Would you prefer not to hear about Mother’s Day?

I’ve noticed in the past couple of years nearly every company where I’m subscribed to their mailing list emails something along those lines at this time of year.

I understand the impetus behind it, but I can’t help being cynical - first off, you’re still literally putting stuff about Mother’s Day into people’s inboxes even by asking people if they don’t want further material on it, second, I don’t remember getting similar options around other potentially emotional events (Father’s Day, Christmas, Valentines Day etc), third, if you were genuinely worried your marketing upsetting people would you not just bin it off?

Idk, I get it, and I’m glad if it helps some people, just can’t help feeling that it’s ultimately self-serving for the brands.

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Is this meta?

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Would you like to hear about this thread?

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I’ve never had an email like this that I can remember

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Yeah I have got a bunch of these recently and thought the same - feels like an excuse to email about Mother’s Day before the real emails about Mother’s Day begin…

As you say, I understand the message, but surely there’s a more tactful way? Idk what though.

https://beerhawk-news.co.uk/265V-79GKD-5E8BD9D74A4152FBN1DHXZ22D6B99C817FAFEB/cr.aspx

I do get Father’s Day stuff through, I remember it because every time I think “HA, the joke’s on you capitalism, he’s ESTRANGED! 1-0 me.”

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Yeah I know it’s kind of impossible to give content warnings without mentioning the kind of content you’re warning about…

Just when it comes from brands I feel really uneasy about it.

I’ve had a few of these and not just for mother’s day.

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I had an email from Tesco asking about Valentine’s Day

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I got one of these about Valentines Day and it annoyed me because instead of skimming past it I think had to think about the reasons I wouldn’t want to see it and that annoyed me more, as I imagine it also would for someone who’s lost a parent

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Had a Sainsbury’s one about mother’s day, I opted out not for any sensitive reason, just didn’t want to get any more emails about it.

Hmm. Suspect i opted out of thoughtful marketing when mindlessly accepting preferences

It feels cynical to me too. One brand has sent me three reminders because I haven’t responded to their initial email to say whether or not I want to receive that content. Each time I see one it’s got Mothers Day in the subject line and I think that if it was upsetting to me I’d be quite annoyed about being constantly reminded.

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I’d take that over constant “you once applied for a job here but it’s been over a year, we’ll have to remove you from our database soon if you don’t click this link” then THREE FUCKING FOLLOW UP REMINDERS. Just fuck off.

whisper it guys but the marketing departments behind your favourite brands might not have your wellbeing at the forefront of their mind
they might not even give a solitary shit

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I used to work in customer service for a retailer and every year we would get complaints specifically about mother’s day marketing being upsetting. We would occasionally get ones about other events, or in one case something pet related when someone’s dog had just died, but the vast, vast majority of this type of contact were mother’s day related. This was actually really difficult for some of my colleagues to deal with, like one who had been orphaned in her teens or my boyfriend while his mother was going through cancer treatment, and even if you haven’t lost your mother they’re a really tough type of contact to deal with because of the emotive subject. I’m not a counsellor, I’m just here to refund you for faulty products!

When other retailers started to offer an opt out, the contacts changed to “[competitor] lets me opt out from mother’s day marketing, why don’t you?”. They have since introduced an opt out email.

Presumably they remember your opt out so you only have to be reminded of it once, plus i think it’s easier for people to receive an email like that than a bunch of suggestions on what to get their dead/estranged mum.

So yeah, my impression is that this is very much led by customer demand rather than being a marketing thing in itself.

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actually appreciate the mothers and fathers day reminders cos i forget when they are and think the existence of those days is sweet and nice. can see why other people in different situations feel differently though

valentines day doesnt emotionally affect me but it is an objectively annoying day isn’t it. no need for it to exist in this couple centric society we live in

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Weirdly just got my 1st ever of these from Deliveroo

Actually was appreciated as I’d forgotten about it and I need to buy a card for my stepfathers Birthday which is the day after anyway. I might shove em both in the same envelope and save a stamp

maybe instead of having a mothers’ day, everybody should dismantle the patriarchy every day of the year

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