Off-the-Wall Mother's Day Marketing Strategies

Mother's Day usually consists of the tried-and-true themes that attempt to convince customers that a particular product or service says "I love you, Mom" better than the next. Naturally this is the emotion that Mother's Day buyers want to express, but you can best the competition by marketing with more flair. If you want to instantly boost Mother's Day business, increase customer loyalty and brand your company to the masses, you should consider staging a publicity stunt this Mother's Day. For sure, the term "publicity stunt" carries a negative connotation. Call it what you will - an event, a customer appreciation day, etc. - but the bottom line is that publicity stunts are engineered to attract the attention of media and your target audience to increase sales. Successful publicity stunts offer unique experiences, whether it's through good prizes or entertainment, and thus earn free press coverage. To pull greater profits and leave your competitors in the dust this May, try one of these off-the-wall Mother's Day marketing strategies.

Break a world record

The Guinness World Records website isn't just a tool for finding novel feats and facts - it's a springboard for powerful marketing events that generate free press and boost revenue. Search through world records to see if you can identify any that are relevant to your business and to Mother's Day, then decide whether there are any you might be able to break. A florist might decide to try to break the record for ]]>world's tallest bouquet]]>, for example.

Mom makeover

Mothers spend countless hours doting on their children and helping them look their best. They match outfits, comb hair and clean faces despite all the whining and resistance as their children grow. Now, it's time for Mom to be pampered!

Partner with complementary yet non-competing businesses to give away free or discounted makeovers for moms, including a new hairstyle, makeup and wardrobe. If you're not in the beauty business, no problem: You can still hold a mom makeover event if you choose the right partners. Promote your mom makeover event by printing postcards, flyers, posters, banners, and by contacting local news outlets to generate free publicity.

Lovable landscaping

Flowers represent some of the most popular Mother's Day gifts, and you can help someone make their Mother's Day exceptionally special with a free home landscaping package. Hold a contest where competitors write in why their mothers deserve the landscaping package, or - better yet - hold a game show-like competition where mothers and son/daughter teams compete against one another to see who knows the other best. You can do this very simply by inviting your teams to shop at your store in the week preceding Mother's Day. When they make a purchase, have them instantly fill out forms printed with your questions. Tally the results and award the winner on Mother's Day! If landscaping and flowers are not relevant to your business, give something else away that is.