Things I won't Be Buying For Valentines Day

Hopefully most people don't fall into the marketing trap that is Valentines Day.  Yes, I think it is important to recognize that significant other in your life, but I've gotten to the point where I have to draw the line.  This year it seems is far worse than any previous year.  I can't even begin to fathom the vast amounts of emails I've deleted in the past 2 weeks that were trying to get me to sell something.  Afterall, nothing says "I love you" like a new set of race wheels.

Despite thinking to yourself, "I'd love it if my significant other bought me a set of race wheels", how about that happen on another occasion.  If you are going to fall into the whole Valentine's day trap, at least make it romantic.  Though we endurance athletes tend to look at equipment as sexy (bike porn anyone?), I don't quite think that's the idea of this holiday.  But you get points for trying ;)

I mean, if I'm a business, it never hurts to try and capitalize on another marketing opportunity.  It costs minimal dollars to send out a massive email to a distribution list.  But here is where people like me start to turn that low cost for the business into a high cost.  I'm not stupid.  I don't need to be reminded daily that this is my last chance to buy a new hard drive to back up and save all those memories we have stored on our computers.  Seriously.  I got an email telling me this.

So I'm going to close this rant with a message - When I see businesses trying to cheaply go after consumers to capitalize on opportunities completely unrelated to the occasion, it saddens me that they are that desperate.  If you run a business that sells a good that people want, they'll buy it.  They shouldn't need to be fooled into it as a sucker.  Consumers don't need to be reminded and constantly spammed about your product.  Doing so makes people like me frustrated and less likely to ever come back and buy a product from your business.

And just for humility's sake - here are a few of those email ads I consider inappropriate for Valentine's Day:

- Race wheels
- New his and her's running shoes
- A new hard drive to store our memories
- The perfect base layer for staying warm with your significant other
- Prescription drugs to ensure your significant other is pleased on Valentines Day
- New kitchen appliances for her (men cook too btw)
- 25% off newspaper subsciptions
- 50% off his and her's wetsuits

Ok, I think that's good enough.  You get the idea.  Got any funny ones?