How to get mums to invest in your brand

Millennial mums are a growing section of the global consumer market. According to research carried out by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2015, 83 per cent of new mums are millennials, which means that brands need to change the way they connect with them – especially as this figure is only set to rise further.

Mums are not an out-of-touch cohort. They are using technology just as much – if not more – than other millennials, so it is vital that brands are speaking to them with their marketing in order to cinch interaction and sales.

What’s more, there has been a significant increase in recent years in so-called ‘mummy bloggers’, who present a great opportunity for brands to benefit from some user-generated content, but also place them under extra pressure, as they know their every move and communication will be scrutinised by these highly influential voices.

Mums do tend to stick with brands that they know and can trust, however. New research from Saatchi and Saatchi involving Mumsnet users found that mums return to brands such as the National Trust, Lidl, Disney and Warburtons time and time again. But what exactly is it that they like about these companies that you could apply to your own business marketing to secure custom from millennial mums now and in the future?

What mums want from a marketing campaign

Saatchi and Saatchi’s research led to the discovery that precision is the most important factor in a marketing campaign for mums. More than one-third (37.9 per cent) rated this as essential to secure their buy-in. Mums’ primary concerns include the safety and enjoyment of their children, so they need to know they are guaranteed this with evidence of how it can be achieved.

Attentiveness came second in mums’ priority lists, for similar reasons to those listed above, while elasticity was rated as another important factor for brands to demonstrate, with 33.2 per cent viewing this as key. Busy mums typically have many demands to juggle, so they need to know that brands are going to be flexible to connect with and provide them with a solution to meet their individual needs.

Integrity was also highly valued among Mumsnet users, with 26.8 per cent ranking this as essential. One way that brands can demonstrate this value is by explaining their unique brand story on their website. Remember the adverts showing the little boy running through the events of an entire century to buy a loaf of Warburtons bread? This was an example of the brand demonstrating its integrity.

However, Liz Wolstenholme, global planning director at Saatchi and Saatchi, explained to Marketing Week: “This belief you need to have a 150-year heritage isn’t what matters to mum, what matters is that their values are visible.

“Even new brands should be celebrating that story. It’s better to smash that fourth wall than hide away.”

So, how else can your brand speak to the growing band of millennial mums through its digital marketing efforts?

Applying these traits to your digital marketing

If you want your brand to enjoy a similar level of success with mums to the favourites outlined in the Saatchi and Saatchi study, you’ll need to make sure you are incorporating the above traits in every single marketing message that you send out.

Whether you’re updating your website, sending out an email marketing campaign or posting on social media, make sure your communication is clear and to the point with a reassuring undertone to meet mums’ requirement for precision.

You should also take every opportunity possible to demonstrate how your brand can provide a solution to mums or solve a problem that they have to show your ‘sorcery’ abilities, while an element of flexibility from your side should be apparent at all times to signal your ‘elasticity’.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to show off a little. As long as you are explaining all of your product or service’s capabilities, the research found that mums are continually impressed by showmanship from brands, so make the most of this and showcase your brand in the best possible light in all of your digital marketing communications.

© Fast Online Marketing Experts

Sources:
https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/04/26/seven-habits-of-highly-effective-brands/
https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/04/26/mums-drawn-brands-disney-warburtons-easyjet/
http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/marketers-time-rethink-millennial-mom/302614/