Moms, This Is How Marketers Make You Spend Money.
I hardly bought anything new for my second child on the way, but I really wanted to – this is evidenced by the small number of product screenshots I saved. In the middle of the night, when it seems to me that my nine-month-old pregnant body cannot comfortably nestle in the monstrous sausage of the maternity pillow, I move onto the couch and just lie there, feeling every single worry about months ahead creeping into my brain. At this point, I’ll pick up my phone to read more reviews of the miracle diapers.
Buying things (or at least thinking about buying) can be peaceful and even numb. Especially vulnerable are new parents who are drowning in big questions: How strong is my relationship with my partner? How will I ask for what I need? What will happen to my career? How can I maintain my identity in a society that thinks that now I only want to discuss puffy diapers and nipple flow? It’s hard to think about such shit. What can I do right now to feel in control? I know: Click Buy Now on a smartphone-connected bassinet that has received 2,387 five-star reviews and promises to change my life.
Marketers, of course, know what we spend out of fear. And you, another parent whose Amazon shopping cart is filled with 39 baby items you may or may not need, should probably know what they know. Atlantic writer Joe Pinsker spent two days at the 14th Annual Marketing for Moms conference in Manhattan, figuring out how market researchers talk about motherhood behind closed doors . According to Pinsker, American mothers “are estimated to make the vast majority of buying decisions within the family and collectively spend more than $ 2 trillion a year.” And companies are in a hurry to get to them. How do they do it? Identifying major stressors in moms’ lives and looking for opportunities for brands. The goal is to show mothers that they are with them on their journey, and then offer a consumer solution to their problems: just buy more things.
Pinsker writes:
It was odd and somewhat disconcerting to see dozens of marketing professionals try to instill empathy in tens of millions of people by capturing their every urge and fear, then taking a lunch break. Over the course of a dozen or so hours of presentations, panels, and network breaks, a grim picture of modern motherhood emerged. Today’s moms, as marketers see them, are plagued by doubts and guilt and are constantly depressed.
Marketing data has shown that millennial mothers worry about things like money, crime and sleep, and companies seek, as one consultant put it, “to turn anxiety into a miracle.” But Pinsker writes, “However, it seemed to me that marketing was probably increasing stress on mothers.” For the most part, it wasn’t a big deal for the participants, he said. Instead, they looked at all the successful ways companies have recognized special fears of motherhood and presented solutions that could be purchased with a credit card. Emphasized that your child is behind schedule during the cycling learning phase? REI takes away the shame by offering lessons in the store. Worried about feeding your baby too much junk food? Oreo started selling cookie gift boxes designed for special occasions.
Pinsker writes:
“Don’t be jealous of your mom for her temporary inability to see the value of your product ,” seemed like the moral of M2Moms. Only when you admit that her life is hell will she be open to whatever you want to sell her.
Of course, this is all “Marketing 101” – it’s nothing new about companies focusing heavily on consumer problems and promising that they can be solved by spending money on it. Nobody says that such products are unnecessary – I can definitely praise all the diaper creams, toys and baby baths that saved us. But it’s worth remembering that marketers know what we stay up late about. This should be considered before we click the Check Now button.
“How marketers talk about motherhood behind closed doors” | Atlantic Ocean