The SMB Marketing Opportunity for Mother’s Day

Last year, consumers spent an average of $140 each on Mother’s Day gifts for moms, wives, daughters, aunts and other special women. That was an increase of more than 10 percent over the previous year. As a publisher or marketing service provider, how do you drive more advertising revenue while helping your small- to medium-sized business customers capitalize on spending for the holiday? We have some great ideas. You might be able to try a few this year but have plenty of lead time to make the most of the holiday in 2014!

The overarching theme is that advertising has to do more than just tell people how great product and services are. It has to offer consumers something of value. When building marketing campaigns around Mother’s Day, there is an opportunity to thank mothers but also to give them discounts and other incentives. And don’t forget grandmothers—advertising can drive additional purchases for a second generation!

Here are some categories of advertisers for you to target that can tie in with Mother’s Day.

• Traditional Gifts and Cards: Encourage businesses in this category to count down to Mother’s Day, feature a variety of products and services and remind consumers to prepare for the holiday.
• Restaurants: Along the same lines, restaurants can use advertising to suggest people make reservations for the holiday. This is probably a good idea considering that approximately 80 million of the adults in the U.S. will be going out to eat on Sunday (about one third!).
• Salons/Spas: This category has really jumped on the Mother’s Day bandwagon. When advising local businesses, suggest they create “special experiences” for mothers. For example, package services that have never been bundled together before like a “mother-daughter” treatment or a massage, facial and pedicure for the ultimate pampering. Or they can provide discounts like “free $15 products with every treatment”.
• Dentists: Mothers’ might take advantage of specials on teeth whitening and free electronic toothbrushes when coming in for cleanings or even discounted Invisalign packages.
• Automotive: With the need to take kids to school, sports, conferences and doctor appointments, motherhood tends to involve a lot of driving. You can target mechanics or garages to offer discounted oil changes or tire rotations. It would also be appealing to provide free car washes with maintenance over a certain dollar amount spent.
• Optometrists: Tap eye care stores to offer mothers discount prices on name-brand frames that will help them feel good about themselves. With summer almost here, stores can also offer discounts on prescription sunglasses or buy one, get one deals.
• Chiropractors: Help chiropractic offices promote packages of treatments or discounts, free massages with treatments or sample packs of products such as homeopathic remedies and mothers will feel healthier for the tough job they have.
• Veterinarians: Most people think of pets as members of their family. Veterinarians might want to offer discounts to mothers who bring in their pets before Mother’s Day. If they offer accessories or other goods, they can provide free items when pets are brought in for their grooming or shots. Giving away bags of treats are also effective.
• Non-Traditional Gifts: Depending on the mother, some might love gift certificates for piercings, sets of power tools or briefcases. Advertising unexpected products’ suitability for Mother’s Day can open up a broad opportunity for new revenue and attract mothers who appreciate a fresh, un-stereotypical approach from your advertisers.
• Post-Holiday: Advertisers can reach any mothers who might feel forgotten or who didn’t get quite what they wanted, and invite them women to pamper themselves. And you have the opportunity to sell more ads by extending the holiday timeframe!

It’s not easy to come up with a new and effective approach to Mother’s Day, but PS Print has some ideas on how you can offer a unique perspective.

• Show Animal Moms and Babies: this works well, especially if you can include something related to the businesses featured in ads. If possible, try to go unusual rather than the standard kittens and puppies.
• Pathways. Mothers help their children overcome obstacles as they grow, so pathways work as a theme in Mother’s Day designs.
• Market to Sub-Segments: Mothers are a diverse group. Some cook, some are athletic and some are both. Identify target audiences as specifically as possible. If there are hobbies, professions, or pursuits shared by your advertisers’ audiences, then you can create designs to meet their needs. The more targeted the campaigns and the designs, the more revenue they will drive.
• Condolences: If you can tie your products into an understanding of how much mothers have to endure with as they raise their children, you can establish a humorous slant. In this ad, the same effect is achieved but directed toward the children buying the gifts.

Ultimately, on Mother’s Day the key to success for advertisers and their target audiences is to remember the holiday, according to Hotcards! That’s why there are three core points to stress in marketing copy:

1. Mothers are important and underappreciated
2. The day will be here before you know it
3. If you forget, the consequences will be highly unfavorable

Beyond remembering Mother’s Day, you can provide these recommendations from 365 Days of Marketing to your advertisers to help them successfully leverage the holiday.

1. Make sure you know what women want. Find out what the women in your target markets or the wives and mothers of your customers actually want. Survey customers about their favorite Mother’s Day gifts or what they plan to purchase for their own moms this year. Use social media to gather information. Use a poll to solicit customer and reader feedback but also to make specific Mother’s Day gift suggestions by listing ideas in the choices for poll questions.
2. Make it very, very easy for people to buy Mother’s Day gifts and easier to buy from you than anyone else. Use email newsletters to make gift suggestions with one-click ordering. Allow ordering ahead for store pickup or include wrapping, gift cards and delivery services. Make specific suggestions that would be appropriate for the different women in their lives (e.g., moms, daughters, aunts, etc.). Provide last-minute creative gift options. Pre-package gift baskets with themes, such as outdoor lovers, exercise lovers, food lovers, movie lovers, makeup or pampering products, etc.
3. Drive repeat business. Create Mother’s Day gifts that come with a good reason for the recipients or the buyers to come back to your business again soon. For example, a spa could offer a promotional price on a massage and a 20% discount for the next massage booked.
4. Take advantage of the opportunity. Use Mother’s Day to target customers who might not normally buy from you but need gifts for their wives, mothers, etc. Think about giving them an incentive to come back for Father’s Day or another sale or event. Ask them to subscribe to your newsletter, follow you on social media or add to your direct mail list to receive future promotions. Set up an online survey form and invite them to rate their experience. And you can extend special offers via landing pages on your website or emails thanking them for their business.
5. Conduct cooperative campaigns to reach the gift buyers. If you cater mostly to women, then your challenge is to get the word out to men about the great gifts you offer. Create strategic partnerships with businesses that target men, such as clubs at golf courses, recreational or outdoor sports facilities. For companies that target men, get them to swap: they promote your offering, while you promote theirs for Father’s Day. You can also conduct cooperative email or direct mail campaigns. Work with restaurants, bars or clubs that have high percentages of male patrons to place signage or table tents describing your products.

Have you seen any unusual and memorable Mother’s Day ads this season? What innovative approaches have you taken with  your advertisers and their products and services to set them apart during a cluttered advertising season?