Here's why many companies are letting women opt out of 'Mother's Day' marketing emails

Mother's Day is an occasion of celebration & love for some, while for others, it is a painful reminder. It reminds them of grief, infertility issues, or traumatic pasts. Some major brands have started to realize this. DoorDash, Pandora, M.A.C., Kay Jewelers, and several other companies have sent an email blast to their customers, providing them with the option to stop any sort of Mother's Day branded emails or promotions, reported Scary Mommy. 

“What can be a wonderful time for some can be a difficult time for others,” jewelry brand Pandora wrote in an April 2023 email to customers. “We completely understand if you'd prefer to opt-out. Simply let us know below and don't worry – you'll still receive all our other updates. Love, Pandora.” This gesture brings relief to many, for whom this day brings grief. Several people applauded the idea that has caught on in recent years, with companies like Our Place, Nespresso and Etsy also sending out “opt-out” emails to their customers.

“As an infertile person who did years of medical treatments to get pregnant, I can tell you this opt-out stuff is not new, and it's something appreciated by infertility and loss communities and, I imagine, by people who have lost parents or have bad relationships with them...,” one Twitter user wrote. Another Twitter user replied, “As a new member of the ‘dead mom club,’ I would have appreciated a few more opt-out emails this month.”

However, this has also come under some attack, as many conservatives are offended by the trend, which is just there to ease the pain of a few. Some have even made the surprising claim that the brand’s decision to allow customers to opt out of Mother’s Day messaging is to ultimately want to eliminate gendered holidays altogether. Host Charlie Kirk tweeted, “Brands are bending over backward to let customers ‘opt out’ of Mother's Day. Can we opt out of Pride Month spam too?”

Senior advisor to former President Donald Trump and founder of conservative legal group America First Legal also chimed in and wrote, “Mother’s Day is ‘triggering’? Repugnant. The Left’s war on womanhood, motherhood and childhood continues to gather force. Every one of these brands has been captured by the radical anti-women anti-family left.” This is a step in the right direction as it encourages companies to have some empathy for those who are experiencing loss. It is not about politics but about people looking out for each other. 

“Why is our culture so hateful of motherhood,” said Live Action President anti-abortionist Lila Rose. One Twitter user summed up this outrage and wrote, “It is an opt-out on AN EMAIL. If you literally do nothing you will continue to get Mother’s Day reminder emails. Has nothing to do with the holiday or rainbows or other things that hurt your feelings. How thick are you people?”