What Kind of Mom Are You? The 6 Ways Marketers Can Reach Moms, Part 1

We all love our moms in different ways. Whether she is a badass female executive or the head of your family’s household, an excellent cook or exceptional take-out master, the person who sacrificed the most to give you a good life or the “heart” of every family gathering--no matter what you admire most about your mom, we can all agree that no two are quite the same.

With consumers expected to spend $23.6 billion this Mother’s Day on jewelry, flowers, cards and special outings,[1] it’s wise that marketers focus their advertising campaigns on the kinds of moms that will drive the most sales. Of the 4 million moms that come to Pandora monthly to hear their favorite music, we offer brands 36 different ways to reach them. What's going to work for your brand?

This is the first installment of a three-part blog series exploring the various ways advertisers can connect with mothers on Pandora and beyond. Interviews with real-life mothers who fit each category lend even greater insight into what motivates them and how brands can create more impactful connections.

We’ll get things started with "The Millennial Mom" and "The New Mom":

Millennials are quickly becoming the newest cohort of parents dealing with the challenges of raising families in a connected world. While technology has given Millennial Moms more information and resources about parenting than any other generation, it also presents it’s own challenges, particularly around the use of social media. Targeting Millennial Moms on Pandora is done easily by layering in the age range of 18-34 years old. Collectively, we see almost 2.3 million Millennials Moms tune into Pandora monthly, spending a total of 60 million hours enjoying music either by themselves or with their children. We sat down with a Millennial Mom on Pandora’s legal team to understand more about how this generation of moms navigates motherhood amidst all the technology. How do you define being a millennial mom? SF By its willingness to try new things and be flexible. We’re constantly reinventing the way things are done and questioning the status quo.

What role does technology play in your family life? SF I don’t know how people survived with babies before Amazon Prime! In those first few weeks, I LIVED by food delivery apps like Caviar and Postmates, and ordered a million things on Amazon without leaving the house. At least 50% of my ‘mom duties’ are done on mobile.

What are the unique challenge of being a young mom today? SF Social media. There can be this pressure to live up to the perfectly curated images you’re seeing on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

How do you share music with your son? SF We listened to the Baby Einstein station on Pandora almost every day I was on maternity leave. The way he responds to the sounds and voices is really cool.

What types of brands do you pay most attention to? SF I respond to brands that feel authentic and engaged with their audience.

How can brands reach you more effectively? SF By now, people have figured out that most bloggers will promote just about anything, so I’m not as moved by those kinds of ads. I think brands should focus more on engagement and sending products to loyal customers.

Transitioning from pregnancy to motherhood is equal parts exciting and challenging for most new moms. It requires adjusting to a new schedule, fighting pure exhaustion and finding small moments to gather your energy. It’s no wonder that new moms listen to music the longest on Pandora, on average 26 hours monthly (4 hours longer than the average for all listeners). For brands, communicating with this category of moms can be essential for establishing brand loyalty early. On Pandora, advertisers can reach these mothers with a targeting segment made up of women between the ages of 24-36 with a household income of $40,000, and who purchase car seats, baby clothes, safety products, crib bedding and toys. This segment is mostly comprised of U.S. consumer data on where, how and what they shop, as well as the publications they read and their demographic and psychographic attributes. We caught up with one of Pandora’s newest mothers, Chrystal Henke Ball, part of our software engineering team, to learn more about her experience as a new mom. What are the unique advantages to being a new mom today? CB: We can have it all. There are so many practices, organization and concepts available to help find balance.

What role does music play in your life as a new mom? CB: Have you realized that any song can be a lullaby if sung slow enough? Day 2 as a mom, I realized I’d forgotten all the lullabies I’d learned and could only recall Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds.’ I even created a playlist in Pandora Premium called ‘Desperate Lullabies” with a bunch of my ‘normal’ favorites.

Are there experiences/ moments you particularly look forward to as a mom? CB: I cannot wait to hear what my son has to say. It’s just starting now and it’s so exciting to get to know him that much more.

What resources helped you prepare for motherhood? CB: For blogs, I like ‘Pregnant Chicken’ because it’s a good mix of ideas and real talk, as well as ‘Renegade Mothering.’ And while pregnant, I loved Emily Oster’s book 'Expecting Better' because it uses science to bust myths about pregnancy.

What types of brands do you pay most attention to? CB: Local, personal and honest brands get my attention. Those that aren’t trying too hard and aren’t promising too much.

How can brands reach you more effectively? CB: My family is diverse, as are many that I know. Brands that respect diversity of people and ideas cut through the noise for me. Also, using humor is a bonus. Parenthood is odd and hard, but more often just plain fun and silly.

 

Read Part 2 of the series here, or Part 3 here. Tweet us at @PandoraBrands and tell us what kind of mom you are and what music you plan to listen to this Mother’s Day. Use the hashtag #MusicForMom to join the conversation!

And to learn more about Pandora’s robust targeting capabilities, get in touch with one of our skilled sales people by filling out a short form here.

^{Sources: 1 National Retail Federation, April 2017}