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Companies offer option to ‘opt out’ of Mother’s Day marketing
From DoorDash to Etsy, companies are providing people with the option to not see reminders related to mom.
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s the time of year when a simple scroll through your email reveals endless suggestions on what to buy for mom. But for those who have lost their mothers, like Christine Meyer, each notification can come with pain.
“It’s that constant reminder; it’s such a tug at your heart. Really missing your mom,” Meyer said.
It’s why, as Mother’s Day approaches, several U.S. companies are offering consumers who subscribe to brand emails and notifications the option to “opt out” of Mother’s Day marketing.
From M.A.C. Cosmetics, to DoorDash, to Etsy, various companies have sent out emails allowing the consumer to unsubscribe from such notifications by clicking a button.
Dr. Anupama Bharadwaj, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas with expertise in consumer behavior and emotion, sees it as a move companies are making to grow their relationships with consumers.
“I think there’s been a trend that companies are looking at consumers as people… realizing that it’s beyond just the interaction the individual has with the brand, products, services,” Dr. Bharadwaj said. “Trying to be sensitive to many different dimensions that are in our lives… many different aspects of our lives.”
She adds that customers attach “personalities” to brands.
“There’s a lot of research in consumer psychology that shows that consumers interact with brands like they do with other people,” she said. “So when a brand comes forward and says, look, we realize that this could be a difficult time for you, and we want to be there to the extent that we can. … If we’re able to gauge that it’s coming from a genuine place, the customer appreciates that, presumably.”
Meyer, who founded and serves as the president of a nonprofit that supports women and girls who have experienced mother loss, says she has never opted out of these types of notifications. However, she views it as a good move.
“I think it’s a good move on the part of companies to make that decision, and it shows some respect for people who are grieving the loss of their moms,” she said.
Meyer founded She Climbs Mountains and Girls Rise Up in honor of her mother, Loralee, who passed when Meyer was just 15. The organization hosts events during Mother’s Day for both women and girls who want to create community with those who have shared similar experiences.
“Community matters so much when we are on our journey of grief,” Meyer said. “It’s so lonely and so isolating to grieve, and so when we can gather with other people who really get that loss, it changes our lives. It really does.”
To get involved in the various events with She Climbs Mountains or to learn more, visit their website.
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Almost 80 percent reported that they have less than a year before they face financial distress.
MINNESOTA, USA — Despite Give to the Max Day breaking donation records, nonprofits tell us they still need help to keep up the demand for their services.
According to a recent survey by the Council of Nonprofits, 73 percent of Minnesota organizations reported they have grown programs and services to meet the demands of Minnesotans.
Almost 80 percent reported that they have less than a year before they face financial distress.
Open Arms is a nonprofit that delivers food to critically ill people. It said December is a crucial month for donations, because they will make decisions on their programs and services for the next year.
“Wages and the cost of ingredients have gone up 30% since the end of COVID or the end of the COVID years, and so that is really, really hard on all nonprofits,” said CEO Leah Hébert Welles. “And then the second thing, government funds have dried up.”
“It’s almost kind of like the way that the tide works and a big body of water where there is still significant need, but that wave of resources from 2020 has backed up, and the need for nonprofits is still right there,” said Jake Blumberg, the executive director of GiveMN, the organization in charge of Give to the Max Day.
Blumberg says 30% of donations for nonprofits happen in the last six weeks of the year.
“We have to make really hard decisions about what we can do next year, how many more people we can help, how many more staff we can hire,” said Welles,
To consider donation or volunteering to Open Arms of Minensota, click here.
To explore more nonprofits, visit GiveMN.org.
According to the report, the BPPD said Andre Lane has been missing since 11 a.m. this morning.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — The Brooklyn Park Police Department is asking for the public to help find a missing man who has Alzheimer’s.
According to the alert, the BPPD said 57-year-old Andre Lane has been missing since 2 p.m. this afternoon.
He stands at 5’9″ and weighs roughly 250 pounds. Lane suffers from Alzheimer’s and dementia and may not be able to take care of himself, said the BPPD.
Lane was last seen wearing grayish-blue Levi’s jacket, black hat, black sweatpants, a gray long sleeve t-shirt and black Jordan shoes, according to the report.
Officials believe Lane left his residence, near the 6600 block of Tessman Terrace, on foot. The BPPD is asking people who live near Tessman Farm Road/85th Avenue North to check yards and properties.
Anyone who sees Lane is asked to contact the Brooklyn Park Police Department at 763-493-8222.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The driver in the vehicle involved is reportedly cooperating with police and the investigation remains open and active.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A woman has died after being struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of St. Louis Park’s Knollwood Mall.
A city spokesperson told KARE the incident happened Friday afternoon in the parking lot of The Shoppes at Knollwood. The city said despite life-saving efforts by emergency responders and paramedics, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver in the vehicle involved is reportedly cooperating with police and the investigation remains open and active.
The victim, an adult woman, has not yet been identified.
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