It is that time of the year when your Facebook timelines become inundated with pictures of people with their mothers, when WhatsApp display pictures change to incorporate the hereto ignored mommies and emotional testimonies and videos extolling the worth, virtue, and value of mothers descend upon you like an avalanche.
Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, and brands will not miss an opportunity. It has not been easy to please moms, has it? You will always forget to do one chore or buy something at the supermarket. Marketing to mothers can also be challenging.
A global survey by Saatchi & Saatchi was conducted in 2015 and questioned nearly 8,000 mothers. The respondents thought that advertisers have an outdated view and don’t understand moms.
BestMediaInfo.com attempted to find the best way to market its products to mothers.
It is crucial to understand their lives and how they relate to the product to be able to market it. Parle Products Private Ltd’s Category Head, B Krishna Rao, explained how children are their primary target audience (TG), and mothers are their secondary TG.
What role should mothers play? A mother’s part is that of a gatekeeper. Mothers are the gatekeeper between the child and the product. She decides what is best for her child. Rao said that whenever we design any communication, we make sure it appeals to mothers.”
Take Oreo, for instance. Everyone knows that Oreo, a cream biscuit, is probably not healthy for children. They came up with the idea of mixing milk and Oreos. They have clarified that the Oreos must be dipped in milk to market their biscuit. Rao explained that by having milk, the child receives the essential nutrients.”
Nisha Singhania (Co-founder of Infectious) agreed to this point. She said, “whatever you advertise, it should speak about what people care about.” Mothers are the most important people in their lives, and their children are the most important. Instead of focusing on a product attribute, brands should focus on what mothers care about. Let’s take Pampers, for example. In India, diaper use is very high during the day but not as much at night. Our goal was to convince moms to change to nighttime diapers. We discovered that mothers’ mornings could affect their baby’s moods. It can have a ripple effect if the baby is cranky, but it can also cause a lot of joy for the mother if she is happy. We created the campaign “Good morning babies,” and it worked.
Viraj Singh, KidZania India’s Chief Marketing Officer, believes that mothers want a trustworthy brand.
“Mothers and children are much more aware of their environment today, and there’s a lot of clutter. Mothers are more likely to consume media, regardless of whether they are working. They are exposed to many television channels, print and digital. It is now more critical for brands to pay attention to how they market to mothers, particularly their mothers. A trustworthy brand is what mothers want, according to us. Singh stated that if a brand wants to target mothers with a product or service for their children, they must communicate clearly how they can help the child’s development.
There must be dos and don’ts if there are some. Baniaikynmaw Shanpru, Associate Director of Media, Isobar India, believes that preaching won’t get anyone anywhere.
“Every family member, friend, and the neighbor will have their ideas about how to raise your child after you become a mother,” Shanpru said that everyone seems to forget that women are first and that being a mother doesn’t change that.
Singhania also agrees that every mother is unique, and each child’s parenting style is individual. It’s not a good idea to tell mothers what to do or not do.
What are the challenges in marketing products to mothers
“The challenge is that we, as consumers, rely on word-of-mouth to get information. Shanpru said that Shanpru is aware that many people in our circles, whether friends, family, or colleagues, have heard about a brand or used it.
Saumitra Prasad is Chief Marketing Officer at Kokuyo Camlin, which supports this view.
Camlin is a brand I don’t see any problems with today. Camlin is a country brand that has been around since the 1930s. Camlin is a brand that has been around for many generations. It is easy for us to connect with mothers. Prasad said that our biggest challenge was the children. Today’s children are exposed to many brands and have more options than their mothers and fathers who had Camlin in all categories.
Singh believes the most significant challenge is to be able to reach the mother.
Even if she’s at home, a mother has a full day. She may have only a few hours each day to relax and watch TV. It is challenging and essential to capturing the mother’s attention in an open learning environment. You must communicate well today because there are so many options for a person to choose from. Prasad stated that communication must be clear, concise, and strong in saying the child’s benefit.
Our mothers have changed. They no longer live within the four walls of their house. They are now educated and earning family members. Are brands able to adapt to these changes and adapt their communication strategies to match the changing times?
“If you look at the profiles of mothers from the past generation, they were primarily homemakers. But today, so many mothers work professionally. They are more educated and aware of the world around them. They believe education should be more meaningful for children. Camlin’s philosophy of making learning fun for children is well-received by mothers today. Prasad said that it might not have been as successful if we had done something similar 20 years ago.”
Digital information has made mothers smarter, says MG Parameswaran (Brand Strategist and Founder of Brand-Building.com).
“Brands must be more creative in communicating with mothers today. They can’t continue doing the same thing. Some brands are now creating forums for consumers to share their information. Johnson & Johnson, for example, has a global website called ‘Baby Centre. Parameswaran said that digital media has the potential to help you target your messages well.
Although mothers and fathers are indeed decision-makers in many areas, it is essential to recognize the influence of children. Although everyone agrees that children play an important role in purchasing decisions, it is not the all-powerful and tantrum-king God that many believe they are.
“In certain areas, children are more educated than their parents. For example, they know what technology products work best and can tell their parents which ones don’t. There are many other areas where children’s importance cannot be overestimated. Sometimes children may only be able to give an opinion, and that opinion might not matter. For example, when you buy a car or motorcycle, your children might voice their opinions, but it might not be necessary. There are also products that the child has the right to veto. This applies more to food products, where you may buy a product, but the child will decide whether or not he/she likes the taste. Parameswaran concluded that the influence of children on products depends on their category.
