What's Love Got To Do With It?

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about roses and reservations — it’s about understanding how different audiences express love.

At TelmarHelixa, we analyzed consumer signals across the five “love languages” to uncover who over-indexes for each expression style, what attitudes shape their decisions, and which brands resonate most strongly with them.

The results? Love is personal — and so is purchase behavior.

Quality Time: Experiences Over Everything

More likely to be female
Mindset: Taking care of mental health is important

Consumers who prioritize quality time see connection as intentional. They value shared experiences, emotional wellbeing, and meaningful moments.

This audience gravitates toward brands that facilitate togetherness — coffee dates, dinner reservations, celebratory cocktails. For marketers, this signals opportunity in experience-driven messaging, wellness positioning, and emotionally resonant storytelling.

Strategic takeaway: Lean into mental health, presence, and “time well spent” narratives. Experiences outperform objects.

Gifts: The Power of Presentation

More likely to be female
Mindset: It’s important to look attractive

For gift-oriented consumers, expression comes through tangible symbols of affection — often tied to beauty, self-confidence, and luxury.

This group over-indexes for beauty and personal enhancement brands. They view Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for both giving and self-investment.

Strategic takeaway: Highlight transformation, confidence, and premium aesthetics. Limited-edition drops and curated bundles perform especially well with this audience.

Acts of Service: Love in Action

More likely to be female
Mindset: Believe in a healthy lifestyle

This audience expresses love through effort — cooking dinner, upgrading the home, improving everyday routines.

These consumers connect affection with practicality and wellbeing. They respond to brands that make life smoother, healthier, and more thoughtful.

Strategic takeaway: Position products as enablers of care. Messaging that emphasizes “making life easier” and “creating comfort” drives engagement.

Physical Touch: Presence & Performance

More likely to be male
Mindset: Worry they waste too much time on their cell phone

This audience values in-person presence and shared physical experiences — but feels the tension of digital distraction.

Luxury experiences, gaming, and fitness signal a desire for immersive engagement — whether that’s travel, competition, or performance.

Strategic takeaway: Encourage disconnect-to-reconnect messaging. Experiences that promote presence (travel, fitness, entertainment) resonate strongly.

Words of Affirmation: Expressed Through Lifestyle

More likely to be female
Mindset: Shopping is a great way to relax

For this group, expression comes through thoughtful purchases and curated living.

They associate love with intention — beautifully designed spaces, self-care rituals, quality food, and premium beauty.

Strategic takeaway: Lean into storytelling, inspiration, and elevated everyday moments. Content-rich campaigns and lifestyle storytelling outperform hard-sell tactics.

What This Means for Marketers

Valentine’s Day campaigns often default to broad romance messaging — but audience intelligence reveals distinct behavioral nuances beneath the surface.

Across segments, we see:

• Strong female skew across four of five love languages
  
• Mental health, wellness, and lifestyle as recurring drivers
  
• Beauty, dining, and home brands as consistent Valentine’s Day winners
  
• Experience-led luxury appealing strongly to male audiences
  
  

With TelmarHelixa, brands can move beyond generic holiday creative and activate against real consumer motivations — targeting based on mindset, brand affinity, and behavioral signals.

Because in marketing — just like in love — understanding your audience makes all the difference.