Mom Is Always #1! According to The Media Audit’s (TMA) 2018 Rolling Aggregate Report, representing almost 40% of the US population, 45.8% of women 18+ have children at home of any age and 14.1% of women 18+ have children of any age, 18 years and older. Working mothers, in particular, deserve special attention on Mother’s Day (and every day) and, according to The Media Audit report, the largest percentages of them are 25–34 (23.2%) and 35–44 (29.2%). Most of the working mothers in TMA’s data earn $50K–$100K (39.0%) and 45.3% have one or more college degrees, so many, if not most, are pursuing full-time careers.

Consumers Are in a Spending Mood – and Have the Money to Spend Many recent news reports have detailed the improving retail environment, including a better- than-expected holiday shopping season. Plus, the index for 10 leading economic indicators increasing 1% during January, compared to a 0.7% expectation. The “grand” total of 2017 retail and food services sales was $5.75 trillion, a 4.2% increase from 2016’s $5.52 trillion; and Q4 2017 was $1.5391 trillion, or a 5% increase from Q4 2016’s total of $1.4659 trillion. Preliminary data from Qubit reveals mobile commerce increased 9% during the two weeks prior to Valentine’s Day 2018, which indicates why it is so important for retailers to be more mobile- conscious for Mother’s Day 2018, and beyond.

Make Dining Memories with Today’s Hottest Culinary Trends Although many mothers will probably prefer a “traditional” Mother’s Day dining experience, 2018’s hottest culinary trends may make the meal more memorable, including authentic Asian cuisines, African flavors and street food- inspired dishes. According to the National Restaurant Association, its latest (December 2017) Restaurant Performance Index improved to 102.9 from November’s 101.1 and its Expectations Index increased to 102.9, the highest index during almost three years. Yelp’s 2017 Local Economic Outlook reported the average review ratings for many independent restaurants have increased 7% during the past 5 years, primarily because independents are doing better job of differentiating themselves from chains.

A Show Shows How Much You Care Local and regional fine arts and crafts shows are excellent Mother’s Day experiences. Some of the best during May 2018 are Artisphere, Greenville, SC; Art of the Square, Belleville, IL; and Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, Reston, VA. Major, new movie releases for April and May 2018 include You Were Never Really Here, The New Mutants, Super Troopers 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Where’d You Go Bernadette?, Slender Man and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Somewhat surprisingly, data from The Media Audit reveals that more women and working mothers with children of various ages had attended the opera, a symphony or live theater during the past 12 months than those attending a country or rock/pop music concert.

Giving the Gifts That Are Always Appreciated According to the National Retail Federation/Prosper Insights & Analytics Mother’s Day 2017 survey, consumers were expected to spend $5 billion on jewelry, a 19% increase from Mother’s Day 2016. An August 2017 article on the National Jeweler Website reported that a July 2017 survey found 75% of Millennial women think of diamond jewelry as an investment in themselves and many would prefer one expensive item versus many cheaper items. Based on the Society of American Florists post-Mother’s Day 2017 survey, 60% of florists said they experienced increases sales while only 16% experienced a decrease.

Advertising Strategies If, as expected, Mother’s Day retail foot traffic and spending are significantly greater than previous years, then suggest advertisers distribute a coupon/invitation (preferably mobile) for a special mid-summer, exclusive “event” or sale just for those with an invitation. Independent restaurants should certainly take advantage of their increasing popularity by offering special menus, all-inclusive family dinners/brunches, etc. It’s also an opportunity for the chef/cook to feature his or her unique culinary skills. For those advertisers who can provide a “special” Mother’s Day gift, suggest a computer, photography or similar classes; a foodie tour; a housekeeper for 1 to 3 months, especially for working mothers; and a professional landscaping design plan.

New Media Strategies Another “unique” Mother’s Day gift idea is to arrange for the family to volunteer for a local charity or community organizations. A “Mother’s Day” business could promote this idea and encourage all participants to record and upload photos and videos to social media. Ask mothers to post videos of their favorite Mother’s Day gift or activity to stores’ social media and ask visitors to vote for their favorite. Give each participating mother a coupon (preferably mobile) for June and a grand prize for the mother who receives the most votes. Ask each store employee to share their Mother’s Day plans in a video format. Upload them to a special page on the store’s Website and post to all social media platforms. Edit all the videos together into a loop and play on tablets placed throughout the store.