Mother's Day opt out: More brands allow customers to skip holiday emails

Axios · Apr 30, 2023 · 579 words · By Eleanor Hawkins; Kelly Tyko

Marketing Ethics Consumer Psychology Corporate Empathy

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Marketing Ethics

Several major brands are implementing opt-out systems for Mother's Day and other seasonal marketing emails to accommodate customers who find these holidays emotionally difficult. The article presents perspectives from a grief expert, a marketing professor, and company representatives on the ethics and strategic utility of this approach.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

More brands are now offering a way to stop the flood of Mother's Day marketing emails, sparing customers who don't want them from potentially bittersweet messages or even painful reminders.

Why it matters

Why it matters: Mother's Day can be difficult for a host of reasons — the loss of a family member or infertility, for example.

Common ground

By introducing the possibility of opting out from receiving promotional materials, companies are prioritizing empathetic communications over potential flash sale profits.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Marketing Ethics story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Major brands — likeLevi's, DoorDash, Ancestry, Kay Jewelers, Etsy and Canva — have all allowed customers to opt out of emails this Mother's Day?
How does this story connect Marketing Ethics with Consumer Psychology over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://axios.com/2023/04/30/mothers-day-2023-marketing-holiday-email-opt-out

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle

Claim 1: “Major brands — likeLevi's, DoorDash, Ancestry, Kay Jewelers, Etsy and Canva — have all allowed customers to opt out of emails this Mother's Day.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results from different sources (kare11.com, a general news report on brands, and a LinkedIn post citing the specific list of brands) confirm that Levi's, DoorDash, Ancestry, Kay Jewelers, Etsy, and Canva have allowed customers to opt out of Mother's Day marketing.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/kare11-sunrise/opt…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — More brands are now offering a way to stop the flood of Mother's Day marketing emails, sparing customers who don't want them from potentially bittersweet messages or even painful reminders. Why it mat…
https://www.axios.com/2023/04/30/mothers-day-2023-marketing-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Major brands — like Levi's, DoorDash, Ancestry, Kay Jewelers, Etsy and Canva — have all allowed customers to opt out of emails this Mother's Day.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeffrahn_mothers-day-opt-out-…

info

Claim 2: “More than 80,000 consumers have opted out of Mother's Day marketing this year as of April 26, DoorDash told Axios.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about the month of April. There is no evidence confirming the specific number of opt-outs (80,000) reported to Axios.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — April is commonly associated with the season of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Northern Hemisphere and …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/April

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 1, 2020 · April is the fourth month of the year. Let's take a look closer look at the origins, observances and points in history that make up this amazing month.
https://www.thefactsite.com/april-facts/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 19, 2026 · Find out all the latest happenings with this list of April holidays for 2026. Find daily observances, awareness days, weekly and monthly commemorations.
https://www.today.com/life/holidays/april-holidays-and-obser…

check_circle

Claim 3: “Fenot Tekle, Canva's global head of communications.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results (a communicator spotlight, a professional profile, and an Axios LinkedIn post) confirm that Fenot Tekle is the global head of communications at Canva.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — As global head of communications for Canva, Fenot Tekle is responsible for leading the graphic design platform's corporate narrative and storytelling efforts across the globe. Why it matters: AI-suppo…
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/25/fenot-tekle-canva

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Fenot Tekle joined Canva in June 2022 as a VP and the Global Head of Communications. Prior to this, Fenot was a Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Adobe, where she led Corporate, Product a…
https://theorg.com/org/canva/org-chart/fenot-tekle

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Fenot Tekle, global head of communications for Canva, tells Axios: "The world is becoming very, very visual and it has definitely changed the way we all communicate with each other."
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/axios-media_communicator-spot…

info

Claim 4: “DoorDash started offering consumers the ability to opt out of Mother's Day messaging starting last year.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for DoorDash consists of general company descriptions and Wikipedia entries. There is no specific evidence in the search results confirming when the Mother's Day opt-out began.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — DoorDash, Inc. is an American company operating online food ordering and food delivery. It trades under the symbol DASH. [4] With a 56% market share, DoorDash is the largest food delivery platform in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DoorDash

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Get food, grocery, and retail essentials delivered fast. Shop same-day delivery from local stores and restaurants near you.
https://www.doordash.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Download DoorDash: Food, Grocery, More by DoorDash, Inc. on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like DoorDash: Food,…
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doordash-food-grocery-more/id7…

verified

Claim 5: “Kelly Goldsmith, a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Both Wikipedia and the official Vanderbilt Business biography confirm that Kelly Goldsmith is a Professor of Marketing at Vanderbilt University.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is a professional conservatory for actors in New York City. First operational from 1915 to 1927, the school re-opened in 1928 and has been active ever …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhood_Playhouse_School_…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kelly Goldsmith is an American marketing researcher who specializes in consumer behavior and a former reality television contestant. She is currently the E. Bronson Ingram Chair and Professor of Marke…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Goldsmith

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article contains a partial listing of leaders of American universities and colleges, who are usually given the title president or chancellor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_leaders_of_universitie…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 6: “Rebecca Soffer, author of "The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience."”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for Rebecca Soffer is irrelevant, discussing a novel by Daphne du Maurier, a YouTuber, and a nurse. No evidence was found to confirm her authorship of 'The Modern Loss Handbook'.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Palestinians (Arabic: الفلسطينيون, romanized: al-Filasṭīniyyūn) are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine, descended from those who have inhabited the area over the m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinians

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Rebecca Zamolo plays the viral roblox game of Dress to Impress in real life. She uses the most popular DTI themes to create a fun and exciting competition of girls and boys.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfw8x3VR-ElcaWW2Tg_jgSA

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Make an appointment with Ms. Rebecca Gordon, FNP of Gilbert, AZ. Find location information or contact Ms. Rebecca Gordon, FNP here.
https://www.dignityhealth.org/ourdoctors/rebecca-gordon-1801…

+ 1 more evidence source

help

Claim 7: “The company also offers the ability for consumers to opt out of alcohol-related marketing and pets-related marketing on a year-round basis”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding DoorDash's year-round opt-outs for alcohol or pets.

info

Claim 8: “Canva has received positive feedback from its users since allowing them to opt out of Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas and other seasonal moments, says Fenot Tekle, Canva's global head of communications.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general trend of brands offering opt-outs is corroborated in Claim 0, the specific detail about Canva's positive feedback and the specific list of holidays (Father's Day, Christmas) attributed to Fenot Tekle is not independently confirmed in the provided search results, which only show general Canva landing pages.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.
https://www.canva.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Create great designs for every part of your life
https://canva.me/signup/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — We make graphic design, photo and video editing amazingly simple for everyone. With Canva, you can!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=727141822252997545…

help

Claim 9: “Tanya Moryoussef, a manager at the Kearney Consumer Institute”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results to confirm the identity or role of Tanya Moryoussef.

info

Claim 10: “It's doing the same for Father's Day.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for DoorDash does not mention Father's Day marketing opt-outs; it discusses gas price relief and Max subscriptions.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — DoorDash App. Food & Groceries, Delivered.Grow your business with DoorDash. Businesses large and small partner with DoorDash to reach new customers, increase order volume, and drive more sales.
https://doordash-landing-page.vercel.app/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — DoorDash said both programs will remain in effect through April 26. It announced a similar gas price relief program in Australia late last week. It’s not yet clear if rivals will match DoorDash’s paym…
https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/03/23/doordash-offers-added…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Consumers can subscribe to DashPass for either $8/month or $96/year, while one year of ad-supported content from Max comes to a total of $120. The partnership offers consumers a savings of 20%, or $24…
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/bundling-takes-a-new-tu…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.