Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are celebrated in over 100 countries worldwide. You know what that means… gifting! Or does it? When these holidays come around, most brands go full throttle into gift mode “Buy our e-cards! Order flowers! Book brunch!” But an effective CRM strategy isn’t just about flooding everyone’s inbox with your latest gift guide and crossing your fingers for sales and here’s why.
Looking at the bigger picture, Mother’s Day has grown to become the fifth most popular holiday in the UK! That’s huge, and it shows just how important these celebrations have become for B2C marketing calendars. But what about those who don’t want to celebrate?
Bloom & Wild Case Study
In 2019, online florist Bloom & Wild made a heartfelt decision that touched many hearts – they became the first brand to offer customers the choice to opt out of Mother’s Day emails. This compassionate move received widespread praise! That same year, MP Matt Warman, who lost his mother in 2009, spoke up in the House of Commons encouraging other brands to follow Bloom & Wild’s thoughtful example. (Image and case study from our tech partner Braze)
He shared from personal experience how promotional Mother’s Day emails can be painful “reminders of what you have lost” for those grieving. This simple but meaningful consideration showed how brands can be both successful and deeply empathetic to their customers’ varied life experiences. So when it comes to email marketing, we’ve evolved, thankfully! We’ve learned that being more thoughtful isn’t just kind it’s better marketing.
So how can you implement this? A well-designed CRM strategy is really all about finding the right balance offering personalised, relevant promotions to engaged shoppers while being sensitive and respectful to those who might prefer to skip it.
Thoughtful Opt-Out Approaches
We live and breathe CRM so we know how powerful marketing automation tools are, and how easy it is to honour customer preferences – it’s simpler than ever! The heavy lifting of it all happens behind the scenes all thanks to CRM platforms. Once your segmentation and automation rules are in place, they quietly work their magic.
Thoughtful Opt-Out Approaches (If You Do Send One)
If you are going to send an opt-out email, here’s how to do it well:
1. Keep it proportionate – if you’re only sending one or two emails about the occasion, a standalone opt-out campaign may not be necessary at all. Save it for when customers are genuinely going to receive multiple reminders.
2. Make it temporary or permanent – give customers the option to opt out just for this year, or for all future years. Better yet, link them straight to your preference centre so they can manage everything in one place.
3. Use considerate messaging – We understand these holidays aren’t for everyone” lands very differently to “Don’t want Mother’s Day deals?” Small words, big difference.
4. Apply preferences across all channels -not just email. SMS, push notifications, app messaging – if a customer has told you they’d rather skip it, honour that everywhere your brand shows up.
Smart Segmentation Strategies for Gifting
But what about those that want to celebrate? There are ways to level up your gifting campaigns too – woohoo! Try these segmentation approaches:
1. Past Holiday Shoppers – Create a segment of customers who purchased gifts during previous Mother’s/Father’s Days. They’re already in gift-buying mode!
2. Last-Minute Shoppers – Identify customers who typically purchase close to holidays and send them targeted reminders or expedited shipping offers.
3. Gift Price Tiers – Segment based on average order value to send appropriate gift guides (budget-friendly, premium, luxury).
4. Relationship-Based – Where possible, use data points like “purchased for mum” or “purchased for a spouse” to customise messaging.
5. Location-Based – Adjust delivery dates and options based on customer location relative to the gift recipient.
Balancing Celebration with Sensitivity
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day present valuable marketing opportunities, but the most successful CRM strategies recognise that these holidays aren’t one-size-fits-all. By implementing thoughtful opt-out options and smart segmentation, you can respect customer preferences while maximising engagement with those eager to celebrate.
Your CRM approach speaks volumes about your brand values. When you acknowledge the complexity of your customers’ lives and relationships, you build deeper connections that extend far beyond seasonal sales spikes.
At WeDoCRM, we specialise in creating personalised, empathetic CRM strategies that drive results while honouring customer preferences. Whether you’re looking to implement sophisticated opt-out systems or develop more targeted segmentation for your next holiday campaign, we’re here to help. Take a look at what our clients are saying about us or contact us today, we are looking forward to hearing from you!
