples and families to celebrate together. This approach can attract family gatherings and married couples, thereby expanding the market.
Let the AsiaKOL team tailor your influencer marketing strategy
In summary, Valentine’s Day marketing can be approached from various angles, allowing for a great deal of creativity. However, if your brand is having difficulty generating marketing ideas, it is highly recommended that you consider hiring a professional influencer marketing company. AsiaKOL specializes in crafting a comprehensive strategy that combines social media and influencer marketing. We can help you select the right KOL partners for your brand and identify the most effective influencer marketing strategy and creative communication approach.
