5 Ways to Up Your Brand’s Influence With Mom
Moms will be forever deemed the ultimate multitasker. In addition to a career and child-rearing, moms are also taking the reins as the ‘household CEO.’ She influences about 85% of all household purchases, yet many moms still say brands miss the mark with their messaging. Here we take a look the disconnect between brands and moms as the Household CEO, and 5 ways brands can make up that gap.
Mom as "Household CEO"
As the CEO of the home, mom has a lot more control over the finances than she did 20 years ago. She’s a savvy shopper who knows how and when to find deals and her expertise with social media have made her a brand afficionado. Here are some powerful facts that are quickly changing the way brands are marketing to moms:
- Of all online consumers, 51% are moms.
- 22% shop online at least once a day.
- 92% pass along information about deals or finds to others.
Even though moms are a $2.4 trillion market, they still say that marketers just don’t ‘get them.’ One of the main reasons for this is that moms are making more of the traditional ‘male’ purchases as household CEO. According to The Next Web, they make 80% of healthcare decisions and 68% of new car purchase decisions. They also purchase over 50% of home improvement products and consumer electronics. For many brands, the advertising and outreach tactics are still generated to appeal to men, often leaving women - most significantly moms - devoid of any emotional connection that would lead to a purchase.
As household CEO, mom is probably doing the taxes - Turbo Tax gets it.
Knowing that moms make traditional household purchases, as well as those that are typically designated for the male of the household, brands can adjust their marketing message to connect with what moms truly need and get on their good side. We’ve put together five simple tips for upping your brand’s influence with mom:
1) Become a presence in the blogosphere.
There are 18.3 million moms on the internet who read blogs at least once a month. It’s estimated that by 2014, 63% of all online moms will read blogs. Whether you create content on a blog, advertise there, and sponsor products, brands benefit from a strategic blog appearance.
2) Make mom the expert when communicating your brand.
Advice is key - 64% of moms ask other mothers for input before they purchase a new product and 63% of all mothers say other moms are the most credible experts when they have questions. By asking for feedback from moms, you’ll receive truthful, critical feedback, and moms will feel more connected to your brand.
3) Have a killer website with lots of product information.
The facts are staggering - 78% of women in the US use the Internet for product information before making a purchase and 33% research products and services online before buying offline. Provide moms with the information they need and they’ll remember your brand name at checkout.
The eco-friendly household product company, Seventh Generation, has a website that appeals to the eco-conscious mom and also focuses on real content that educates their consumer.
4) Embrace technology.
According to a Nielsen study, of the 32 million women with kids 18 or under, 84% interact with social media, text messaging, gaming, apps, etc. To be a major player, your brand has to be tech savvy to make any influence. Optimize your website for use on all devices (laptop, tablet, and smartphone) and consider developing an app for your brand that will help moms in their daily lives.
5) Make an emotional connection.
This isn’t rocket science, but it’s hard to do in a genuine way that connects with moms. Focus marketing on what moms care about - their kids and doing what’s best for them.
A recent Subaru commercial is like a dagger into mom’s heart. What woman doesn’t melt when seeing a loving dad in an emotional exchange with his daughter? First day of school, no less.
Big brands know that moms make major household decisions and brand marketers focus on what moms in their campaigns. But, to make a real impact on the major player at stake, brands need to understand the modern definition of household CEO. Moms don’t just buy groceries anymore. They’re buying cars, electronics, and home improvements. Use this new household CEO as your true target and focus on creating a real connection that translates into a purchase. Read more about moms as the key decision maker in our white paper, 15 Consumer Trends That Impact Marketing To Moms.
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