Being a Cliché (aka a “Target Mom”)
November 18th, 2011, posted by Aimee
“Our target market is really what we like to call a ‘Target Mom,’ you know? She’s probably in her 30s or 40s, married, has a couple school age children, middle to upper middle income …” If I had a dollar for every time I have heard this from a new business prospect or a client over the past eight years in consumer PR, I would be rolling in dough. Seems as if every consumer brand out there – from food products to travel web sites, hotels, restaurant guides and new consumer web sites – views the proverbial “Target Mom” (as in, she shops at Target) as the holy grail, or at least the center of their marketing bulls eye. This coveted customer, largely viewed as the primary shopper and purchasing decision maker of a family, is someone all of us marketers want to reach, sway and ultimately sell.
So this is my life – at least the part of my life in which I earn a living: wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to sell more crap to people like myself and my friends. But the fact that I sadly fit this marketing cliché to “T” doesn’t seem to make it any easier to solve the problem. Here’s why: we working moms (let’s face it – a good chunk of the Target moms are in face Womos) are a difficult bunch to reach through the traditional media channels most marketers consider first.
Everyone used to think it was all about TV – the Today Show, GMA, “Ellen,” the evening news. Get on TV and you have your moms in the bag. Well, raise your hand girls if you have watched any of the morning shows or afternoon talk shows in … well, ever. The only time most of us are ever around – and free – during the times these inane shows air is when we see a clip posted to Perez Hilton. Truth is, many of us watch little TV other than the favorite shows on HGTV or Food Network we DVR.
Now, though, marketers seem to think “mommy bloggers” are the perfect vehicle for broadcasting their message. And it’s understandable. Mommy blogs – even Womoments – seem to be low hanging fruit for consumer companies. Certainly there are tons of bloggers out there who live off the freebies companies send them under the guise of running reader contests. But here’s a dirty little secret that most marketers seem to not be interested in uncovering: Few moms – at least working moms – are much interested in reading mommy blogs. Am I wrong? How many of you – past those horrid first few postpartum months – read on a daily or even weekly a mommy blog? For god sakes, I don’t even know how any of my best friends has time to read my blog. Oh, yeah, that’s right … they don’t. Even my best, best friend has only read my blog about once or twice in two years.
It’s just that after a long day of work or child rearing or whatever, most of us just want to zone out. If we go online, it’s typically for a purpose (find a recipe, research vacation options, check the weather) or to peruse some of the fun celebrity gossip rags (hello, Dlisted, Jezebel). I don’t really want to read about potty training/breast feeding/discipline tips, tricks and tales from the trenches.
Oh yes, and then there’s social media. Facebook is undeniably a place where you will find more than a few Target moms, especially after our kids hit the hay. And yet, who of you coveted tribe actually “like” and keep visible the posts from any major brands on Facebook? Sure, most of us have “liked” brands and products … but how many of you didn’t hide the posts after a while? Let’s face it, Facebook is where we go to check out old classmates and vent, not to see a million contests or lame polls from companies.
Twitter is another world as well. At this point, I would venture to guess that few if any of my fellow womos, aka “Target Moms” are on Twitter – except if they are a PR person or a reporter.
So where in hell do you reach us elusive Target Moms? What sways our purchasing decisions anyway? How do we hear about new things, and how do we decide to buy one brand over another? I have my theories. But what are some of your thoughts? Anyone want to clue me in? I have a proposal to write … for yet another company hoping to reach me.
Comments
This blog is fantastic. I am a Womo in marketing, but have stayed at home the last couple years following the birth of my youngest baby. Your blog reaches the core of a marketing conundrum I have been eyeing since I started staying home. I still have the soul of a Womo, so I don’t read a million blogs and only touch the computer for task reasons. I never watched daytime tv before and rarely do now. I know you can’t reach womos this way, but clients never seem to understand that. They have jumped on the bandwagon and are scared to get off. For me, product placement on shows I DVR is a great avenue. I don’t watch the commercials, but have a keen eye for what’s in the scene. I also love print media. I do still flip through mags (out of guilt because they are here and the fact that I can read a story in 10 minutes, as opposed to a book). Otherwise, I’m not sure how to reach the me’s of the world. I door recently hear of a company using families who are social HUBS to endorse products. My friends are a great way to reach me.
I get all of my ideas and my purchasing influences from 3 places:
1) word of mouth. If my friends have tried something and recommend it, I’m infinitely more likely to try it myself. That applies to everything from baby spoons to TV shows to brands of pants that will fit my skinny, tall kids (4 year old with a 18 month waist, but 3T legs. I do not have time to alter frickin pants… Which is why, ironically, I shop at Target. A friend with string bean kids recommended Citco brand pants).
2- actually seeing someone use it. It can be a friend, or a lady I assault at the store because her those hairclips are actually staying in her kid’s hair.
3 – Pinterest.com (and Pinterest posts on Facebook). It’s really an online hybrid of the first two. It’s like crack. I gu e bOnus points to anything people have actually tried. And I actually do things and buy things from Pinterest. It’s visual, and easy to sort & reference.
*Circo brand. Ugh. Sooo many typos.
Can you tell I’m typing on my iPhone while writing briefs in one window with the other while my kids watch Tiny Toons on YouTube in another window… On my lap?
Companies should think of investing money in mommy-influencers aka, mom-ambassadors. They are the ones who are active in their community; the ones who enroll their kids in multiple activities; the ones who friends rely on to give them information or references as to the cool products and must haves for your kids. These mom-ambassadors could even host mommy meetings and allow friends to test or sample products and gain feedback and provide it to the companies. Coupon redemption as these types of events are a great way (or promotional codes) to track these “influencers.” If you’re looking for a tester…I’m free. Just adding my two cents…and since I am a Target Mom…I thought I would share.
I agree with you, Megan. Word of mouth is EVERTHING to me and most of my friends, and I think that ambassadors are effective especially those with ethics and a conscience to really give honest feedback on product rather than shill anything. I wonder why it’s not more well used – I think because it’s probably not cost effective in terms of cost per sale.
I agree that word of mouth is important. I hear about more new products from fellow womos than anywhere else, and I am always happy to endorse a product that works for me. Another way to get my attention is to offer discounts/freebies/samples whether through the mail or in store.