Galentine's Day: What is it, and How Can You Market it?

The season of love is upon us, but if you're not feeling the Valentine's celebrations, we have plenty of alternatives for you. You may have heard the term Galentine's cropping up around February over the last few years. It's a relatively new term, and you might think it's only a thing for the salty singles. In reality, there is a lot of fun to be had on Galentine's Day, as well as some really easy and effective ways you can run marketing campaigns during this time. Galentine's Day takes place on the 13th of February, so grab your gal pals and get ready to celebrate.

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Where does Galentine's Day come from?

Unlike Valentine's Day, where the traditions primarily originate from card manufacturing companies, Galentine's celebrations first originated from the American sitcom Parks and Recreation. One of the main characters, Leslie Knope, states in season two, episode 16, "Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it, breakfast style," she explains in the episode. "Ladies celebrating ladies." 

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Despite not being as widely advertised as Valentine's Day, which takes over the aisles at your local supermarket, it's becoming more popular every year, with companies now offering deals and promotions to celebrate a day of friendship! Galentine's Day is not a national holiday, just as Valentine's Day isn't. However, year after year, the number of people celebrating Galentine's Day is rising.

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The influence of feminist advertising

Galentine's is an excellent moment for advertising all things girl power and self-love. In recent years, feminist advertising or 'fem-vertising' has become a vastly more successful marketing angle. Getting married (especially when you're young) was a cultural norm. Today, it's increasingly common for people to embrace being single. But you don't have to miss out on customers just because they don't have somebody to buy a gift for.

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Examples of Galentine's marketing

A few brands you can count on always hit the Galentine's marketing just right. We've plucked out a couple that encapsulates the spirit of Galentine's and what it means to celebrate your ladies, Leslie Knope style.

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• Bloom and Wild: First off, we're starting with Bloom and Wild, a popular online florist known for their letterbox style bouquets and casual approach to gifting flowers to the people you care about. Their Galentine’s campaign shows that they understand the Day itself and the love between girl friends. The inclusion of the meaning behind yellow flowers is an especially nice touch!

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• Olay: Beauty and skincare brands such as Olay can reach their Galentine audience relatively easily using simple self-love messaging. In recent years Olay has kept their email marketing straightforward with a Galentine's discount and promoting Girl's Night bundles. 

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• Garnier: Garnier embraced the opportunity to gain social media followers using their Galentine's giveaway. By asking followers to tag and follow the account, this Galentine's social media strategy was a hit!

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• Motel Rocks: Motel Rocks is a classic brand for girly girls who love trendy clothes, perfect for nights out and date nights. So, it's no surprise they've consistently promoted Galentine’s with love-yourself messaging. They literally used the discount code LOVEYOURSELF last Galentine's Day. They also nailed their website copy so singletons and wifeys alike can enjoy their Val/Galentine's collections. "Need a romantic fit for the 14th February bby's? Whether you're celebrating Valentines or Galentines or even just celebrating single life, Motel has got you covered. From cute co-ords to dreamy dresses, get ready for the season of love 💘"

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These four companies demonstrate excellent examples of how you can run simple and effective campaigns for Galentine's Day while capturing the essence of the holiday in a few effective words. If nothing else, Galentine's is a great social media opportunity and an even better way to stand out from your competitors. So, it's time to channel your inner Leslie Knope and bring the bestie vibes this February! Happy Galentine's, everyone xx

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