Here’s Why Brands Are Allowing Customers To Skip Mother’s Day Messaging
While on the surface, Mother’s Day may be a celebration to commemorate the love and sacrifices of a parent, it isn’t a joyful day for everyone. For some, the day brings bittersweet reminders of loved ones or is a difficult and painful occasion.
Companies are now making it easier for customers to opt out of Mother’s Day promotions, with the likes of Levi’s, DoorDash, Kay Jewelers, Etsy, Canva, and more allowing individuals to put a stop to marketing messages surrounding the event.
As Rebecca Soffer, author of a guidebook on loss, told Axios, not everyone looks forward to the holiday. The constant reminder of a mother figure could be hurtful to those who’ve lost theirs or women dealing with fertility issues.
I think Mother’s Day is beautiful and encourage companies to celebrate it.
— Faye Hausendorff (@FayeH321) April 24, 2023
I also think giving people the *option* to opt out is very sensitive and thoughtful, and if you’d ever struggled with infertility, miscarriages, or losing a child, you’d understand the uniquely searing…
Marketing messages, in this case, would only serve as a trigger for these consumers. Jewelry brand Pandora acknowledged this in an April 2023 email, explaining that “what can be a wonderful time for some can be a difficult time for others.”
However, not everyone’s too pleased about the ability to opt out of Mother’s Day promotions. Some argue that the move should be extended to other events, such as Pride Month, that customers may not “agree with.”
When I see these messages, the main people I’m imagining as the intended recipients are people whose mothers have recently died, and I’m glad they have a way to opt out.
— Divia Eden 🔠(@diviacaroline) April 25, 2023
Kelly Goldsmith, Marketing Professor at Vanderbilt University, told the publication that some might see these brands as “manipulative and exploitive,” as the option of opting out itself could evoke negative feelings or associations with the company in question.
Nonetheless, most of the responses to these moves—which some in the industry have termed “empathy marketing”—are positive. Canva, in particular, has had users express gratitude for being able to avoid Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, and other holiday events.
DoorDash, which started offering customers the option of switching off Mother’s Day messaging last year, will now be extending the same for Father’s Day this year. Over 80,000 customers have already opted out of such promotions to date.
it's something appreciated by the infertility and loss communities and, I imagine, by people who have lost parents or have bad relationships with them.
— Ashley 🌠(@misssashleyrae) April 24, 2023
I can also tell you it's probably mostly about retaining customers, and not about any "woke" conspiracy to destroy America. 😂
[via Axios and Upworthy, cover image via Amarosy | Dreamstime.com]
