ABSTRACT
From a consumer perspective, we investigate the behaviors,
rituals, meanings, and themes associated with Valentine’s Day as it
is “celebrated” in the U.S. The objective of our multi-method study
is to provide insight into Valentine’s-related rituals, themes, and
meanings as a basis for understanding consumer behavior for this
holiday. We seek to add to conventional thinking about the impact
of Valentine’s Day on various consumers in the U.S. We analyze
consumer diaries, online postings, group interviews, surveys, and
in-store observations to address three distinct research questions.
Our research questions focus on: a) behaviors and rituals (both instore
and in the private sphere), b) key consumer meanings and
emergent themes, and c) roles of marketing communications during
this holiday. We report various behaviors and rituals and key
meanings behind such actions. We find that this holiday is associated
with extremes (e.g., consumers either love it or hate it).
Commercialism and marketing communications contribute to consumers’
reactions to this holiday by fostering materialism, togetherness,
and gender roles. At the same time, there are strong anticonsumerism
and anti-commercialism sentiments. We discuss consumers’
perspectives on this holiday and suggest avenues for future
consumer research on this unique holiday.
INTRODUCTION
Valentine’s Day and the surrounding season is a time for
rituals and romance in the U.S. This holiday is worthy of study due
to the unique consumption, gift/card exchange, grooming, dating,
and romance-based consumer behaviors associated with this holiday.
Some of these Valentine’s-related behaviors are ritualized to
an extent. In a general sense, rituals organize life and give it
meaning. Ritualized behaviors are important to study as they may
propose consumer behavior principles, which in turn lend marketers
to product and service p-ositioning opportunities (Arnould,
Price, and Zinkhan 2004, p. 93). Consumer rituals for this holiday
are especially enacted by individuals in romantic relationships.
Valentine’s Day is generally known as the day for celebrating
romantic relationships; yet, this day also celebrates other nonromantic
relationships as well (e.g., familial, friendly).
For any type of relationship, however, this holiday celebrates
commercialism and spending. This socially constructed, massmarketed
day and surrounding season is the stimulus for many
consumers to purchase romantic goods (e.g., roses, chocolate,
jewelry) and services (e.g., massage certificates, vacations) for both
themselves and for their significant other. Furthermore, this holiday
entices many to exchange “Valentines” or similar greeting cards for
romantic partner(s), friends, and family members. In fact, over onebillion
dollars worth of Valentine’s Day cards sell annually in the
U.S.
It is not to say that all consumers look forward to or even like
this day of romance and rituals. For some, Valentine’s Day serves
as a somewhat unwelcome reminder of their “single status”. For
others, it is a time when society suggests that money should be spent
as an indicator of affection. In fact, this holiday can be a source of
obligation, self-loathing, and/or disgust for various segments of the
population. Such sentiments entail their own distinct rituals for this
holiday (e.g., singles nights at clubs; self-gifts).
We believe that it is important to understand this commercial
holiday from a consumer perspective. We focus on three research
questions:
RQ1: What are the consumer behaviors and rituals associated
with Valentine’s Day?
RQ2: What are some key consumer meanings and emergent
themes associated with the holiday?
RQ3: What roles do marketing communications play in shaping
the holiday?
We address these questions via multiple methods of data collection,
including: a) consumer diaries, b) online postings, c) surveys, d)
group interviews, and e) in-store observations.
The following section reviews relevant social science research
on rituals and gift exchange. Next, we describe our methods of data
collection. We then report and discuss the findings.
