Where did Galentine’s Day originate?

G'day Sellouts!

Sometimes the best marketing opportunities come from the most unexpected places.

Like, say, a fictional government employee with an obsession for waffles and organized fun.

Fifteen years ago, Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope declared February 13th "Galentine's Day" on Parks and Recreation – a day for "ladies celebrating ladies." 

But this sitcom punchline isn't a joke. Galentine’s Day evolved into a legitimate cultural phenomenon that's reshaping how brands approach the Valentine's season.

Why does Galentine’s Day matter to you, and what lessons can we learn from its meteoric rise?

Time to find out!

The Birth of a Holiday 

In that original Parks & Rec episode, Leslie gathered her female friends for breakfast, showering them with thoughtful gifts and praise.

What the writers probably didn’t expect is that the fictional tradition began taking off in real life.

And the numbers are starting to show it: the food institute found that 25% of surveyed consumers plan to celebrate Galentine's Day in 2025. 

But here's what makes this particularly interesting...

More ways to love

Galentine's Day doesn't compete with Valentine's day, it just gives consumers more ways to celebrate the people they love.

Target was among the first major brands to spot the opportunity, creating dedicated Galentine's Day merchandise lines. Now everyone from 1-800-Flowers to Hallmark has jumped on board.

A shockwave tore through advertising over the last few years as brands jumped at the opportunity to get customers in the door with less competition.

Why Do We Care?

The genius of Galentine's Day marketing comes down to three key factors:

1. Informed Consumers: Men struggle with shopping for women. In general, Valentine's Day ads force brands to market a women-focused product to a male buyer.
   
   Galentine's Day is women shopping for women, meaning a brand can market directly to a buyer who will understand their appeal, a much cleaner line to conversion.
   

2. Be Signal, not Noise: While everyone else floods the market with hearts and roses on February 14th, Galentine's Day gives you a clear runway on the 13th. Galentine’s is the perfect size: big enough to be worth the effort but small enough to avoid brand crowding.
   

3. Wide Open Messaging: Effective Valentine's Day marketing generally focuses on a limited range of emotions: love, romance, or loneliness. Galentine's Day opens up a whole new emotional palette: friendship, empowerment, celebration and joy. A lot of brands that couldn't pitch themselves as a Valentine's Day gift could find a route in on Galentine's Day!

The Bigger Picture 

There's a broader lesson here about modern marketing: capitalize on cultural moments!

Target noticed an opportunity in a TV episode, and so can you. Instead of forcing your marketing to fit the narrative of a season, you can find ways to mold the season to what your brand does best.

This year, Americans will spend $27.5 billion on Valentine's season with a record-setting one third of consumers buying gifts for friends.

Galentine's Day worked because it tapped into something real – the desire to celebrate friendship alongside romantic love.

For your brand, the question isn't just "Should we do something for Galentine's Day?" It's "What cultural moments are we overlooking that could become our next big opportunity?"

Until next week,

Luke

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