Mother’s Day presents a valuable opportunity for brands to connect with over 86 million mothers across the United States. Consumers are expected to spend an average of $254.04 on gifts and celebrations, totaling $33.5 billion in sales. With spending at near-record levels, brands must align their campaigns with emerging consumer trends to maximize engagement and sales.
The Power of Customer-Centric Storytelling
Storytelling remains a key driver of emotional engagement during holidays like Mother’s Day. Shoppers want gifts that create a personal connection which makes user-generated content and real-life stories essential for brands looking to make an impact. A study by Mountain Research highlights how brands that incorporate emotional narratives into their campaigns see higher consumer engagement and conversion rates.
Brands have started honoring moms in diverse and inclusive ways in their campaigns. Cricut partnered with four women artists to create Mother’s Day murals using its cutting machines. DoorDash facilitated emotional reunions between children and their moms who hadn’t seen each other in years, turning a delivery service into an emotional experience.
Incorporate user-generated content, influencer collaborations and personal storytelling into your Mother’s Day campaigns to create a relatable and memorable brand experience.
Aligning Brand Values with Mother’s Day Campaigns
In 2024, successful Mother’s Day campaigns transcended traditional sales pitches by emphasizing brand values and societal contributions. For instance, Apple launched the “Celebrate Whoever You Call Mom” campaign, promoting inclusivity by acknowledging diverse maternal figures. This approach reflects a growing consumer interest in understanding a brand’s ethos before engagement, demonstrating that Mother’s Day marketing is as much about reputation and values as it is about sales.
Creative Synergies
Collaborations have become a driving force in creative marketing strategies, bringing together brands from different sectors to create memorable campaigns. Here are a couple of standout collaborations that have captured the public’s attention:
- Calm x Donna Kelce: The meditation app Calm partnered with Donna Kelce, mother of NFL players Travis and Jason Kelce, to create a sleep story titled “The Rules of Football.” This collaboration combined sports and wellness, offering listeners a unique and soothing experience.
- Walmart x Celebrity Moms: Walmart launched the ‘Moms Answer Moms’ TikTok series, where consumers could ask parenting questions to celebrity mothers like Paris Hilton and Whitney Cummings. The campaign’s top video amassed over 120 million views and sparked a 5,000-comment thread of mothers sharing advice and experiences. This collaboration blended influencer marketing and community-driven engagement, making Walmart a hub for authentic conversations around motherhood.
Empathetic Marketing: Recognizing Emotional Complexity
In 2024, consumer shopping behaviors for Mother’s Day gifts exhibited a balanced preference between online and in-store purchases. Notably, 29% of consumers planned to buy Mother’s Day gifts at department stores, while 24% opted for online shopping.This underscores the importance for retailers to maintain a robust omnichannel strategy, ensuring it’s easy for customers to shop across all platforms.
The growing significance of mobile commerce is evident, with a substantial portion of online retail shopping orders for Mother’s Day taking place on smartphones. This trend highlights the necessity for retailers to optimize their websites with fast loading times, mobile-first designs and convenient mobile payment options to cater to the increasing number of mobile shoppers.
To effectively attract Mother’s Day shoppers, offering a seamless omnichannel experience—whether in-person, online, or mobile—is crucial. This approach ensures that consumers can interact with brands through their preferred channels, enhancing customer satisfaction and potentially boosting sales.
Recognizing the emotional complexities surrounding Mother’s Day, several brands have adopted empathetic marketing strategies by offering customers the option to opt out of related email promotions. Companies such as Cricut, Doordash, Apple, Calm and Walmart have implemented this approach, allowing individuals to choose not to receive Mother’s Day communications. This initiative respects those who may find the holiday challenging due to personal circumstances, such as loss or infertility, fostering a more inclusive marketing environment. By prioritizing customer well-being, these brands aim to enhance their relationships with consumers while refining their targeted marketing strategies.
By understanding and adapting to these trends, brands can craft Mother’s Day campaigns that not only boost sales but also strengthen their market position and consumer relationships. For more examples and insights, check out one of our past Mother’s Day Marketing articles.
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