• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, July 17, 2024

While summer temperatures hit all-time highs, school backpacks, Halloween costumes and Christmas toys are already on mothers’ minds. These powerful consumers kick off their buying season in July, so it’s time for brands to fire up their marketing strategies and tactics. In the spirit of the list-wielding mom population, we’ve assembled a list of considerations for companies with a goal to tap into the $1.3 trillion women with children spend every year in the U.S. economy.

1. Moms begin back-to-school shopping now. If you wait until August to run your back-to-school marketing, you’ve missed the buying season. In the past, students returned to the classroom the week after Labor Day, but now two-thirds of students begin the new year in August.

2. Back-to-school means back to self for moms. The new school year signifies a new set of habits and schedules for not only students but moms as well. It’s the time of year she begins new fitness routines and wellness products, so don’t forget to include mom-centric and self-care items for her in your marketing plans.

3. Align your influencer marketing with state tax-free weeks. Many marketers forget to build their plans geographically around tax-free shopping weeks, when moms are usually in the store buying products. It’s difficult with some tactics like national media buys, but influencers are a great way to geo-target your digital marketing to drive sales.

4. Moms start shopping for Halloween in August. Yes, that’s right -- August. In a study with Party City of 1,000 moms, 65% said they begin shopping for fall and Halloween décor as early as August. Major retailers such as Costco, Party City and Michael’s have already set shelves with skeletons and pumpkins enticing families to buy earlier this year.

5. Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day this year. This hasn’t happened in almost a decade, but it means that Christians and Jewish moms will be shopping during the same time frame. This is great news for retailers and marketers who can concentrate their messages to a larger audience at the same time.

6. Plan for the disruption of the election this year. It’s going to get noisy as the election for president heats up, which may require marketers to pause their holiday tactics in late October and early November. Start early to get ahead of the crowded space on social media and plan to keep going late into December for those moms who choose to stay offline until after the dust clears.

With some careful planning and getting in step with mom’s shopping behaviors, brands can find a lucrative shopping season that begins in the heat of the summer and lasts until the first snowfall in December.