Celebrating Mom Remains the Second Most Popular Gifting Holiday
Focus on new gifting options for Mother's Day presents opportunties to broaden gift campaigns

April 30, 2012 Stevens, PA -- This Mother's Day, May 13th, more people will tell Mom they love her and wish her many years of good health -- by giving her chocolate!  According to some welcome new research, consumption of chocolate leads to lower blood pressure, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, better cholesterol balance and improved ability to maintain steady blood pressure.  Plus, as an added bonus to Moms watching their weight, those who consume chocolate tend to have a lower BMI. 
 
For gifters that opt for chocolate for Mother's Day, they are participating in an emerging trend in the overall gifting market.  Unity Marketing's latest Gifting Report 2012 found that consumable gifts, like chocolate, are one of the most popular and fastest-growing gift categories for Mother's Day, which is ranked the second most popular gifting holiday after Christmas.  In the latest survey among some 2,000 gift givers, consumables ike chocolate grew in importance, while gift cards, another traditionally important item for Mother's Day, saw a decline.
 
"Chocolates are not only good for Mom's health; they may make the perfect gift," says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Putting the Luxe Back in Luxury.  "In our research, we found that consumers believe the ideal gift is the one that the recipient wants but is unwilling to purchase for themselves. For some moms, this may well be an indulgent box of gourmet chocolates."
 
>> A box of chocolates is sweet, but a chocolate experience is even sweeter for Mother's Day 2012
 
"The latest survey reveals that chocolates are the second most popular gift given throughout the year, and its popularity is growing, so retailers selling gourmet chocolate treats should find plentiful demand for these goods this year. But creative gift givers may well 'think outside of the chocolate box' and rather than give a simple box of chocolates, they will give a chocolate experience from a growing range of service providers," Danziger says.
 
Some 'out-of-the-box' experiential chocolate gift choices this year include:

• Cloud9 Living (www.cloud9living.com), an online provider of gifting experiences, offers chocolate-making classes where you and Mom can learn how to make your own chocolate treats.
• Hotel Hershey in 'chocolate-town' Hershey, Pennsylvania (http://www.chocolatespa.com/) offers a whole range of signature chocolate spa experiences, like the decadent Chocolate Immersion treatment on special this month which features a chocolate bean skin polish & chocolate fondue wrap. Yum!
• You and Mom can eat your way through Washington, DC on a gourmet chocolate tasting tour of that city with Xperience Days (www.xperiencedays.com). That tour is capped by  chocolate martinis for two.

Danziger concludes, "Unity Marketing's research into the gifting market shows that creating bonds between the gift giver and recipient is the primary reason why people give presents for holidays like Mother's Day. Those emotional connections are built on memories which are far more likely to be stimulated by a shared experience, than simply giving Mom a wrapped present. For gift givers this Mother's Day 2012, if you really want to make Mom feel special then a gift of experience will hit the sweet spot."
 
To learn more about the behavior of the gifting consumer, start with the Gifting Report 2012.  The report is filled with research-based findings that describe consumer gifting behavior, including where gifters shop, when, for whom, and what they buy. It provides the guidance gift marketers and retailers need year long - and that is a sweet treat for the health of your business.
 
>> Get the List of the Top 10 Gift Choices in 2012
 
The first step to understanding consumers' gifting behavior is learning more about their gift choices.  To get a list of the top 10 gift choices among gifting consumers in 2012, email Pam@unitymarketingonline.com with your contact information (name, company, and phone please).  This indispensable resource will help retailers, manufacturers, and marketers prepare for the remainder of 2012, and it is free to those who ask.
 
Click this link to learn more or to order a copy of The Gifting Report 2012.