HBL Digital Analysis: Modern Romance

The original Cartolina iPhone app

Accessing and sharing information has never been easier; the advent of the iPad and rise of the smartphone has produced a new way of communicating with consumers. Brands are starting to re-think strategies and generate a strong digital presence and as a result are fuelling the demand for an amplified offering of apps and digital platforms. This trend has permeated almost every aspect of our lives, even extending to romance.

The Valentine’s Day card sees a re-vamp for the J-Peg Generation, with apps that enable users to send their loved ones messages in a digital greeting card format.

Country Living’s Treemail app

Country Living’s Treemail app allows users to ‘carve’ personalised messages or initials into a virtual tree and send to loved ones via email.

The original Cartolina iPhone app

Cartolina’s iPhone app has eighteen card designs that can be sent by email or text with a customised message. It can be sent to multiple users and supports various languages; there is also a calendar that sends reminders for important dates.

Vintage Valentine’s Day app

Another iPhone app provides a collection of over a hundred vintage Valentine’s Day cards; and further developing the idea of modern digital romance is The Chromosomal Debate on Tumblr. The postings are a continuous dialogue of 'he said/she said', dealing with misunderstandings, perceptions and relationships between men and women.

www.mulberry.com/loveblossoms

Mulberry commissioned, artist Daniel Brown to develop flower designs taking inspiration from Mulberry’s spring/summer 2011 collection, the ‘digital seeds’ can be sent to loved ones with a personalised message via email. The digital seed will bloom into a flower before the receiver’s eyes on the 14th of February; users can register online at www.mulberry.com/loveblossoms. To read more about Daniel Brown and Mulberry, click here. 


This Valentine's day, mobile phone company Orange has cottoned onto the Twitter trend. 'Isn't it tweet' allows users to send their love story tweets and Orange will create animations that can be sent to loved ones.

WGSN-homebuildlife subscribers can read the latest reports concerning digital platforms and Valentine’s Day:
Comp shopper: Valentine’s Day cards
Digital DIY & decor: interiors retail analysis
Spring/summer 2012 Macro Trends: JPEG Gen
Digital update: platforms to watch