Virtual goods, apps and (by now) old-fashioned e-cards are among the various ways one can send a Valentine's Day message on Facebook this year.
Virtual goods appear to be the most popular vehicle, although final tallies won't be made until after the holiday on Sunday.
220 Million Virtual Gifts and Counting
FarmVille players have already sent more Valentine virtual gifts - 220 million - than all the 152 million Valentines Day cards exchanged all year, writes AllFacebook, citing Hallmark figures. Cafe World has had 100 million gifts exchanged so far, with 7.5 million unique users have exchanged gifts. "Farmville, Zynga’s biggest game at nearly 80 million monthly active users, had 220 million Valentine’s Day gifts exchanged in the first 18 hours since their release," AllFacebook reports.
Matchmaker App
1-800-Flowers has enlisted the aid of matchmaker Patti Stanger - host of Millionaire Matchmaker - to build a "Love Coach" app, writes ClickZ.
"Users who access the app on 1-800-Flowers' Facebook fan page will find Stanger on a heart-shaped chair along with a list of 20 ideas she says will make ladies swoon" including taking her out before Valentine's Day so she's surprised, creating a handmade Valentine's Day card, a home cooked meal, and a revisit of the first date restaurant.
Friends can vote on the Stanger-approved ideas via email. The campaign is part of 1-800-Flowers' Warm Fuzzy campaign and brand concept, ClickZ says.
Football and Hearts
Target has combined a number of elements in its Valentine's Day Facebook campaign - including another February milestone, the Super Bowl. The retailer developed a football themed e-card for Valentine's Day that is also a cause marketing campaign.
Each card sent allows the person to vote in Target's charity contest. The retailer is giving away $1 million that will be split among the Kids In Need Foundation, United Through Reading Military Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, United Way and The Salvation Army.
The campaign has already netted Target more than 100,000 new fans, according to Big Money.
