Scenario: Valentine’s Day (or any other holiday)
Subject: Spouse
Topic: S-H-O-C: Formula for the best
It’s Valentine’s Day, and one question that is on a lot of husbands minds is “How do I make up for those other 364 days?” Having been married for two years I have had the opportunity to ponder this question several times I decided to look at my own PR on the big day of love and see if the principles talked about in my PR book The Practice of Public Relations. The principle I decided to apply is S-H-O-C: Strategic, Honest, Open, and Consistent communications.
The situation
Long before my wife and I got married she had a boyfriend who gave her a pair of pearl earrings. Over the course of our marriage my wife misplaced them. Pearls are one of my wife’s favorite type of jewelry to wear, so I decided to get her a new pair of earrings to replace her old ones. I sent her little love notes throughout the day and at one point had her go and find a bag with the earrings and some chocolates in a bag.
The result
About 10 minutes after my wife got the pearls she put this post on Facebook.
Approximately 15 minutes after she posted this one of my coworkers whipped out his phone, said “Nice job bud,” and showed me a picture of her post on his mobile feed. Already 15 people had “liked” the post and a discussion started in the office about what great husbands, which I was now considered to be, do for their wives.
How did that one act work out so well for me? Here’s how.
Strategic
I had planned to replace the earrings for a while and had repeatedly dropped hints to my wife that I missed her pearls because she used to wear them so much, and I think she looks great in them. I wanted her to want to have some pearls and to understand that I loved her having some pearls because they make me happy.
My wife understood that her having pearls meant something to me and that I understood how much she loved her pearl earrings.
Honest
From the beginning I told my wife that I loved her pearl earrings, but that I wish they were from me and not some other guy. While she agreed with me that it was a little sad that they came from somebody else, it wasn’t worth getting a new pair just because some sucker spent money on her first.
I wasn’t going to get her diamonds or anything huge and fancy, but from the beginning I had let her know that I wanted her to have some pearl earrings from me.
Open
Throughout the time that my wife and I have been married we have talked about jewelry (as is evident form the previous sections). We have also often talked about Valentine’s Day and what our expectations were for this special day. I was going to be working all day and wasn’t going to be able to be with my wife until the evening. She understood this and just wanted something special.
The fact that my gift met, and exceeded her expectations made it more meaningful.
Consistent
I am not an overly romantic person, but I try to make my wife happy. I have always done that since we started dating. She knows that I try to do things that are nice for her when I can. I also really like to give her surprises that she doesn’t expect. In the time leading up to Valentine’s Day, she new that I had a couple things planned.
My wife expected something from me on this special day, so when I pulled through once again it reinforced her belief in my greatness once again.
