Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. That means that sales of roses, greeting cards and, in particular, candy will spike during the next week. Behind those candy sales are some slick marketing tactics used to convince you that you would be a total toad for not buying something sweet for those you love. Let’s take a look at the marketing of sweets on Valentine’s Day.

There are certain sweets that are sold only on Valentines Day. Sweethearts, the colorful little hearts with concise sayings of love printed on them, have been produced by the Necco Company since 1866. Throughout the year, they produce 100,000 pounds of Sweethearts each day. These are packaged in one-ounce boxes and stored for sale during the Valentine’s Day holiday. That equates to 8 billion little candy hearts sold each year for this one special day. Sweethearts are a good example of a niche market. They seem so right for Valentine’s Day, but would you purchase them at any other time of the year? Do you pass them out to your friends during a Memorial Day cookout? No! How about when you are passing around the stuffing and turkey at Thanksgiving? Of course not! Even on the most candy-laden holiday of the year – Halloween – Sweethearts are out of vogue. But come mid-February, they fly off the shelves.

Sweethearts are not my favorite candy. In fact, I could go the rest of my life without ever eating another fruity little heart. It’s not the taste that sells Sweethearts, it’s the message. Here’s the marketing genius behind Sweethearts. Before people were sending text messages, the Necco Company found a way to add a short love message that people could exchange with each other. It was a cross between a greeting card and candy. It was novel. The real marketing genius is they have successfully made it as much a part of Valentine’s Day as fireworks are associated with the Fourth of July. You cannot see a Sweethearts candy heart without thinking Valentine’s Day. When you have that kind of marketing connection, sales will follow.

Compare this with another tiny sweet treat handed out on Valentine’s Day: Hershey’s Kisses. It is estimated that 750 million Kisses are sold for Valentine’s Day. Hershey’s Kisses have been produced since 1907 and were so named because the machine that dropped the milk chocolate onto a conveyor belt made a kissing sound as the chocolate was applied to the belt. But with a name like "Kiss” this candy is a natural for a day devoted to romance. However, Hershey’s has marketed the Kiss to be sold year round – specifically during other holidays. It is estimated that 25 billion Kisses are produced each year. Valentine’s Day sales only account for about 3 percent of annual sales. What is the difference? They change the foil wrapper color! Christmas Kisses are red and green, Easter Kisses are wrapped in pastel colors, Halloween Kisses are orange, and Valentine’s Day Kisses are red and pink.

The Hershey’s Kisses marketing lesson is one of expanding your market beyond your initial niche. In this case, Hersheys had to convince the market that Kisses were in vogue at other holidays. It’s not that chocolate goes out of style, but candy has its peak selling seasons. The simple act of changing the wrapper color to coincide with other holidays allowed them to broaden their marketing appeal. Not only were they fun to eat, but the colors helped to decorate for the event. They not only tasted good, but with those shiny colored wrappers, they looked good too. It was simple, but it worked. Now Hershey’s Kisses are mainstays of multiple holiday gatherings. When you are expanding your market, you may not need to create a new product, but to package it for the occasion. In marketing, the wrapper sells. What we say about a product, the colors we use to package it, has to appeal to the customer.

What is the marketing lesson to learn here? People buy on emotion, not on rational thinking, especially on a day devoted to love, an often irrational emotion. Who needs to buy candy – with absolutely no nutritional value - to eat in mid-February? No one, but we will do it because there is emotion tied to Valentine’s Day. There is also societal pressure. This is not the holiday to forget. I might miss Groundhog’s Day or President’s Day, but I better not miss Valentine’s Day! When you have a product that is perfect for such a niche market, appeal to the emotion of your customers.