Mom is the primary decision maker for most of her family's purchases. Now, new research is giving us a better look into how the modern mom shops for her family.

From how she is consuming information to where and what she is consuming, moms are signaling that they are in control of their family's spending. Recent consumer research found that most moms are not pressured into making purchases when retailers dictate, and TV is no longer the primary medium influencing their back-to-school shopping. She knows what she needs to buy and what she is willing to spend, and she is just as comfortable making a purchase on a mobile device as she is walking into a Target.

To effectively reach out and connect to moms, brands should keep in mind the following things.

1. Standard shopping seasons are increasingly irrelevant

Back-to-school consumer polling showed that brands waiting until August to kick off back to school were already months late to the game, and we believe this departure from traditional shopping seasons is a broader trend that we'll see again in future shopping seasons. This year, about a quarter of moms with K-12 students began their back-to-school shopping in June and planned to continue shopping throughout the summer.

To take advantage of increasingly timing agnostic moms, smart marketers need to begin driving visibility and awareness long before the traditional shopping seasons begin.

2. Lower barriers between marketing and online purchase

For many individuals, including moms, the Internet is the main point of consumption for news, videos, social updates, and—increasingly—shopping. Though many people are in front of their TVs while shopping online, moms are less likely than ever to drive to the store to purchase what they just saw on the screen, which is great news for marketers targeting mom with timely and valuable online ads.

Moreover, 39% of parents made a purchase based on an online ad, just in the last month. The instant gratification that online shopping brings is much more in line with moms' busy schedule, so marketers need to deliver ads (with an easy and direct path to purchase) that are valuable to moms.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Dallas Lawrence

Dallas Lawrence is senior vice-president and head of Corporate Communications at Rubicon Project, an advertising platform.

LinkedIn: Dallas Lawrence