Bailey gives tips on luring moms

The key to capturing moms as customers is to make sure you provide the services they want and find useful, marketing consultant Maria Bailey told retailers and manufacturers attending the Kids Today conference in June in Key Biscayne, Fla.

Bailey is founder of the South Florida-based Blue Suit Mom Media, a firm specializing in marketing to women and mothers, and she has written two books on the subject, "Marketing to Moms: Getting Your Share of the Trillion Dollar Market," and "Trillion Dollar Moms: Marketing to a New Generation of Mothers."

Bailey told audience members that above anything else, they had to understand the mom market, which she broke into three segments. The oldest group is the Soccer Moms, now age 42 and older. These moms have an "it takes a village" mentality when it comes to parenting and they aren't afraid of challenges, Bailey said. My Way Moms are Gen X women, ages 26 to 41, and according to Bailey, they value quality, are fans of the newest products and have higher standards of family life. The Techno Traditionalists are the Gen Y moms ages 25 and younger. These women will become mothers sooner and have more children, she said. Other characteristics include having more traditional values, philanthropy and longing to be a part of a group.

Despite generational differences, Bailey noted all moms share similar values and concerns: saving time and convenience, value, family and health, child enrichment and balance and simplicity. Bailey said it was imperative that retailers and manufacturers incorporate those values and concerns into their marketing strategies. "Moms want to know about benefits," she said. "What do you have that will motivate a mom to undo the car seat one more time."

Bailey said retailers needed to create an experience for the whole family. She cited a drugstore chain in California that offers a room for family mixers and a play area for kids.

Bailey also suggested using recipe-type cards that explain exactly how to set up and use a product, and she said stores should encourage moms to bundle their purchases. For example, Office Depot often has signage that urges parents to buy extra school supplies to have on hand for those late-night unexpected projects.

To get to these customers, Bailey said radio ads were more cost-effective than television as moms spend a lot of times in the car taking their kids to and from school and other activities. She added that manufacturers should try to become newsworthy. "Moms will believe something read in an article 70% more than they will believe an ad," Bailey said.

She also recommended producing handy calendars and printable guides that help parents plan ahead. "You should want to end up on mom's fridge," she said.

Retailers and manufacturers should also make use of the new ways to market to moms. Bailey suggests keeping an active blog for customers on company Web sites.

Bailey also touted working with certain mothers, whom she dubbed Mom Mavens. These are women who have earned the respect of other moms, she said. A Mom Maven who is won over by a store's service, layout and merchandise is likely to share her story with others.

Maria Bailey