Now that it’s officially May, it means another holiday is right around the corner: Mother’s Day!

This is a big event for moms–and for marketers. 84% of US adults are expected to celebrate the event this year, and overall spending related to the holiday is forecasted to reach nearly $25 billion dollars!

Mother’s Day (May 12) is coming up fast, but it’s not too late to create and send engaging email campaigns that will connect with your audience in meaningful new ways (and encourage them to shop with your brand).

(P.S. Now is also a good time to think about what you’re doing for your own Mother’s Day celebrations!)

Marks & Spencer uses personalization in helpful new ways

Marks & Spencer recently achieved exactly this type of success with its Mother’s Day marketing efforts. Instead of ignoring the fact that valuable shopping days were slipping by, the U.K. retailer embraced this inevitability by creating a countdown timer to show consumers exactly how much time was left before this important event.

It was a smart strategy. Like any other holiday, Mother’s Day tends to sneak up on shoppers, or they may procrastinate, thinking that they have more time than they actually do. In this case, Marks & Spencer’s countdown timer was perceived as a helpful tool—not just another sales email—since no one wants to disappoint Mom on her one special day of the year. In other words; thank you, Marks & Spencer!

In one email, Marks & Spencer overlaid its countdown timer over an image of stunning floral arrangements. The headline encouraged recipients to “spoil Mum with beautiful blooms,” and also included a prominent special offer of a free delivery of her bouquet in time for Mother’s Day. While the free delivery offer wasn’t tied to the countdown timer, the message to act was clear. Who could resist?

In a second email, the retailer used a timer in conjunction with an offer that would quickly expire. In this case, the email included a special promotion where shoppers would receive free chocolates with the purchase of a Mother’s Day bouquet. The countdown clock showed recipients just how much time they had to act, a powerful real-time personalization that helped increase basket size and generate new sales.

The personalization didn’t stop there. By clicking into either email, consumers experienced a Marks and Spencer landing page with even more Mother’s Day promotions, including discounts on brunch ingredients, wine, chocolate, flowers, and more.

Each offer was accompanied by a call to action button that invited readers to find the closest Marks & Spencer shop. These links used Liveclicker’s LiveMap real-time email experience to incorporate geo-targeting map information specific to each consumer. Again, the entire experience provided information consumers found helpful, while still encouraging them to take the desired action.

Don’t stop there!

Using countdown timers and maps are just two examples of how you can create engaging, personalized emails this Mother’s Day. Stay tuned for our second article in this series where we will provide even more examples of real-time personalization that you can use for Mother’s Day email campaigns.

Also, this is the latest article in our ongoing series of holiday-related tips, tricks, and other email marketing best practices. Yet there’s another way to get them all, all in one place. Download our LookBook guide for real-world examples of how leading brands achieved impressive results for any holiday—and every other point in the customer lifecycle.