By Mike Ford, CEO of Skydeo, a data company that assists advertisers in targeting potential customers through unique audience data.
Mother’s Day used to mean flowers, brunch, and a card. Maybe a candle if you were feeling fancy. But fast forward to 2025? Gifting looks nothing like it did a decade ago.
We’ve entered the era of intentional, personalized, premium Mother’s Day spending and if you’re a marketer, that shift comes with a massive opportunity (and a few pitfalls).
Consumers aren’t just spending more. They’re spending smarter. They want to give mom something that means something: an experience, a moment, a story. And they’re expecting the brands they shop from to get that.
Here’s what’s changed, and how to show up with relevance (and results) this Mother’s Day.
The Shift: From Generic to Personal, From Stuff to Story
Let’s start with the obvious: the old playbook is toast. Today’s shoppers, especially in higher income brackets, aren’t grabbing flowers from the corner store or ordering the same off-the-shelf necklace as last year.
They’re gifting custom art made from their kid’s handwriting. Spa getaways booked three months in advance. A signed first edition of her favorite book. A luxury facial subscription.
What we’re seeing in the data is a clear move toward emotional ROI, buyers who care more about what the gift says than how much it costs. And it’s not just affluent shoppers. Across income levels, people are prioritizing meaning and personalization over price tags.
What it Means for Marketers?
It means you have to sell differently. You’re not marketing a gift. You’re marketing a gesture. A moment. A message that says, “I know you. I see you.”
And that shift has a few key implications:
1. Personalization Isn’t a Bonus, It’s the Starting Line
Customized packaging? Engraved initials? A curated “Mom’s Day Off” box?
Yes, yes, and yes.
But go further: use data to power product recs. Use gifting personas to serve the right creative. (Hint: “Last-minute gift shopper” and “Luxury experience giver” are very different audiences.)
For example, we’ve seen travel brands crush Mother’s Day by tailoring offers to past behavior, like spa retreats for wellness buyers or wine country weekends for foodie moms. That’s personalization with intent.
2. Sell the Emotion, Not the SKU
You’re not just selling a product. You’re selling a story. Show the giver’s pride. Show the mom’s joy. Show the moment that gift lands.
Luxury brands do this well, but even emerging DTC brands can win here. Think video testimonials, user-generated content, or short-form storytelling that highlights real reactions and relationships.
3. Target Smarter
Here’s the miss we see every year: brands blast their Mother’s Day message to everyone. But not everyone is shopping for Mother’s Day, and not everyone shops the same way.
The performing campaigns use predictive audience segments like:
- Affluent Gift Givers
- DIY Moms & Holiday Planners
- Experience Seekers
- Gift Subscription Buyers
Segments that are based on real-world behavior, like shopping at Anthropologie, subscribing to luxury meal kits, or browsing Mother’s Day pages on TikTok.
4. Go Beyond the Gift: Subscriptions, Experiences, and Loyalty
Don’t stop at the sale. Mother’s Day is a perfect moment to introduce higher-ticket recurring offerings, floral memberships, curated book boxes, luxury food kits, VIP spa access.
Think long-term gifting, not one-time checkout.
5. Use the Right Channels for the Right Shoppers
Meta & TikTok still dominate for discovery and DTC reach, especially with gift givers under 40.
Email is crushing it for storytelling and product curation, especially if you’re using behavior-based flows and retargeting segments.
CTV works wonders when you combine it with high-intent audience targeting. Picture a luxury jewelry spot shown only to “High-Spend Shoppers with Gifting History” in the week before Mother’s Day.
Pinterest is an underrated goldmine for inspiration-led purchases. Want to catch a planner with a cart full of DIY decor and hostess gifts? That’s where she is.
Data, Meet Emotion
When it comes to Mother’s Day marketing in 2025, the brands winning aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones who combine data-backed targeting with emotionally resonant creativity.
Because mom doesn’t need another mug. She needs a moment. A memory. A message that says “you matter.”
And your customers? They’re looking to give her exactly that.
Just don’t make them work too hard to find it.
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