The World Wide Web has created myriad opportunities for business from ecommerce to global insights within a keyboard’s distance. The business of marketing to moms has been untouched by the ability to share ideas and relationships. I’m often asked about the world of moms and marketing outside U.S. borders, especially if companies are contemplating an expansion into other countries.
I thought it would helpful to brands if I assembled a list of resources and observations I have collected while working around the globe.
1) Mom bloggers in the United States pave the way for social media. Everyone is watching what our moms are doing in social media, digital sharing and content creation. Companies and social media moms both read U.S. blogs in search of insights and the silver bullet of connecting with mothers.
2) For the most part, mom bloggers outside the U.S. are two to three years behind the curve of the mom blogosphere in the U.S. Paid reviews, press trips and development of networks of bloggers have been slow in being adopted by global moms. When I visit other countries and meet bloggers, it’s almost as if I’ve taken a trip back in time. The questions they ask and the challenges they face remind me of discussions in the halls of blogger events in 2012 and 2013. The fortunate thing for me is that I have the benefit of playing Monday morning quarterback and can warn them of successes and pitfalls that lie ahead. To be fair, there are cultural differences that slow the adoption of things such as paid reviews.
3) Italy rises among the leaders in mom marketing. Fattore Mamma is a niche mom marketing agency with the largest network of mom bloggers. Founded by Paolo and Jolanda Prestinari, it serves brands such as Peg Perego and Disney. The agency holds two very large blogger events each year that attract over 300 moms and their families. This May, Fattore Mamma will hold the first conference for brands that are interested in tapping the mom market.
4) France has the Marketing to Mummy Conference. Should you find yourself in Paris in October, you might want to stop in on this one-day conference. In its second year in 2015, the event attracted about 100 companies in 2014. Although there is no singular, niche (that’s a French word, isn’t it?) marketing to moms agency in France, traditional public relations and marketing firms are beginning to turn their attention to connecting brands with moms. I predict that a niche agency will emerge soon.
5) England’s Evolution PR, founded by Michele Bates, focuses on marketing to moms primarily in the toy space. The agency conducts an annual event in London called Christmas in July that gives companies the opportunity to showcase their products to media as well as mom bloggers.
6) South Korea, South Africa and Israel seem to have the greatest interest in mom marketing. Businesses have a deep interest in capturing the spending of mothers based on marketing campaigns and organized conferences.
It’s only a matter of time before the global blogosphere catches up with U.S. moms. Look to the recent past in the U.S. mom market to predict a very similar future in global communities. If you are a company with a product that crosses borders, moms in these countries are ready for you.