Marketers like to bucket us into categories of the second life mom,
the Millennial mom, Gen X moms, Gen Y moms, the vibrant mom, the survivor mom --
to name a few. The truth is, it’s very hard to categorize us. We are a huge
demographic. And the growing multicultural mom is barely being addressed.
Most research is done through surveys, which don’t really bring to
life what it’s like to be in the midst of today’s highly social mom. The moms
I’ve met don’t care one iota if you are a single mom, a divorced mom, an older
mom, an empty nester, a WAHM or a SAHM. It is motherhood that binds us together
along with a desire for camaraderie and shared information. And these virtual
moms are often our BFFs. Gone are the days of moms hanging over the picket fence
and spending a few minutes socializing. We’re all just too busy. Brands looking
to leverage social media should be looking for the influencer moms who have
built networks of mom relationships and where trust has been established. These
networks have little to do with categorization.
There are several things that marketers can remember regardless of
“mom type.”
1. Moms have one foot in today and one foot in the
future.
She thinks about the immediate and what lies ahead. She likes brands
that save her money today while keeping an eye on our collective future through
sustainability or eco-friendly practices.
2. Enlist an opinion of women/moms to weigh in on your
marketing ideas.
Moms are eager to talk to brands. We don’t bite. But brands often
forget to include the very audience they are trying to attract. Translating
marketing insights into campaign materials that will resonate is often a big
misstep because research is often taken so literally. Just because it says we
“like” to garden, doesn’t mean you throw photos all over the communication
materials of moms gardening. Think about gardening from a different perspective:
why is she gardening? Is it because it’s therapeutic? Is it calming, “me”
time?
3. Don’t be so overt that you’re marketing to
mom.
Mom has become a huge focus of today’s marketing. But that doesn’t
mean you have to start off things with headlines or voiceover copy saying, “Hey,
moms! This is for you.” And don’t use pink-unless it’s brand appropriate. We
don’t buy things because they’re made for moms, we buy them because we need
them. Brands need to sell from the perspective of what she is looking for, not
from the fact she is a mom.
4. Use social media to beta test your marketing ideas.
The great thing about social media is that it is a living, breathing
research resource of your audience. You can put out ideas to the audience to see
their reactions before spending lots of dollars. Moms are happy to give opinions
within reason. The influential mom will want to be paid to give a brand advice,
but it will be money well spent.
5. Remember marketing to a mom is marketing to the family.
Brands targeting mom need to know she’s choosing with her family in
mind. And because today’s families are so busy, she’s looking for things that
bring the family together. Watching YouTube videos and gaming are the new family
entertainment. That new popcorn brand she just picked up was not chosen because
she was hungry, it was chosen because she thought the family might like to try
something new.
Make a great product and she’ll find your brand. Make a great
product with great customer service and you’ll have her for life. And this is
true of any categorization of mom. Brands need to look at their products in
addition to their marketing efforts and mix. Moms aren’t going to socialize a
crappy product at least not in the way a brand would want. Start with providing
detail. Moms like information and to be educated about the products they are
bringing into their homes. Remember Moms are well equipped to adapt to the
changing social media landscape. Moms do their homework and understanding the
details is part of the homework regardless if they are a Latina mom, a boomer
mom, a second life mom...
By Holly
Pavlika Friday, Sept. 7, 2012
Most research is done through surveys, which don’t really bring to
life what it’s like to be in the midst of today’s highly social mom. The moms
I’ve met don’t care one iota if you are a single mom, a divorced mom, an older
mom, an empty nester, a WAHM or a SAHM. It is motherhood that binds us together
along with a desire for camaraderie and shared information. And these virtual
moms are often our BFFs. Gone are the days of moms hanging over the picket fence
and spending a few minutes socializing. We’re all just too busy. Brands looking
to leverage social media should be looking for the influencer moms who have
built networks of mom relationships and where trust has been established. These
networks have little to do with categorization.
There are several things that marketers can remember regardless of
“mom type.”
1. Moms have one foot in today and one foot in the
future.
She thinks about the immediate and what lies ahead. She likes brands
that save her money today while keeping an eye on our collective future through
sustainability or eco-friendly practices.
2. Enlist an opinion of women/moms to weigh in on your
marketing ideas.
Moms are eager to talk to brands. We don’t bite. But brands often
forget to include the very audience they are trying to attract. Translating
marketing insights into campaign materials that will resonate is often a big
misstep because research is often taken so literally. Just because it says we
“like” to garden, doesn’t mean you throw photos all over the communication
materials of moms gardening. Think about gardening from a different perspective:
why is she gardening? Is it because it’s therapeutic? Is it calming, “me”
time?
3. Don’t be so overt that you’re marketing to
mom.
Mom has become a huge focus of today’s marketing. But that doesn’t
mean you have to start off things with headlines or voiceover copy saying, “Hey,
moms! This is for you.” And don’t use pink-unless it’s brand appropriate. We
don’t buy things because they’re made for moms, we buy them because we need
them. Brands need to sell from the perspective of what she is looking for, not
from the fact she is a mom.
4. Use social media to beta test your marketing ideas.
The great thing about social media is that it is a living, breathing
research resource of your audience. You can put out ideas to the audience to see
their reactions before spending lots of dollars. Moms are happy to give opinions
within reason. The influential mom will want to be paid to give a brand advice,
but it will be money well spent.
5. Remember marketing to a mom is marketing to the family.
Brands targeting mom need to know she’s choosing with her family in
mind. And because today’s families are so busy, she’s looking for things that
bring the family together. Watching YouTube videos and gaming are the new family
entertainment. That new popcorn brand she just picked up was not chosen because
she was hungry, it was chosen because she thought the family might like to try
something new.
Make a great product and she’ll find your brand. Make a great
product with great customer service and you’ll have her for life. And this is
true of any categorization of mom. Brands need to look at their products in
addition to their marketing efforts and mix. Moms aren’t going to socialize a
crappy product at least not in the way a brand would want. Start with providing
detail. Moms like information and to be educated about the products they are
bringing into their homes. Remember Moms are well equipped to adapt to the
changing social media landscape. Moms do their homework and understanding the
details is part of the homework regardless if they are a Latina mom, a boomer
mom, a second life mom...
By Holly Pavlika Friday, Sept. 7, 2012
By Holly Pavlika Friday, Sept. 7, 2012
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