Appeal to Non-Traditional Mothers

Target Corp. is ramping up a campaign aimed at moms who don’t fit the mold of a married white women in her mid-20s. Behind Target’s decision to do this are the sorts of statistics gathered and reported a few months ago by Advertising Age—statistics of interest to all retailers who market to moms:

• Moms of young children are, on average, older than in past decades. In 1970, about 1% of first births were to women at least age 35. By 2006, the percentage was more than 8%.
• Advertising Age speculates that the Great Recession has raised this percentage even higher, since in surveys, many women say they intend to postpone having children until they feel financially secure. Nearly 40% cited finances, while more than 20% cited career employment as what has the greatest impact on their parenthood decision.
• About 36% of moms are not married. Although unmarried motherhood is more common among younger women, about 17% of births to unwed mothers are to women at least age 30.
• In the U.S., about 25% of births are to women who call themselves Hispanic. Births to Hispanic women in the U.S. rose 95% since 1989, while births to non-Hispanic women fell 3%.
• More than 40% of mothers say that advertising targeting them as a mom are ineffective, and almost 30% say those ads are unappealing.

     How might you use this information to improve your profitability now?

• In your advertising, incorporate references to mothers who have non-traditional characteristics. The Target campaign is inclusive of ethnicity, age, and partnership/singlehood arrangements.
• Aim your messages toward mothers who are in their 30s and 40s, not just to younger mothers. Include in advertising people who look those ages. The Target campaign shows the funny disorganization and reorganization that accompany raising a child when you’ve less energy than younger moms. Don’t take this to mean an older mother would be offended by also seeing moms in their 20s in ads. The older mothers don’t mind thinking of themselves as somewhat younger.
• Focus on what moms have in common: Pride in their little ones. Target’s campaign is featuring Big Baby Billboards in New York and Los Angeles. People can submit birth announcements, some of which will be showing on large billboards in Times Square and at the Hollywood & Highland Center for the rest of this week.

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