Getting Ready for Mother's Day 2026 - 3 Steps to Get Your Campaign Off the Ground Now.

Below we discuss:

I started this writing this post with the intention of also folding in the concept of marketing to moms year round (ie: how to market to moms) … and then realized it would exceed Substack limits and thought this would work best as a limited series. So look out for part 2 next week when we discuss best practices for marketing to moms with a focus on those with younger kids.

I have a good background in the mom arena BTW, I worked exclusively with baby products for many years - helping launch Orbit Baby (where I worked directly with celebrity mothers and fathers, business and design editors, and entertainment press). I also represented hot/mama brands like Petunia Pickle Bottom, erbaviva, Monte Design, and so many more family focused products for many years.

But since Mother’s Day is in our crosshairs, let’s start there.

In 2025 Americans spent more than $34 billion on Mother’s Day gifts, or about $259 each for those who shopped for Moms in 2025. While it’s still unclear if spending will be down this year, one thing you can bet on, the “definition” of Mom will continue expanding to all types of caregivers.

Smaller marketing teams tend to deprioritize Mother’s Day - often offering a small discount to their email list and leaving it at that. They miss a key point that other brands see clearly: Mother’s Day is an identity holiday, and identity is a core component of successful marketing that doesn’t come around every day. As a major annual event, Mother’s Day allows brands to create highly emotional and tailored campaigns that differ from daily promotional, or even other holiday, marketing.

A recent survey found that about 60% of Americans said pet moms should be included in Mother’s Day celebrations, a signal that the cultural definition of “mom” is expanding beyond what Hallmark traditionally creates greeting cards for.

Search “dog mom gifts” “plant mom gifts,” or even “cat mom” Mother’s Day ideas and you’ll see a surprising number of gift guides pop up in major media - all catering to these special niches.

It’s this same expanding recipient trend that sent Valentine’s Day spending surging this year. Romantic partners used to be the only people who got cards and candy. Now friends, pets, coworkers, self-love gifts, teachers, and neighbors are all part of the Valentine’s gift economy.

So, say you run a lifestyle brand, and you’re putting together a marketing plan for Mother’s Day. The first thing that probably pops to mind when you think of a typical target mom is a young mother → because that’s certainly what pops up when you type “mother’s day” into just about any photo database (as shown above).

Or perhaps your Mother comes to mind, which probably conjures thoughts of brunch and an azalea. But increasingly, when many Americans look in the mirror they see themselves as mom (or dad) - whether they have kids or not. So let’s broaden our horizons a bit.

Years ago stereotypical definitions worked really well if you wanted to make the most of Mother’s Day as a brand, but now Mom is a feeling, not a job description.

The Mom market is more about those of us who identify as a Mother → ie: they feed, clean, love, and make life Instagrammably great for something or someone else.

I have chickens, therefore I’m a chicken mom. Printfresh gets it, I recently saw an Instagram ad for “pajamas for chicken moms” that really caught my attention.

Following this thread, consider your current product line → what items or designs do you have that appeal to a niche that can be defined in terms of a caregiver? I have a tee shirt that says “Plant Mom” and I think it’s hilarious (but far more fun would be “Porsche Mom”).

When brands reframe motherhood more broadly as a celebration of caregiving and identity, not just biological status, they expand their market instantly. A luxury candle brand can speak to:

All of them nurture something, and buy gifts → many times for themselves. So if the definition of “mom” is expanding, then your Mother’s Day marketing should expand with it.

Once you understand that, a lot more products suddenly become perfect Mother’s Day gifts. Whatever you offer that has a sentimental, specialized, or unique feel can work as a Mother’s Day gift item.

Ask yourself which type of nurturing identity does my product celebrate? Here are a few identity angles brands are already tapping into:

Americans spend over $140 billion a year on pets, and a huge percentage of those buyers identify strongly as “dog moms” or “cat moms.”

Mother’s Day campaigns now regularly include:

Pet stores and lifestyle brands often run “Dog Mom Brunch” events the weekend before Mother’s Day, and they sell out.

Houseplants exploded during the pandemic and the “plant mom” identity stuck. Plant care is nurturing and that’s the emotional connection. Your brands can lean into this through:

A clever campaign might be: “Mother’s Day for the Women Who Keep Things Alive.”

Think beyond caregiving and toward passion identities. Examples:

Brands can create limited-edition product drops specifically for these niches.

Another fast-growing identity: women building businesses while raising families. Ideas brands can lean into:

A campaign angle might be: “For the Mom Building Something Big.”

Many people now treat Mother’s Day as a self-gift holiday (and who doesn’t love that?) That opens the door for brands in wellness, beauty, decor, jewelry and just about any category of items someone would buy for themselves.

Messaging like: “Buy the gift you actually want” performs quite well with this audience.

Gift guides are great, but many of them have left authenticity behind in pursuit of cash-flow.

When gift guides were solely published in paper magazines, editors chose them for their unique appeal, their price points, their photographability, and their well edited value. The magazine didn’t get a cut of sales and so what they published really seemed more like ernest suggestions from a trusted friend.

Now, many digital Mother’s Day gift guides are flat out advertising (a multi thousand $ fee for inclusion) or the items are chosen because they have high search rank combined with the fact that the brand offers a competitively jacked up commission through AWIN.

So let’s say you want to get your cute niche product in big name media, you’re a small company, and it’s a new item, so not a lot of people are searching for it - and you want legit media acceptance - not advertorial. Here are some ideas:

Business MediaSo often overlooked by smaller brands, titles like Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company are a wonderful landing spot for you. Profiles in business outlets elevate the brand beyond “mom product” into “credible company.”

Also include local business journals in your outreach - they can help stair-step you into the bigger titles by offering interesting interviews and clips. They’ll help lend credibility for bigger things.

Lifestyle MediaHome, beauty and wellness, travel, entertainment, pet magazines, anything niche works well for a wide variety of products.

Regional + Local MediaLocal media is criminally overlooked by most brands. Local morning shows, regional magazines, community publications all help brand and move product because they feel like ernest suggestions from a trusted friend.

Heavy up around:

Mother’s Day is a spark that can fuel an ingenious campaign on a local level. This is not limited to your local media. Any store that carries your brand in any part of the country has local media connected to it. Recognition of this fact blasts open a huge swath of media catering to a captive, loyal audience with direct access to your products.

After years of pitching lifestyle editors, here are the Mother’s Day themes that consistently get traction.

As we discussed earlier, the definition of “mom” is widening. Editors love pitches that acknowledge this shift. Gifts for dog, horse, chicken, plant moms; as well as step-moms, grandmothers, ect.

These stories feel culturally current and expand the reader audience.

One of the biggest quiet trends is women buying their own gifts. Editors increasingly run stories like:

• The Gifts Moms Should Buy Themselves• Mother’s Day, But Make It Self-Care• What Moms Actually Want

If your product is indulgent, relaxing, or beautifully designed, this angle works extremely well.

Practical gifts are making a comeback. Editors are often looking for:

• Organization tools• Travel gear• Time-saving products• Kitchen upgrades• Wellness tools

Anything that removes friction from daily life tends to resonate.

Mother’s Day is deeply emotional, which means editors are always looking for products that feel meaningful. Examples include:

• Custom jewelry• Personalized photo items• Memory books• Heirloom-quality pieces

These perform well because they feel like keepsakes, not disposable gifts.

Experiences are one of the fastest growing Mother’s Day gift categories. Editors love stories that include:

• Spa experiences• Travel ideas• Weekend getaways• Creative workshops• Unique outings

Even physical products can fit this category if they enable an experience.

Stories focused on professional women continue to gain traction. Editors frequently look for:

• Desk accessories• Stylish work bags• Productivity tools• Travel gear

This audience is large, influential, and often underserved in traditional Mother’s Day coverage.

Editors need practical guides for readers with budgets. Popular price buckets include:

• Gifts Under $25• Gifts Under $50• Gifts Under $100• Luxury Splurges

If you pitch a product, always tell the editor which price category it fits.

Sustainability is still a strong editorial hook. Products that highlight these elements often get preference in curated guides:

• eco-friendly materials• ethical sourcing• women-owned companies• artisan craftsmanship

Editors gravitate toward photogenic products. If your product has:

• bold color• beautiful packaging• interesting texture• strong design

…it has a better chance of landing in visual gift guides, particularly local media.

Editors love surprises. Instead of flowers and candy, think:

• hobby gear• tech gadgets• fitness equipment• travel accessories• outdoor tools

Anything that breaks the cliché can become the hook for a story.

If you want to market effectively around Mother’s Day, place your brand next to institutions people already trust.

Instead of trying to convince someone your product is meaningful enough to be a Mother’s Day gift, you borrow credibility from environments where nurturing and caregiving already happen. When someone encounters your product in a trusted space, the mental leap from item to gift idea becomes much shorter. In other words the right partnership removes five layers of skepticism instantly.

This is relationship marketing, and it works particularly well for a holiday built around emotion and appreciation.

Here are a few partnership environments that are especially powerful during the Mother’s Day season.

• birth classes• lactation consultants• doulas• postpartum wellness providers• pediatric offices• baby boutiques

• independent pet stores• dog daycare facilities• groomers• veterinary clinics• dog trainers• pet photographers

One of the easiest Mother’s Day partnerships is sitting right under your nose. If your product is stocked in boutiques or specialty stores, those retailers often run Mother’s Day promotions, events, or gift guides. Ideas include:

• co-hosted Mother’s Day shopping events• in-store gift bundles• staff gift picks• Mother’s Day window displays• local media appearances tied to the store

Many women treat Mother’s Day as a moment to invest in health, relaxation, and personal time. Partnership opportunities include:

• yoga studios• Pilates studios• boutique gyms• wellness clinics• meditation centers

Brands can contribute:

• gift bag items• class giveaways• Mother’s Day themed events• member appreciation gifts

This works especially well for self-care products.

Mother’s Day is deeply sentimental, which makes memory-based businesses great partners. Consider collaborations with:

• family photographers• flower shops• calligraphy artists• art studios• pottery workshops• cooking schools

Local visibility often drives the most authentic engagement. Potential partners include:

• independent bookstores• garden centers• cafés and bakeries• farmers markets• community events

A simple pop-up, giveaway, or co-hosted event around Mother’s Day weekend can generate meaningful exposure, especially when paired with local media coverage.

Mothers of all types are discerning. If your brand treats them like the CEO of their lives they’ll reward you.

Mother’s Day Gift Guides: Choosing products to Pitch

Carolyn Delacorte is the founder of Boxwood Co — a trailblazing PR + marketing firm that’s served lifestyle brands in the food, fashion, beauty, decor, and baby industries for more than 28 years. Follow me on Instagram / Let’s connect on LinkedIn

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