Did you know that St Valentine is patron saint not only of lovers, but of epileptics and beekeepers too? Could it be that romantic love might be a neurological condition with a sting in its tale?

Surely not!

It’s February—the month in which we honour (or don’t) the Roman priest Valentine with declarations of love. Cheesy and commercial though the occasion can be, Valentine’s Day still has a way of reminding us that it’s often the smallest gestures that resonate most.

It’s an idea that travels surprisingly well.

Because connection—real connection—works the same way in business as it does in life. It isn’t loud or performative. It doesn’t rely on grand declarations. It’s built quietly, through consistency, care, and showing up when it matters.

We were reminded of this during the lockdowns. (Remember them?). When the noise fell away, what surfaced was something simple and human: phone calls, doorstep deliveries, unprompted check-ins. In a world where we often struggle to make connections, it turned out that it wasn’t that complicated after all.

That same truth applies to customer advocacy.

Advocacy isn’t something you manufacture or switch on. It can’t be forced, scripted, or incentivised into existence. Like love, it’s often misunderstood, sometimes impersonated, and frequently overcomplicated.

But when pressure hits—when markets shift, trust is tested, or customers genuinely need support—what’s real rises to the surface.

The brands people advocate for are the ones that were there when it mattered. The stories that resonate aren’t the loudest or cleverest; they’re the ones that feel true.

With advocacy, it’s all about the detail:

• a problem solved without fuss,
• a voice that’s human,
• a relationship that doesn’t disappear when things get hard.

Because advocacy, like love, endures in the little things.