• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, April 21, 2017

When marketing to moms, most marketers think about a sales calendar and plan for the obvious peaks. However, there are many more opportunities to tap into moms’ spending budgets other than Christmas, Back to School and Easter. By knowing what’s on moms’ minds and what’s on to-do lists now, you can open up opportunities to grow your brand’s bottom line. There are many tactics that don’t require a huge spend on ad campaigns or a long lead. The inherently fast and flexible options available through social media also let moms know that brands understand the “mom calendar.” Therefore, these brands understand moms.

From now through July, start speaking to the circles on moms’ calendars with these opportunities:

1. School Parties and Teacher Gifts: The end of the school year is right around the corner, which means end-of-year celebrations. For brands that offer catering and party supply items, this is a great opportunity to offer easy solutions for moms to organize class parties. Teacher gifts are also a popular topic in the carpool line. Brand alignments in this category are abundant. Think pampering gifts, pool or beach items, gift cards for restaurants and clothing brands, etc.

2. Kindergarten graduation: Millennial Moms celebrate everything and this is certainly a big milestone. This youngest generation of moms is spending on gifts, photo items, clothing and food for celebrations around this special day.

3. Back to Campus: May 1^st is the day many colleges require commitments from accepted students. It’s an exciting time for both college-bound millennials and their parents. The excitement leads to college dorm and apartment shopping, to the tune of $800 average per student based on a survey we undertook. Research also shows that 48% of all college décor items are purchased in May and June by parents and students eager to prepare for their new home away from home. If you are a brand with an interest in Back to Campus sales, start planning now to engage with the college-bound and their parents. 

4. Summer Stockpiling: Every mom is looking forward to warmer weather and many are now preparing for summer activities. Moms in Florida typically fill Easter baskets with bathing suits and beach towels along with chocolate bunnies. Having known this last week would have opened the door to unique marketing opportunities. It’s not too late as northern moms are just ramping up their summer spending now looking for spring attire, bathing suits and flip-flops for their families. They are also looking for organizational items to store winter coats and warm clothing.

5. Outdoor Dining: Moms change their cooking habits when the weather warms up and school ends for summer break. Families turn to the grill and outdoor dining. If you are a food brand that lends itself to grilling, share recipes on your Facebook page and engage moms to share with other followers. 

6. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day: These are not exactly non-peak holidays, considering that U.S. spending on Mother’s Day reached $24.6 billion and Father’s Day topped $14.3 billion (National Retail Federation) in 2016. Brand opportunities are too lengthy to list; you know who you are if your brand appeals to moms and dads. 

It’s all about knowing what moms are doing in their day-to-day lives. While peak holidays are critical, taking a good look at moms’ calendars is an excellent way to capitalize on non-peak but equally important holidays that can boost brand awareness and the bottom line. 

What non-peak holidays are missing? Leave a comment or tweet me @momtalkradio to continue the conversation.