Marketing to Moms is Not a New Concept

When I read about marketing to moms and the Mommy Blogger phenomenon, I can’t help but wonder why many think this is a new concept.  Moms have had the purchasing power in the family for decades. Marketing to moms is not new at all. Here is an ad from the 1950s which clearly depicts a Mom making her child very happy with the 7-Up. (If only it were that easy!)

Photo by James Vaughan

Marketing to Moms is Two-Way

The difference today is brands are no longer only marketing “at” Moms. The dialogue is now two-way. Moms are talking with brands about the products we use. Moms are influencing the next generation of products by telling brands what we need instead of brands telling us what we need.

According to the The BabyCenter 2010 Mom Social Influencer Report,

• 18% of moms who use social media account for 78% of the influence
• Motherhood is the #1 trigger for social media usage
• Social moms are most influential in their native environments

As The BabyCenter 2010 Mom Social Influencer Report has shown, the #1 reason women go online is motherhood. Being a first time Mom can be very lonely. We often leave office jobs where we have daily contact with other adults and are within days thrown into an environment where the only person to talk to is our baby. Women are social creatures by nature, therefore, women seek out others online more than men.

Moms and Technology

As a mom who writes about technology, I always thought I was in the  minority when it came to making decisions about purchasing technology for my family. These statistics clearly show that I am not alone and women have a lot of influence in the decision-making when it comes to purchasing technology for our families. Tech companies need to be marketing to moms.

• Women influenced $90 billion-worth of consumer electronic purchases in 2007 (Consumer Electronics Association, 2007)
• 66% of PCs are purchased by women (compiled by Marketing to Women Conference, 2009)
• 51% are Moms (Mindshare: Ogilvy & Mather)

If you have dismissed the marketing to moms concept as a fad, you better think twice. Marketing to moms is not a new concept and it isn’t going away. If you want your product in the home of American families, you need to be marketing to moms.

Let’s Talk About Marketing to Moms!

In your family, who makes the majority of decisions when it comes to products used in your home? What brands do you feel do an excellent job of marketing to moms? Any brands that you would like to see marketing to moms more?