Emerging Markets for Natural Products Part 2: Marketing to Moms

Moms not only have their own money, they also have hefty veto power over the shopping decisions of their children and often their husbands. But marketing to moms is not as straightforward as many male brand managers would like to think. Read a mommy blog or two and you’ll begin to understand marketing to moms requires adherence to a whole new set of rules. I call these the “mommy market" rules. And while many moms also fall into natural products’ primary demographic pool (35- to 55-year-old females), mom shoppers expect to receive information and make decisions in their own unique way. The ability to understand the priorities, worldview and decision making processes of moms can provide your company with one of the most genuine competitive advantages it may ever know.

XIGO’s mom-focused marketing is reflected in their website, packaging, ads and social media

Rule #1: Moms are women first, consumers second

In her bestselling book, Why She Buys, Bridget Brennen highlights how a woman’s concerns are sometimes seen as irrelevant to male brand managers. As part of the agency hired to rebrand the Snugli, Brennen identified that the Snugli was something a new mom wore on her body and, as such, should be fashionable and flattering as well as functional. The previous Snugli was brown, boring and bulky, and any mom knows that the last thing a new mother wants to wear is something that makes her feel even bigger. Brennen’s team re-worked the Snugli with chic fabrics and a form-flattering Nicole Miller design. Soon the hip Snugli was showing up on Oprah and was being worn by celebrities as fashionable as Gwyneth Paltrow. Natural products can benefit from dialing up the style factor on otherwise plain packaging to catch a mom’s eye.
Implication: Ugly packaging gets passed over. Moms are females who love fashion, color and style—even when they’re buying yogurt.

Rule #2: Not all women are moms

Obvious, yes, but this distinction is vital to successful mom marketing. Moms seek out fellow moms for advice and friendship. Only another mom understands her amazement at each new biological development, her intense focus on how to best nurture her children, or her fierce desire to protect her family from harm. The proliferation of “mommy bloggers" is evidence of this phenomenon, as are “moms only" social networking sites and groups. One of our clients even has a “Chief Mom Officer" as their website spokesperson.
Implication: In your blog, on your site, and in all your social media campaigns, get a mom to talk to your moms.

Rule #3: Moms make social decisions

Moms, especially new moms, are hit with an onslaught of decisions to make. A new mom used to wait for weekly play dates to query friends about how to handle X or whether to purchase Y; she now heads online. With internet access, a fellow mom’s opinion is never farther than a click or two away. In charge of stretching tight budgets, moms use these social networks to improve their decision making. Take the purchase of a bottle of omega-3 capsules, a hot item for nursing moms. A new mom today is likely to start off with a Google search using search terms such as “best omega-3 oils for nursing." She’ll then often follow up her search by asking Facebook friends which brands they’ve tried, which they like best and why. Products suggested by fellow moms quickly move into top-of-mind slots.
Implication: First, rewrite your keyword list and meta tag descriptors to align with top mom search terms. Second, use those keywords frequently in blog headers, photo descriptor tags, blog subheads, etc., to reach moms online.

Rule #4: Moms like to share

Moms value the brand that provides an emotionally moving and visual explanation of a product’s benefits. She also likes to share that moving visual online to strengthen bonds with friends and fellow moms. Don’t worry, the mom demographic is becomingly increasingly comfortable clicking on Facebook “share" and “like" buttons and these consumers often insert photo or video links in their social messaging.
Implication: First, make your message visual in a way that lets your mom consumers experience the emotional promise and connecting power of your brand. Second, make it easy for them to share those visuals with a single click on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Rule #5: Moms buy for everyone, everywhere

If you don’t know the price of a carton of eggs, you’re probably not the shopper for your household, and you’re probably not the mom. Moms buy for themselves, their families, their spouses and their friends. Not only does this make them a powerful buying force, but it also changes how they shop. Moms think in terms of how a product will impact family life as a whole. Marketers can benefit from this tendency by telling moms how a new product will improve their entire family’s well-being. When XIGO, a natural supplement brand, launched Nighttime Repose, we helped them position it as a gentle, natural supplement that helps consumers fall asleep and stay asleep without heavy sedation side effects. For moms who often need to wake up in the middle of the night to care for a crying child, sedation-free sleep benefits the entire family.
Implication: When sharing your brand promise with moms, don’t just tell what it will do for them personally. Also tell them how it will benefit their family.

Rule #6: Moms don’t have two free hands

Ever watch a mom work her way through the store aisle with a 2-year-old on her hip? She hangs onto her child with one hand while picking up potential purchases with the other. This fact of life makes it difficult for moms to turn bottles around to read the back. One of our clients, LifeSeasons, addresses this problem by listing the main ingredients in large type on the front of the label. We also designed a custom colored cap that makes finding any LifeSeasons product a snap—even with a wiggling or crying child.
Implication: First, make your product easy to spot, using custom-colored lids or distinctive packaging. Second, put the main ingredients on the front in easy-to-read type.

Rule #7: Moms crave 3 things

Three things are in incredibly short supply for any mom: (1) sleep, (2) energy and (3) me-time. Figure out a way to increase any one of these three things, and your brand will be attractive to moms. Will your product help her relax and fall asleep quickly? Will your product perk her up during her sleep-deprived day? Will your product save her time and simplify her life? If so, you might consider targeting moms.
Implication: Forget risky sick claims. Follow the example of one of our clients and appeal to moms with product claims like "helps provide calm, restful sleep," or "promotes sustained energy and focus."