20 Nerdy Valentine's Day Gifts for the Marketer in Your Life

Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentine's Day is coming ... and you didn't think this one through.

If you're shopping for a marketer, picking out a gift can be even more intimidating. We love trends, creativity, but also practicality! So — do you go the creative and funny route, and buy us something that can help us in the office? Or, do you embrace a pop culture trend we've been raving about?

With everyone's favorite "Hallmark holiday" right around the corner, we had a hunch that some of you might have forgotten to pick up something special for a friend, family member, or special someone who works in the marketing world.

Rather than letting you default to a box of chocolates, we've come up with a list of creative, useful gifts that are sure to impress. Now, we'll be the first to admit that some of them are kind of nerdy ... but aren't we all a little nerdy, after all?

We've accounted for all types of budgets by listing the gifts in ascending order by price. All the following items might not ship in time for the big day, but you can still use the following list as inspiration for a last-minute in-person shopping trip.

20 Nerdy Valentine's Day Gifts for That Special Someone

1. The Gift of Nothing

Price: $1+ (from various websites)

Just started a fling with someone and think a gag gift would be appropriate? Maybe you should give your special someone the gift of -- well -- nothing. Yes, this is an actual prop you can buy. There's even multiple video unboxings online. Check this one out:

The best part? If this product actually does "something," you can return it for a full refund. 

2. Heart Headphone Splitter

Price: $5.00

This festive headphone splitter allows you to plug your headphones into one of the dual aux inputs, leaving the other open for a friend or special someone. The best part? It comes on a handy keychain so you can bring it with you everywhere.

3. Catnip Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Price: $6.00+

Now, I'm a dog person ... but I work closely enough with a few hardcore cat ladies to know that in order to win them over, you've got to win over their cat first. And these catnip chocolate-covered strawberries are sure to do the trick.

4. Cable Labels

Price: $9.99

Give the gift of organization this Valentine's Day with these adorable little "cord huggers." They cling onto wires to make it easy to sort through that tangled mess behind monitor or under your desk.

5. Seed Money

Price: $9.99

For the pun-lover, I present to you: seed money. Cleverly disguised as change, these coins are minted from handmade paper embedded with seeds. Plant them, water them, and watch your investment grow. (Get it?)

6. Bluetooth Beanie

Price: $12.91

This beanie will keep your head warm while keeping your ears happy. Thanks to the built-in microphone, your special someone can talk hands free for up to six hours. Pretty cool, right?

7. Snapchat Bitmoji Merchandise

Price: Varies

If you're friends with a millennial marketer, they've probably used Snapchat or at least have created a Bitmoji. If so, you can visit the merchandise store on the Snapchat app and purchase shirts, cups, or other products with you and your friend's Bitmojis on them. 

To do this, all you have to do is go into your Snapchat app, tap your face icon in the corner to get to your profile, then scroll down and press the "Shop Bitmoji Merch" button to see the available merchandise. Once you click on an item, you can select your friends emoji to have a picture of both of you appear on an item.

8. Chili Herb Infuser

Price: $13.70

Enhance the flavor of your favorite soup or stew with this chili-shaped herb infuser. This reusable pepper holds all of your herbs together so that you don't have to worry about having a pesky piece of green stuff between your teeth.

9. Plant-o-Gram

Price: $13.99

Flowers are great, but why not opt for the gift that keeps on giving? Long after the petals on that overpriced bouquet of roses have shriveled up, this unique air plant will still be thriving. Plus, it comes in a festive package with a personalized message of up to 100 words.

10. Spicy Honey

Price: $15.00

Serving as the perfect blend of raw honey from independent beekeepers in the Hudson Valley and specially selected chili peppers, this sweet and spicy treat is sure to delight your valentine.

11. Sushi Slippers

Price: $15.99

Nothing says I love you quite like faux fish for your feet. In all seriousness, this is the perfect gift for the sushi-lover in your life. And it's guaranteed to make them feel all warm and fuzzy ... at least from the ankle down.

12. Heart Beat Camera Strap

Price: $19.95

Help your valentine keep their camera close to heart with this unique camera strap. Embroidered with a healthy heart rate design, this strap will remind your valentine just how much you care.

13. Potato Parcels

Price: $20-$40

Does your special someone love potatoes and weird gifts? There are a few services, one being Potato Parcel, that will allow you to put a message or an image of your face on a potato and send it to someone. While the price varies based on the content printed on the potato and the distance you send it, this is sure to be a memorably weird gift.

Source: Potato Parcel

14. Star Wars Cookie Jar

Price: $24.99

Step 1: Buy the cookie jar.

Step 2: Bake cookies.

Step 3: Place cookies in the cookie jar.

That's it.

15. LED Globe-Shaped 

Price: $34.99

This awesome speaker proves that there's more than one way to gift a cool rock on Valentine's Day. Perfect for the office or the great at parties, this gadget allows you to bring your favorite tunes wherever you find yourself.

16. Red Converse Sneakers

Price: $35.00

These iconic sneakers make the perfect gift for both men and women. Not only are they comfortable and durable, but the festive pop of color will add a little somethin' somethin' to any outfit.

17. FujiFilm Mini Instant Film Camera

Price: $49.96

Give the gift of nostalgia with this instant color film camera. Simply point, shoot, and shake it like a Polaroid picture to preserve memories with your special someone.

18. Smart Water Bottle

Price: $60.00

Show your valentine how much you care by keeping them hydrated ... in a cool way. This Bluetooth water bottle from Hidrate Spark pairs with an app on your phone to track your water intake. The bottle will glow to remind you to drink more in order to hit your goal.

19. Canon Ivy Mini Photo Printer

Price: $99.99

The days of taking photos with filmed cameras and getting them developed in a dark room have come and gone. But our digital lifestyle doesn't mean we have to give up on print photography. In fact, there are a number of photo printers that allow you to connect your smartphone and print photos from your device. 

And, if you're shopping for a digital marketer, especially in the millennial generation, they probably have plenty of photos that they'd love to print out and treasure -- even after the endorphins of Instagram Likes have worn off.

20. Smart Ring

Price: $125-$195

Believe it or not, this fancy ring doubles as a really cool piece of technology. Integrated with over 80 apps on iOS and Android, users can set custom color and vibration patterns via the corresponding app to receive notifications through the ring.

Think Like a Marketer When Buying For One

As marketers, we love to create campaigns around buyer personas. We research out target prospect, what they're interested in, and create content that attempts to engage or delight them. If you're buying something for friend or loved one, think like a marketer.

Take note of their interests, hobbies, and what you have in common to determine which gifts will be the most appropriate and interesting to them.

Editor's note; This blog post was first published in February 2018, but was updated February 2021 for comprehensiveness and freshness.