Oyindamola Rowaiye: Hey Business Owners, Here Are a Few Things to Know About the Millennial Mom!

As a brand, reaching out to more moms and convincing them to purchase your goods and services is very important. Nowadays, mothers are evolved, dynamic, and well-informed about the current and developing trends around them. They have strong consumer power and make great purchasing decisions. However, some brands are still unaware of the ‘millennial mom’ when marketing to mothers.

Who are millennial moms? They are a group of mothers challenging deep-rooted family and societal beliefs. They are changing the way we work and live as some of them have significant roles at their places of work.

As a brand, you must do the hard work of connecting with the millennial mom instead of depending on outdated assumptions and strategies. Here are a few ideas that brands should take note of if they intend to connect to the millennial mom:

She is Digitally Savvy

Of course, having a smartphone and access to the internet has become an essential need. For many millennial mothers, digging the internet to find information about their children’s needs, shopping online, and checking out product recommendations, is one of the many ways a modern mom manages her daily task and stays updated with trends.

The time she spends on the internet is deliberate, focused and purposeful. She depends on social media to get really helpful information on parenting, caring for her kids, and making the most of motherhood. Whether she’s looking for tips on massaging a baby, tricks on teething babies or rocking her baby while she carries out in-house tasks, the millennial mom is always connected.

So what should you do as a brand? You should ensure that in this cluttered online marketplace, your online content is tailored to her unique needs, easily accessible, offers value, and is good enough to convert her into a customer.

She reads product reviews

Today’s mom is very conscious of several products and services out there. She depends on positive reviews from friends, families, and even influencers before making purchases. She goes deep into research until she finds consistent positive stories that compel her into making a decision. Gone are the days when a product is seen, heard about, and then purchased just by how good the product looks or how smart the advertisement is. Part of marketing your brand to the millennial mom is offering something that many other women can resonate with and testify to: value, quality, and consistency.

If you have to utilize a brand influencer that passes as a millennial mom, please do. Currently, many brands seem to be adopting this strategy, with more and more product reviews and testimonies by modern mothers via YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and the likes.

We have seen ads and product reviews done by afrobeat singer – Tiwa Savage, lifestyle blogger -Sisi Yemmie, and actress- Mercy Johnson. What this means for the brands and their products is that they are:

• Trusted
• Reliable
• Authentic
• Consistent
• Cost-effective.

She resents gender stereotypes

Not everyone likes clichés and labeling a specific product or colour to a particular gender. Using the pastel colour, pink, to sell a baby product to a modern-day mom sends a signal that you’re marketing to just the female consumer and as such, she needs to shop separately for the male consumer. While pink is a lovely colour, indirectly, it is a brand’s message of directing that product to a female child.

A millennial mom does not want to be stifled by a particular item or colour. She wants you to know that by buying items for her kids, both the male and female gender can find it relevant to consume. Like Chimamanda Adichie highlighted in her book, Dear Ijeawele, brands and marketers should not confine a particular gender based on colours (pink-blue) binary, toys, and behavioral ideas for a boy and girl child. But instead, have baby clothes designed by age and in all colours. In addition, toys should be designed for all genders.

Back in the days, baby dolls were directed to the female gender to care for their hair, outfits, and overall look. Now, we have a lot of male hairstylists.

She updates other moms on info about products/services

Unlike the past generation, today’s modern moms are brand’s biggest influencers. They advise and seek out advice from other mothers on how to nurture their kids, recommend products, services and lend their voices to discussions around motherhood, the society, and many more. This means that mothers are constantly communicating and there is no physical barrier. They are spreading information on a wide range of products and services. It is important to note that they are the determining factor for the success of a brand’s product and services. A couple of terrible reviews could damage the reputation of a brand, so brands need to remain responsive to this segment of consumers.

Women, especially mothers are the main drivers of an economy. They represent a large consumer base as they often shop for themselves and their families, hence they are powerful, discerning beings that demand maximum attention from brands. Brands need to pay special attention to ensure they reach the modern mom and send the right message in order to avoid potential losses.