The old saying is “A happy mother equals a happy family”. After all she is at the centre of keeping the family engine churning. As a marketer or PR person, if you can answer the million dollar question to keeping a mother happy with a resounding “yes!” you just may be carving out your success with the mommy-set.

Globally, mothers are an untapped market for brands. Marketers and PR people neglect to recognize them as a specific group of important purchasers (often lumped together with women). In most households the wife is considered as the chief buyer of household items, and don’t forget some of these same women are the main buyers for the companies they work for as well. Because we have so much going on in our daily lives, many of us have turned to the online world to find the time to get the interaction  so many of us crave. We still have to get the groceries done, take care of the kids and shuttle them to various activities on top of work and sometimes even forging our own enterprise, in comes the internet to insure that we still maintain our interaction with other mothers and to nurture personal relationships. If you didn’t know before, women/mothers strive on relationships and are inherently social beings. Its as if Social Media was born out of a need for brands to speak to us, work with us, and show us that they understand what we need.

If you are using social media to attract mothers, keep these points in mind:

• The more your brand can speak to and interact with mothers, the better off you’ll be
• What’s the motivation for mothers to return to your website? Are you giving them a quick way to relax in their busy day? Are you providing nutrition tips for healthy cooking for the family? Are you providing advice on how they can stretch their budget? These are just a few ideas, what motivator would work for your company?
• How can you make a mother say “Ah, they understand me!” when they are browsing your website, Facebook Page, Twitter account, etc…Do you understand a busy mama’s day? Do you understand her desire to grow a happy and healthy child? Do you get it that she needs ways to keep everyday tasks simple?
• Can you provide a venue where we as mothers can express our opinions and views on a subject? We love doing that! We have an opinion on everything! But be creative, there are a thousand and one forums and discussion boards battling for our online browsing time, how can you set yourself apart?

Mamas, do you agree? What else do you think brands need to keep in mind when trying to attract your buying dollars?

Marketers shouldn’t take for granted the stay at home mother. Restricting ads geared to mothers to Baby wipes, cleaning products and anything pink is not the way to go. Women and the subset of mothers make up a big chunk of the spending that goes on, and its not just frocks and shoes.

According to a survey by Pew Research Center, women are the key household decision-makers. When it comes to deciding on major home purchases, managing household finances, and other decisions, women are very much involved and often are in charge.

Highlights from the survey that Marketeers need to take note of:
- in families where just one person makes most of the decisions, it’s usually the woman and not the man who has the last word when purchasing a major item for the home
- Among the many dual-income families, the fact that the man often earns more doesn’t mean that he decides more
- In 74 percent of homes the woman is fully engaged in what that household will buy and from whom

So the car salesman needs to take note next time. Even though hubby may be asking all the questions, it may just be that wifey has the last word. So don’t condescend, instead keep her needs in mind, direct as much attention to her as you do her husband as she may be the primary decision maker.