Mother’s Day Marketing Ideas That Won’t Disappoint

It won’t be much longer before it’s the second Sunday in May and your customers are celebrating another Mother’s Day. This represents a major opportunity to increase profits—after all, there were 85 million moms in the US in 2016, and more than $21 billion was spent on the holiday in 2015. Your advertising campaign can go a long way toward tapping into that, while also strengthening your relationship with your customers.

In today’s post, we’ll discuss tips on how to approach this holiday and share five Mother’s Day marketing ideas you can use for this year’s campaign.

Not Just Flowers and Food
When it comes to buying gifts for mom, there’s the gifts that everyone expects: flowers, food, and jewelry. But the truth is, there’s a lot of room in holiday spending for a mother-load of other options. After all, while 67% of consumers bought flowers for Mother’s Day that only represented a little over $2 billion in spending. Only 35% of American consumers spend on jewelry for the holiday.  The average spend per customer was $172 in 2016.

That means one of the places customers spend for Mother’s Day could be your store, no matter what kind of store that is. In fact, 27% of Americans will shop for their gifts online and another 23% plan to spend at a small or local business. Nearly 30% will shop at specialty stores, and 55% will be looking for special outings. If the holiday isn’t cornered by a particular market or kind of store that means it’s going to come down to your message and the value that you’re offering.

Be Emotionally Creative
It’s important to remember that Mother’s Day is an emotional holiday. While emails that feature “Mother’s Day” as the opening of their subject lines see 16% higher engagement rates, those that evoke emotion see 21% higher open rates in the critical weeks leading up to the holiday itself. Furthermore, 63% of American moms want gifts to include quality time with their families, while a quarter of them want a “gift of experience.”

Essentially, it won’t be enough to declare something is for moms and slap a discount on it. Moms—and the people shopping for them—are looking for something significantly more meaningful. Take the 2016 #OneToughMother campaign from Teleflora. Yes, the industry is one typical to Mother’s Day, but the approach is a powerful one that any industry can learn from. It speaks to the dedication and sacrifices mothers make, acknowledging them with the respect they deserve while stirring a sense of affection and gratitude in their children and spouses.

Marketing Ideas You Can Use
While the most common techniques used for luring in shoppers for Mother’s Day are free shipping and price cuts (55% and 44% respectively), they don’t do much to elevate your brand above the other marketing noise. Take advantage of these five Mother’s Day marketing ideas to set your brand apart and capture the attention of moms and shoppers alike.

1. Distribute a Gift Guide

Personalization, thanks to data, is key to a lot of marketing, and that’s not any different when reaching out to the spouses and children that are shopping for mom. Putting together a personalized gift guide based on mom’s preferences (or even purchase history) to help loved ones pick out gifts not only allows shoppers to pick out something special but shows your business cares about customers as well.

1. Package Products or Services for Mom at a Discount

While technically this works out to a price cut, the impression it makes is more than a mere discount. By combining products or services and discounting the package deal (i.e., it would be more expensive to buy each part individually) just for mom, you provide an element of exclusivity that can be exciting. It also entices a purchase that includes products or services customers may not have otherwise purchased.

1. Offer Tangible Gifts for Mom with Service Purchases

Not every gift can be wrapped, yet the unwrapping of presents creates a special moment shared by the family. If you offer services or experiences (e.g., gym memberships, spa visits, or well-deserved vacations) consider investing in promotional gifts (e.g., a gift basket, a box of chocolates) that can be wrapped or presented to mom.

1. Host Special Events

There are two ways to approach this particular tip. For the first, you can host special events that include mom. For example, customers arriving at your business with mom could grant special access to discounts, samples, or demonstrations. Advertise the event in advance to drum up attendance. The second is to host family-friendly (especially kid-friendly) events leading up to the holiday. With special selections or even discounts especially for kids, you make shopping a fun experience for them and entice spouses to shop with you as well.

1. Run Social Media Contests Recognizing Moms

Social is a key driver for engagement and word of mouth and can be very influential in the early decision-making stages. Tap into social media contests by celebrating moms as part of the entry process. For instance, if you run the contest on Instagram, contestants could enter to win by posting a selfie with their mom and a contest-specific hashtag. Winners could be announced on Mother’s Day, and prizes could include products or services.
Costs per impressions, or CPMs, are actually highest in the two weeks leading up to Mother’s Day, so it’s not too late to develop or improve your holiday campaign with our Mother’s Day marketing ideas. No matter what kind of industry you operate in or what kind of store you run, there’s going to be an effective promotion to help generate engagement and lift sales.

Develop Your Mother’s Day Marketing Strategy Today!

• Be sure to start strategizing your advertising campaign now so you can begin your outreach as your customers are starting their decision-making process. Waiting until the last minute will mean your competitors have one mother of an edge on you.
• Planning now means you’ll be able to schedule and bid on the ad spots you need for digital and direct mail.
• Always remember that if moms are part of your target customer base, you can market specifically to them for Mother’s Day. It comes down to adding value to their experience as customers and strengthening their relationship with your brand.
• Evaluate your Mother’s Day marketing plan in light of the tips in this article. Are you approaching the holiday from the right perspective? Can you apply any of the suggested tactics to your campaign?
• Be sure to connect with mothers emotionally and use your message to make them feel recognized and special. Simply slapping a Mother’s Day discount on products isn’t enough.

​Need help? Valpak can help you promote your Mother’s Day offers using print, digital and direct mail in our 2017 Mother’s Day themed promos. Contact your local Valpak Marketing Coach for details.