• by Holly Pavlika , Columnist, May 18, 2012

All across America, marketers and brands are working on figuring out today’s complex moms. With her spending power and powerful social voice, this influential decision-maker on household products is a most coveted target for brands. Yet 75% of women still feel brands miss the mark. So what does today’s mom want from a brand? Brands have to work hard to gain her trust. She doesn’t have time to  investigate your product, so the first place she is going to turn is to her friends. They’ve already earned her trust. A brand has to work twice as hard, and it all starts with:

R. E. S. P. E. C. T.

Relevancy: Not every mom is created equal. You need to consider different life stages within the mom universe.
Don’t barrage her with e-mail; understand who she is and deliver what she wants, how she wants it, and when she wants it. Ensure that content is relevant–otherwise moms may "unlike" your brand as quickly as they "liked" it. It’s not all about coupons. She wants relevant information with great product experiences, information and promotions that compel them want to share.

Evidence: The science, the reviews, the price comparisons, all the information in one place so it makes her job easier. She’ll love you for it.

Simplicity: Moms have so much competing for her attention, so keep it simple. Make copy concise and consider the usability of every application, interface, and website – it has to be easy to navigate. Make your brand presence easy to locate through search. Moms are not afraid of technology, but don’t annoy her with needless steps.

Product: make great products that work, support causes, are environmentally friendly, and a value for the money…and back them up with guarantees and service. Yes, she wants it all. Great products, superior in-store experiences, cross-channel support, eco-friendly, and sustainability all play important roles in her overall feelings about a brand.  Moms are value shoppers. And value means many different things. Demonstrate value as it is relevant to moms (price, fit, comfort, convenience, etc.). And don’t just focus on selling her: moms can use a little entertainment, too.

Experience: Moms want an experience with a brand.
It’s not just the product, but also the experience, in-store and online, wherever your brand touches her life.

Communication: Moms want to connect with brands on social media, as evidenced by their propensity to "like" brands on Facebook without prompting. Just the right post, at the right time, with the right information. If she posts a query or has an issue with your brand, make sure you communicate. But be sure not to talk down to her and to have a personality. Put the corporate hat aside and think, act, react as if the brand is human, not a corporation.

Transparency: Moms don’t expect brands to be perfect and all will be forgiven if there is transparency and honesty.