Going beyond clichés and stereotypes to better understand her hopes, dreams, values and vulnerabilities. Ultimately to better connect with her. May 2014  

What every marketer should know about today’s moms.

Motherhood is….

All  rights  reserved,  Ulli  Appelbaum  2013  

Copyright  ©  2014  Ulli  Appelbaum.  All  rights  reserved.    Unless  otherwise  indicated,  all  materials  on  these  pages  are  copyrighted  by  Ulli  Appelbaum.  All  rights  reserved.  No  part  of  these  pages,  either  text  or  image  may  be  used  for  any  purpose.  Therefore,  reproducEon,  modificaEon,  storage  in  a  retrieval  system  or  retransmission,  in  any  form  or  by  any  means,  electronic,  mechanical  or  otherwise,  is  strictly  prohibited  without  prior  wriGen  permission.  

What this presentation is about.  

Understanding  what  resonates  with  today’s  

moms  -­‐  beyond    stereotypes  and  clichés.  

Inspiring  brands  to  beGer  connect  with  moms  by  solving  real  mommy  

problems.    

Helping  brands    play  a  more  meaningful  role  in  moms  

lives.      

Helping  marketers  idenEfy  fresh  ways  to  look  at  and  

engage  moms.  

The marketing community has a huge opportunity to make things better. And make more $$$.  

of moms feel that advertisers don't really understand what it's like to be a mom.  

73%

of moms feel like marketers are ignoring their needs.  

60% of moms think advertisers are doing a poor job at connecting with them.  

80% Source:  M2Mom.com  

Brands still focus on motherhood “ideals” and stereo-types and usually miss the mark.  

Mommy’s culture however has evolved and changed.  

The result is a major gap between moms own narratives and expectations and the social norms embraced by most brands. Brands that will close the gap first will win.

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but first…

Who is this guy?

And what does he know about MOMS?

Strategist

20+ years of global experience in brand strategy and customer experience design.

Proud dad & husband

Lola, 5 Fynn, 5 Leo, 3

Entrepreneur

Co-founder of www.wemothers.com, a start-up focusing on moms emotional wellbeing.

Community Manager

I’ve built a community of 7000+ moms (total $ investment = 0) and I have been listening to them for the last 2 years.

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The research.

The research.

Over 1200 Facebook posts capturing insights, truths, needs, vulnerabilities, jokes, aspiration about motherhood. Delivered in a Facebook friendly format, “digital posters*”. To our community of 7000+ moms. posters

*To learn more about digital posters visit www.ulliappelbaum.com

How it works.

•  Moms see one of our posts (digital posters)

•  They decide in a split second whether the content (the post) resonates with them and whether they want to engage (“like”, “comment” or “share”) or not.

•  This methodology measures moms’ “blink” reactions. No rationalization, social filtering or forced conversations, just real spontaneous and visceral reactions that show moms hot buttons. A real temperature check of what resonates with today’s moms.

•  Facebook provides the analytics that allows us to measure the strength of the reaction and engagement.

Quick facts

Digital posters posted  

1200+

Moms reacting to those posts  

7000+

most engaging posts are the focus of this presentation  

Top 10% Top 10%

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Let’s dive in 31 truths that resonate with today’s moms.

Moms daily experiences often clash with the cultural “ideal” of motherhood.

Mommy Truth:

Moms reject the notion of the “perfect” mom. So why do brands insist on maintaining these stereotypes?

Mommy Truth:

Once you’re carrying a child, suddenly the world has an opinion

on each and every choice you make, despite the fact that they have less

than nothing to do with your decisions

or the outcome.

Most moms hate unsolicited advice & dread being judged. They’ll get plenty of both (also from brands).

Source:    

Mommy Truth:

Once a woman asked me whether I planned to breast-feed my baby,

so I asked her whether she shaved her vagina. Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t

like personal, none-of-your-business questions?  

A harmless and well-meant question can quickly be perceived as judgmental (Moms are first and foremost women after all).

Mommy Truth:

*  Source:  Motherhood  Comes  Naturally  (and  Other  Vicious  Lies),  Smokler,  Jill  

Because  as  wonderful  as  motherhood  is,  it’s  also  the  hardest  job  in  the  world,  and  we’d  all  go  crazy  if  we  

couldn’t  laugh  at  ourselves*.  

 

Moms often use humor when sharing their experiences. It’s a way to relieve tension, to bond and remain sane.

Mommy Truth:

*  Source:  Motherhood  Comes  Naturally  (and  Other  Vicious  Lies),  Smokler,  Jill  

Motherhood is this place at the intersection of heaven and hell.

Mommy Truth:

Moms will tell you that yes, motherhood is fulfilling but in the same breath they will bond over how tough it is. Listen.

Mommy Truth:

Mommy Truth:

Motherhood is like riding an emotional roller coaster. And emotions drive behaviors.

The pre-dominance of positive moods ensures the reproduction of our species. But most of these are often overlooked by brands.

0   2   4   6   8   10  

Proud  

Happy  

Excited  

Overjoyed  

Calm/content  

Awed  

Elated  

Serene  

Mood  frequency  for  the  past  30  days  

Source:  Wemothers  LLC  

Mommy Truth:

Mood  frequency  for  the  past  30  days  

0   2   4   6   8   10  

Tired/Exhausted  Overwhelmed  

Worried  Frustrated  Anxious  Upset  Cranky  Angry  Sad  

Confused  Bored  

Depressed  Desperate  

But motherhood is also a world rich in negative emotions. Negative emotions are actually often stronger at driving behavior.

Source:  Wemothers  LLC  

Mommy Truth:

Welcome to a life of ongoing chaos.

Mommy Truth:

She will rationalize her shortcomings (an opportunity for brands).

Mommy Truth:

A mom will develop her own measures of success.

Mommy Truth:

It’s about the little successes. (Removing chaos and achieving tidiness trumps achieving squeaky cleanliness.)

Mommy Truth:

A mom will redefine her standards and the compromises she’s willing to make.

Mommy Truth:

I confess that most days, I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. Everyone thinks I have it all together—

good wife, good mom, successful career— but I really don’t. I’m ready to stop

pretending to be perfect now Many moms will have this nagging feeling of inadequacy and not knowing what they are doing.

Mommy Truth:

*  Source:  Smokler,  Jill,  Confessions  of  a  Scary  Mommy:  An  Honest  and  Irreverent  Look  at  Motherhood:  The  Good,  The  Bad,  and  the  Scary.  

Her confidence and attitude however grows and changes with the number of children.

Mommy Truth:

Many of them will struggle with their self-images. Or stay in a state of denial.

Mommy Truth:

Moms will often struggle between who they used to be and who they have become. Are you talking to the woman or to the mom?

Mommy Truth:

Being a mom means that someone else will always come first.

Mommy Truth:

And moms turn their sacrifice into a virtue and a celebration.

Mommy Truth:

Moms never get a break, ever. It’s 24/7 job. Duh.

Mommy Truth:

Being a mom means always being exhausted.

Mommy Truth:

Weekends become “week days with less breaks and more messy people around”. And vacations stop being vacations & become “trips”.

Mommy Truth:

It’s so bad, that even daily chores carried out alone become a vacation.

Mommy Truth:

So it’s not surprising that moms crave breaks from their daily routine.

Mommy Truth:

And moms will go to great length to take that break.

I  lock  myself  in  the  bathroom  and  act  like  I  have  diarrhea,  but  really  I  am  si@ng  in  there  reading  

magazines  and  playing  on  my  phone.  My  husband  keeps  pestering  me  to  see  a  gastroenterologist.  

Mommy Truth:

I  joined  a  gym  just  for  the  free  day  care.    

I  drop  the  kids  off  and  read  magazines    

and  blogs  in  the  locker  room.  

*  Source:  Smokler,  Jill,  Confessions  of  a  Scary  Mommy:  An  Honest  and  Irreverent  Look  at  Motherhood:  The  Good,  The  Bad,  and  the  Scary.  

By  golly,  I'm  taking  myself  to  a  movie  tonight!  Ge@ng  out  of  bedGme  duGes  thanks  to  my  wonderful  husband.  Score!    

KrisEne  on  Facebook  

Mommy Truth:

The joys of being a mom include “not being a mom” for once. A fresh opportunity to celebrate motherhood.

I  love  my  kids.  Don't  we  all?  But  do  you  know  what  else  I  love?    I  also  love  all-­‐day  Kindergarten    and  early  bedGmes.  I  love  Moms'  Night  Out  and  Date  Night  

with  the  Hubs.  But  I  especially  love  anything  that  gives  me  five    minutes  of  uninterrupted  peace  to  myself  to  JUST  PEE  ALONE!  

*  Source:  Smokler,  Jill,  Confessions  of  a  Scary  Mommy:  An  Honest  and  Irreverent  Look  at  Motherhood:  The  Good,  The  Bad,  and  the  Scary.  

Hidden  in  the  pantry  in  a  box  labeled  “flour”  is  top  -­‐of-­‐the-­‐line  chocolate  and  a  few  joints.  I  rarely  resort  to  it,  but  it’s  a  comfort  knowing  it’s  there.  

Every loving, dedicated and sacrifice-making mom also has a dark side (often in the form of chocolate) that she selfishly hides from others.

Mommy Truth:

*  Source:  Smokler,  Jill,  Confessions  of  a  Scary  Mommy:  An  Honest  and  Irreverent  Look  at  Motherhood:  The  Good,  The  Bad,  and  the  Scary.  

Which explains moms hysterical love for wine. It symbolizes me-time, letting go & bonding.

Mommy Truth:

But no seriously, don’t mess with a mom’s ME-Time. A mom will turn on you in a heart beat.

Mommy Truth:

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For more information www.ulliappelbaum.com