Galentine’s Day celebrates female friendship, and learn effective marketing strategies to engage your audience on this special Day.
We all know about Valentine's Day, which has been celebrated and marketed worldwide for as long as we can remember, but... did you know there's a celebration that originated from this date? It's Galentine's Day; each year, it's gaining more popularity, becoming a golden marketing opportunity. This celebration occurs on February 13th, right before Valentine's Day. During Galentine's Day, single friends celebrate their friendship and enjoy activities together. It's a chance to share special moments and strengthen friendship bonds. So, get ready to celebrate Galentine's Day with your besties!
Where does the term "Galentine's Day" come from?
“Galentine” originated from the famous American “Parks and Recreation” series. In an episode of the show, the protagonist, Leslie Knope, celebrates February 13th as “Galentine’s Day”.
On this day, she and her single friends gather to enjoy breakfast and celebrate their friendship. Since then, the idea has spread, and many people now celebrate Galentine’s Day as a unique way to honor their closest friends, even though it isn’t an official holiday.
A Whole New Concept
This idea has brought about a rather exciting tradition. Valentine’s Day is sometimes perceived as a commercial holiday focused on romantic couples, whereas Galentine’s Day offers an alternative by focusing on friendship.
While some have argued that Galentine’s Day excludes those who aren’t women, there are efforts to make it more inclusive and celebrate all kinds of friendships. Instead of competing with Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day complements the celebration by recognizing the importance of solidarity among women.
Galentine's Day Marketing: Each year is gaining more and more strength
As more people identified with the idea, they began to organize their own Galentine’s Day celebrations.
Social media played an essential role in spreading the trend. People shared photos of their Galentine’s Day gatherings, creating an online community around the celebration.
Although the term initially referred to single women, the celebration has become more inclusive over time. Now, Galentine’s Day encompasses all female friends, regardless of marital status, gender, or identity. It is a day to celebrate friendship in all its forms.
Of course, this has triggered many business opportunities. Businesses have taken advantage of the popularity of Galentine’s Day to promote friendship-related products and services.
Special offers are seen at restaurants, spas, and gift stores. Brands create specific campaigns for Galentine’s Day, so marketing is included in love and friendship.
Examples of Galentine's Day Marketing
Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day are very similar in marketing. However, this day that celebrates friendship can have many other approaches that companies have been able to interpret.
Here are some real examples of how agencies and businesses have used Galentine’s Day in their marketing strategies:
Garnier - Deals and Discounts:
Garnier leveraged Galentine’s Day to offer discounts and sweepstakes in honor of women celebrating friendship. Other social media strategies could include funny memes, Galentine’s Day-themed product images, and informative infographics about this unofficial holiday.
1-800-Flowers - Galentine's Day:
Flower company 1-800-Flowers created a campaign specifically for Galentine’s Day, offering special floral arrangements and gifts for friends to show appreciation for each other on this day.
MeUndies - Matching Stamps:
MeUndies, an underwear brand, promoted that girlfriends can match their underwear prints. They created a campaign called “Match Me Valentine’s Day” to encourage the connection between girlfriends.
As you can see, this day has the goodness that it is moldable to your business or service system. Not everyone has a partner for Valentine’s Day, but everyone has a friend for Galentine’s Day.
Social networks are your best tool
Social networks are your best tool
Social networks are powerful tools for connecting with your audience and creating effective promotions. Here are some tips to take advantage of this day, depending on the platform you want to use:
- Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags like #GalentinesDay, #Besties, #GirlSquad, etc. to increase the visibility of your posts.
- Stories and Reels: Create stories and short videos to showcase products or services related to friendship. You can host a sweepstake or show how your products are ideal for gifting to girlfriends.
- Events: Create a virtual Galentine’s Day event. Invite your followers to join a live broadcast, where you can offer exclusive discounts or beauty and style tips.
- “Thank You” Posts: Post thank you messages to your followers and highlight the importance of friendship on this special date. You can host a sweepstake or show how your products are ideal for gifting to girlfriends.
- Polls and Questions: Conduct polls on topics related to friendship and Galentine’s Day. Interact with your followers and create conversations.
- Retweets and Mentions: Share posts from other brands or influencers celebrating Galentine’s Day. Mention your virtual friends, and thank them for their support.
TikTok
- Creative Challenges: Create a dance challenge or a friendship-related challenge. Invite your followers to participate and tag their friends.
- Fun Videos: Record short videos showcasing products or sharing friendship stories. Authenticity and fun are essential to TikTok.
