I don’t know who the Valentine’s Day equivalent of Scrooge is, so I’m volunteering to fill the role after receiving love notes from marketing companies last week.
I’m sure that those Valentines were someone’s idea of relationship management. And I’m equally sure that they don’t work.
Leave aside the fact that a single effort, or even a string of holiday-themed communications, really isn’t relationship management. Feb. 14 is a day for lovers, or at least good friends and family.
There are few companies I want to "be my Valentine." My boutique long-distance phone service, which keeps me in touch with far-flung loved ones for 99 cents a call, might be one. A local diner, where one waitress has served me "over with whisky down" for nearly a decade might be another.
The list of those I don’t want to be my Valentine is a bit more comprehensive. I don’t want my roommate to be my Valentine. We’ve lived together for more than eight years, which in some states would mean that we are common-law spouses. But neither one of us is ready for that type of commitment.
I don’t want my morning newspaper seller to be my Valentine. Sure, I see him every day, which puts him far ahead of almost all of my friends and family. But all I want from him is for him to sell me a newspaper, and on the days I can’t pick one up to set one aside for me.
Christmas greetings from corporations aren’t quite as cloying. There’s nothing wrong with folks wishing each other a little peace on earth, no matter how insincere the spirit really is.
But Valentine’s Day should be set aside for more personal friendships. I don’t care how well a company’s product recommendation engine knows me. I’m still not comfortable accepting roses from it.
To respond to the opinions in this column, please contact rlevey@primediabusiness.com.
