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MAKING SENSE...

OF MOTHERHOOD

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CONTENTS FOREWORD

‘MUM’ IS NOT UNIVERSAL Victoria Guyatt, Deputy Head of Ethnography, Ipsos UU

WHICH MEDIA MATTERS MOST IN MODERN MOTHERHOOD?Brian Walmsley, Chief Marketing Officer, Bounty

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I AM YOURS, YOU ARE MINE Jon Weeks, Director, Ipsos InnoQuest

THE CHANGING GAME HOW DO FIRST TIME MOTHERS MAKE THEIR PRODUCT CHOICES?

Rose Addison, Associate Director, & Geoff Gosling, Research Director, Ipsos UU

BABY PURÉE, WET WIPES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF ESPRESSO PLEASE!Karolina Drakic, Associate Director, Ipsos InnoQuest

HERE COME THE BOYS Clare Parsons Research Manager, Ipsos MarketQuest

Welcome to the latest edition of ‘Making Sense’, the Ipsos Marketing publication which brings you a collection of thought pieces relevant to our times. For this edition on motherhood I am thrilled to announce a new partnership with Bounty, the UK’s No.1 parenting club; famous for providing expectant and new mums with expert advice, information and free sample packs for over 50 years.

This new partnership merges the UK’s largest young family panel with our global research expertise, and will create a new standard of understanding for all companies interested in marketing to new mums and dads. Having children is a life changing moment, and understanding this point of change is a key opportunity for business; from cars and holidays to buggies and bank accounts, brand habits made at this stage can stick with consumers for life.

I hope you enjoy the newsletter.

Rob Myers Managing Director, Ipsos Marketing UK

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The introduction to motherhood and young family life naturally triggers women to expand their receptiveness to brand messaging and changes their purchasing repertoires. New research from the Bounty Parenting Club reveals which media mums turn to, to satisfy their new and evolving needs, and what brands need to know to get the right message out through the right channel.

Multi-tasking takes on a whole different meaning when you become a mum for the first time; in-between nappies, feeds and sleeps you are also trying to feed the rest of the family, clean the house, and, if you are really organised, get out of your pyjamas before lunchtime! This level of distraction and frequent interruption makes it very hard for brands to communicate clearly and effectively.

Essentially mums want three things when making a decision on one of their many purchases – to learn about the best products/services for them and their families, to share with others and make their money go further. Evidently, different media channels deliver on these core needs in different ways. For example, the written word is best for learning, social media is a must for brand advocacy and being a part of mum’s everyday life, and messaging around saving money can work across multi-media, but must be delivered in bite-size snippets that fit around busy family life.

Bounty’s research also highlights the importance of ‘Word of Mum’ as the crucial 6th media channel and shows that brands which engage with their ‘mum advocates’ find that those mums will spread the word, making messaging resonate more and get much deeper traction than any ‘Like us on Facebook’ campaign.

WHICH MEDIA MATTERS MOST

IN MODERN MOTHERHOOD?

References1. Bounty Word of Mum Panel, 2,118 respondents,

September 2012

2. KPMG Media and Entertainment Barometer, Wave 5,

October 2011

3. Bounty Online Bulletin Boards, October 2012

With so much for brands to consider, Bounty and Ipsos Marketing have entered into an exciting partnership where they will harness Bounty’s position as owners of the UK’s largest young family panel together with Ipsos’ world-leading market research expertise. Specifically, the partnership aims to help marketers get the best return on consumer insight investment by enhancing understanding of their markets, innovating and boosting brand affinity and appeal amongst this high value and highly receptive female audience.

To make the most of the modern motherhood media mix, Bounty urges brands to consider the key findings which show:

The internet sits at the top of mums’ media hierarchy (alongside television), with mums putting significantly more importance on the internet as a media source than magazines, newspapers and radio 1

Unlike the average UK adult population, mums are more prolific in their use of on-demand TV – they watch more than double the amount of the average adult, suggesting that they are more likely to fast-forward through the ads 1, 2

Mums are more likely to have satellite TV and watch DVDs/Blu rays 1, 2

Mums are less likely to read a newspaper (printed or online) or read a magazine online 1, 2

Mums are significantly higher users of social networking and blogging sites, yet their relationships with brands on social media are tactical and for a tangible benefit - Mums want discount codes and vouchers, or exclusive news about the brand, access to sales or to enter prize draws. For stronger engagement, mums want conversation and to learn – brands should think about using their social media channels to get mums chatting over a new kind of garden fence! 1, 2

Catch mums at the right time of day – focused internet access happens in the evening with mums being significantly more likely to be online after 8pm 3

78% of mums own a Smartphone, versus 39% of the UK average population and most mums have downloaded around 14 apps. Mums also have an appetite for free apps as the majority of what they download (11 out of 14 apps) aren’t paid for 1,2

Smartphone usage has enhanced mums’ relationship with the internet – they can now access the internet in bite-size chunks for the accomplishment of quick, easy, or even ‘emergency’ survival tasks whenever they need to3

Brian Walmsley, Chief Marketing Officer,

Bounty

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“I’m thinking of having kids”. Say this to friends and colleagues and they will regale you with stories of vomit stained shirts in meetings, catfights in Mothercare, months of sleepless nights, not to mention the harrowing details around child-birth... Yet the world over, there are babies and children. Everywhere.

Having kids, raising a family, popping one out. Whatever you want to call it, everyone is doing it. Yet the ways in which we run our households, teach and feed our children, make meaning out of being home-makers, mothers and wives, differs greatly. This article shares stories in relation to mums and homemaking from around the world. Based on ethnographic research with mums in eight markets (China, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya), this article explores how cultural context (history, religion, culture and social relations) influences homemaking and mothering, and outlines how this influences branding.

Having worked with mums and families around the world, there’s one thing I’ve found interesting (beyond what looks like an overwhelming international urge by ALL children to make fun of their siblings). Ask women what makes a ‘good’ mum and they will say “time” and “love”. They will say it in different ways, but almost all of the time it will come down to these two things. Ask what makes a ‘bad’ mother however and you will get a multitude of answers, replete with granular detail and examples. We know the rhetoric around being ‘good’ mums, but the reality of everyday life means women struggle to do it. The other thing that struck me was how culturally specific being a ‘bad mum’ was. In Kenya for example, you’re a bad mum if you’re not god-fearing, Saudi Arabia it’s not listening to your husband, Turkey it’s not baking cakes for your guests, and in China it’s not giving your child the very best education. While all 40 women in our global study were mums, the cultural contexts in which they operate influences their behaviours in vastly different manners.

The collation of positive feelings around mothering is often used to formulate stereotypes that guide our branding. As global brands continue to move into emerging markets and develop strategies that really talk to local populations, we are finding this homogenous ‘mum’ – “time” and “love” – is not working. Undoubtedly mothers want to give their children time and love. But she has other factors competing for her attention (education, religion, friends, children, partners), all with varying levels of importance across countries. Many global brands who have historically adopted the dominant Western discourse of mothering have recognised this dissonance, and are working towards a better understanding of the factors that influence the way she behaves.

“Don’t you think I know what I’m doing!?” I am scolded. Ever been scolded by a Nigerian mother as she hand-washes laundry for her family of seven? I shut-up and pretended to fiddle with my camera. I (stupidly) asked if she struggles to remove stains. I spilt red wine on my carpet and three years later it still mocks me. Yet Fatima (the Nigerian stain destroyer) is removing oil, grease and food stains with a $1 bar of soap with ease. I had failed to recognise two things:

1. Having no washing machine is not all bad 2. Stain removal is her equivalent of a focaccia and hummus packed lunch

Fatima, like many of her friends, does not have a washing machine and does not have money to spend on expensive laundry products. Yet she removes the equivalent of my three year old wine stain, daily. Washing machines don’t get stains out, elbow grease does. In Nigeria and Kenya we found little appetite for stain removal products because they don’t use washing machines. People who use washing machines use stain removal products. Laundry is a matter of pride. It’s the clothes her children wear outside of the home to ‘advertise’ her mum skills (a la West London focaccia and hummus sandwich). Understanding the meaning of laundry is intricately bound in social norms, national infrastructure and an understanding that she doesn’t need washing products to help remove stains.

I went to Saudi Arabia. As a Western woman, not used to wearing a full abaya and hijab, I was apprehensive. One afternoon, I spent some time roller-skating around a compound with three nine-year old girls (afterwards, we were all told off for leaving marks on the tiles). The girls spoke of wanting to find husbands and having children and being ‘good’ wives, heavy concerns for those so young (when I was nine I pondered the skills of Cat Woman over Wonder Woman). For these girls and their mothers, preparing for family life is of fundamental importance. In a society where there are heavy restrictions on women, taking meaning from motherhood (the one thing they have over men) is amplified and thus products related to the home and caring for her family are anchored more heavily on a personal level.

When I went to China I saw remote controlled vacuum cleaners and arrangements of mops that looked like sets of golf clubs. China’s cultural context makes a nice point of comparison to Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. With an influx of western media, the one child policy, and a highly competitive labour market, motherhood is competing with a career and personal betterment that did not feature in other markets. Products that make her job easier and give her time to make it to yoga class before picking up the kids from school, speak to her reality of being a mum.

So anyway, back to having kids and being a mum. Will I be a ‘good’ mum? What will that look like here in the UK? I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I know that my experiences will differ to the mums in this study. Brands and products that speak to this difference, and recognise why this is, will be at an advantage. I went around the world and saw how religion, gender, politics, home size, weather, history and traffic made being a mum different. I saw that while “love” and “time” were things all mums wanted to give to their children, they subscribe to it in different ways. I saw mops and roller skating and stain removal and was reminded of a good old fashioned telling off, like only mums can give.

Victoria Guyatt, Deputy Head of

Ethnography, Ipsos UU

‘MUM’ IS NOT UNIVERSAL

WE DO THINGS

DIFFERENTLY

9of their logos and beliefs, bonds for life can begin here. Research by Deborah Roedder John has shown that brand names are easily picked up by pre-schoolers, although at this stage they may be used in more generic terms, such as McDonald’s references burgers, fries and the fast-food restaurant experience, rather than the brand specifically. It’s only after the age of 7 that children begin to classify brands more subtly such as why Coca-Cola is different from Pepsi.

“At this time, children’s awareness of brands is typically developed enough that they even request products by brand names, such as McDonald’s®, M&M’s®, and Oreos®.”(You are what you wear: The meaning of brand names to children - October 1997 Consumer Research Conference).

Arguably the world has moved on again and consumers are now more mobile (or less loyal) and more willing than ever to switch between brands - even in categories like personal banking where there was very high loyalty, switching is now more common. The bonds for life that were once established early can be broken after all.

As parents we all want to give our kids the best start, and as much as there is a desire to steer them away from unhealthy choices, or to at least enjoy those in moderation, the principles that exist for branding could still be applied on key parenting choices like healthy eating. As ever with kids’ products there is a duality in the marketing - creating both the need from the child or ‘pester power’, and the ability to cut through the mums and dads as gatekeepers. How can a modern brand exist in the golden zone and be highly appealing to both?

Children are always toy and character led, including a gap for imaginative play; whether it’s from food products such as Rice Crispies (the three characters called Snap, Crackle, and Pop), Cheestrings (Mr. Cheese) or ever older messages from Munch Bunch Yoghurts or the Weetabix Gang. This isn’t to say ‘needs more toys’ in a brand, but to look to recent examples such as Lazy Town where the principle characters that have high appeal to children are aligned with promoting a healthy lifestyle – by rebranding fruit as ‘Sports Candy’ it begins to shift children’s perceptions of fruit by keeping it relevant (still sweet), and also promoting that it will have a positive effect on play. Delivering relevance to mum is primarily through the health benefit, alongside more subtle messages of ‘doing your best for your child’ and that food won’t go to waste. The latter is an ever present reason from lower income families on why they do not offer more fresh fruit and vegetables at home – they simply don’t get eaten so they are not an efficient use of the available money to feed the family.

From looking across toy brands, the more successful franchises are the ones that tap into playground needs – collecting and swapping in an affordable way. Strong examples are Panini, who have offered stickers since 1961. Playgrounds have echoed with “got, got, SWAP!” ever since. More modern brands are best typified by Moshi Monsters, which delivers a cross-media platform through the brand, from the website to a whole range of toys and ever collectable small plastic figures destined for school-coat pockets and troubling vacuum cleaners.

Licensing has been used for many brands in different categories with breakfast cereals, Happy Meals (or their equivalent), and Kinder Surprise making use of the technique to reap the rewards that these offer. From a branding perspective it ensures that the brand has its own identity, but also keeps fresh from the licensed brand and borrows the sentiment around the film or toy brand. With clear benefits for both brands involved, picking the right partnership can help a brand’s success in times of the year where sales are less strong. From the child’s perspective it’s an extra touchpoint that can be an unexpected bonus – building greater relevance across both of the brands in the partnership.

Brands must own the importance that they hold – they define how people see themselves, others, and how they interact within the world. But as consumers we also get to determine their fate too – success or failure based on how well they meet the needs of the consumer. Even in the world of brands the mutualism required for survival means that only through understanding consumers will success be truly delivered.

I AM YOURS, YOU ARE MINE.

It is inevitable and inescapable. At some point your child, along with all other children, will notice brands and be exposed to marketing and advertising. Typically around the age of twelve to eighteen months they develop a sense of self, alongside an awareness of classification. Classification of not only everyday items (such as the definition of ‘table’, ‘chair’ and the difference between them) but also the first steps into understanding brands. As animals that crave order, being able to quickly classify what you see and what it means to you was an important evolutionary step: What is it, can I eat it, or will it eat me?

We aren’t required to react so viscerally to the world anymore, but it is on this basis that children develop an affiliation and understanding of brands. When you consider how brands are marketed in a consistent way through reinforcement

Jon Weeks Director

Ipsos InnoQuest

11You’ve arrived home with your first, newborn baby... the front

door closes... then it hits you - you’re on your own! There must be some mistake surely? Where’s the midwife? Where’s the nurse? This is a real baby, an actual mini-person... how can I possibly have been left in charge of it?!

Becoming a first time parent is an exciting rite of passage, an amazing but highly emotional, confusing time and consumers look to brands to help them protect and nurture their newborn child.

We know that from the moment first time mothers find out about their pregnancy they immerse themselves in research, from books to magazines to the internet. For babycare brands, this time presents a conundrum as many are not sure how decisions are made on which brands to use. Brands know that consumers engage in a lengthy period of research but struggle to understand consumers’ exact path to purchase, especially as there is a lengthy time period between first researching products and the purchase actually taking place.

Trust is, of course, a key factor here for new parents. Being left in charge of your new baby can be a daunting responsibility for many first-time parents – you are solely responsible for their well-being. Not surprisingly then, new parents rely on brands they feel they can trust. Trust can come from their own experiences – perhaps the brands their parents used, or recommendations from close family and friends. Mothers in particular are likely to have recently developed a whole new network of advisors – newly acquired friends through ante-natal classes, nutritionalists, homeopaths, and a mental directory of parents of all ages who have had particular experiences with their babies, ready to be consulted if needed – mothers whose babies wouldn’t sleep, had trouble feeding, or had sensitive skin.

Learning from real life experiences of others is key. Brands can provide an authoritative voice, but parents will not necessarily take this at face value and often view the information with a healthy cynicism. The internet is a great resource to quickly uncover real life experiences, and social media has revolutionised this area. This is underpinned by a sense that no matter what anyone says, you’ll only know when you’ve tried it. Mothers are very conscious that every child is unique and also that their mood, their health, the way they respond to products – be they food, skincare, nappies – can change from day to day, even hour to hour. The real experiences of other mums in similar situations can therefore carry great weight.

However, it’s not all about the instinctive urge to protect your child. The advent of the yummy mummy has changed the game, as in some categories what ownership of a particular

brand says about you as a mother is as important as the need for the brand to care for the child. In a study conducted for a pushchair brand, we found that drivers were either baby-led (comfort), mother-led (practicality, manoeuvrability etc), or design-led, as one of the roles of the pushchair brand was to create a perception about them. For this type of consumer, brands which are not considered to be in vogue have to fight harder to be noticed. In such cases they often have to offer financial incentives, such as free car seats etc, just to stand out.

So how can brands get onto the consumer shortlist and make it to the nursery? Although Healthcare professionals are not allowed to endorse brands, the brands used within the workplace are often considered to be top of the range and therefore the best for their baby. In research we have conducted we have found that Medela breast pumps have benefited from this type of endorsement, and were considered to be more advanced than their competitor set. When we factor in the price point (at times over £300), this may have appeal to those consumers who correlate high price point with better kudos – think Bugaboo!

Brands contained within the Bounty Packs (a free gift containing samples of products which is often given to the mother whilst in hospital), have extra credibility as consumers perceive these to be endorsed by the hospital, ergo the NHS / government. This credibility is a core pillar for Ipsos’ new partnership with the Bounty Word of Mum Panel™, the largest source of opinions and behaviour of mums and mums to be in the UK and will create a new level of understanding for all companies interested in marketing to new mums.

It is increasingly important for brands to manage their internet presence both in terms of official sites and social media. In our pushchair research, brands that did not figure high up in the Google search struggled to permeate into consumer consciousness unless they were recommended by others - they therefore had to work harder in store as their lack of internet presence caused them a disservice.

With the internet becoming more and more important in terms of advice, having a healthy online presence on search engines and social media can really help brands to gain the trust of mothers. Tools like Ipsos MORI’s Social Listening are becoming more important as brands seek to understand what consumers are saying about them online and how this affects perceptions about their brand.

So the arrival of a first child is a complex and intense time in a mother’s life, and whilst ‘mum knows best’ and direct personal recommendations remain pre-eminent, what has changed is that these days she is often supported by the combined experience of a global community of mums.

THE CHANGING GAME

HOW DO FIRST TIME MOTHERS MAKE THEIR PRODUCT CHOICES?

Rose Addison Associate Director

Ipsos UU

Geoff Gosling Director

Ipsos UU

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When designing products, building brands and retailing for children or the family, the main ‘gatekeeper’ we think about is the mum. Due to the historical gender division of chores and child care we very rarely think about the dads in much detail. However, the world is not the same as it was when marketing and market research really took off – whilst the majority of decisions are still made by mums, there are big changes afoot. Will we keep up with this changing world?

In many developed markets we’ve seen recent changes in employment and family law that may well mean that it is now dangerous to understand only mums at the expense of dads. In the UK (which until recently had the biggest gap between maternity and paternity leave entitlements in the developed world) fathers are now entitled to much more paternity time by sharing the allocation more equally with their partner.

Other markets have a variety of systems. Iceland, for example, is particularly forward thinking: three months is reserved for the mother, three months must be taken by the father and the couple can share the remaining three as they wish. The European Parliament is keen to ensure a minimum of two weeks paternity leave at full pay throughout the EU and it may be that in future years we see baby steps (excuse the pun) to greater equality, as in the Icelandic model.

More flexible leave is not the only reason dads’ involvement in baby care is increasing however, with higher divorce rates, more same sex families and an increase in the mum being the family’s main breadwinner meaning more men are taking a greater role in day-to-day child care than in the past.

Given this shift, it is surprising that we still see that most research into products or services aimed at children or parents is tasked with understanding the mother over the father. We have seen in recent months that some companies researching particularly progressive markets (e.g. Sweden) will want to talk to some fathers, but that is the exception. Isn’t it time that we, as researchers, manufactures, retailers and service providers, started taking the opinions of fathers more seriously?

We are already seeing that some babycare companies are making a specific effort to target Dads (there is an insulated bottle holder that looks like something Bear Grylls would happily use to hold his water bottle on a trek in the Arctic, not to mention camouflage changing bags…) so it is likely to be only a matter of time until this feeds through to other FMCG and retailing directed towards kids and the family.

Raising a child costs a fortune (£218,000 per child at the last count) – and we know that on the whole it has proven relatively recession proof, as people prioritise making decisions which they think are best for their child before indulging themselves. Therefore understanding the growing number of dad-deciders

could mean the opening up of new, lucrative streams of business. Targeting this growing group of very hands-on dads in the wrong way could risk patronising and stereotyping men, so it is important to understand what they really need and are interested in.

We see an increasing number of gadget-style products for parents (an iphone shaped teether, an all-in-one spoon that holds the baby food in the handle), are these kinds of products going to resonate more strongly with dads? We have all heard of the Mumpreneurs who set up businesses based on ideas they’ve had while bringing up children, but will the new Dadpreneurs tap into the needs of fathers more easily? I’ve seen an example of a neoprene bib which is stronger and easier to clean than many traditional bibs – thought up and brought to market by a tool designer dad after a surfing holiday. So not only will the dads of the future be more involved as consumers, but also take a greater role in the creation of children’s products – how will this affect the market share of current products (which on the whole are aimed particularly at the mum)?

In the MarketQuest team at Ipsos we do a lot of research on mums, and are extending that core parenting knowledge to include a more detailed understanding of what makes dads tick. One of the most interesting projects I’ve worked was a seven-market segmentation on mums. Understanding how women differ in their approach to the world, and more specifically their approach to becoming a mother was fascinating; we uncovered common motivations across markets and very varied local nuances. We saw that enjoyment is the fundamental nature of motherhood in Sweden, Hungary and also Greece, whilst in Malaysia motherhood feels like a natural step. In Russia this enjoyment was tempered by a sense of extreme responsibility, often not shared with others but undertaken without support and in Tunisia enjoyment was somewhat eclipsed by the anxiety of trying to effectively balance traditional values in the modern world. Obviously these differences are very important in understanding where and how to position your brand and communicate with mums.

Given the constant change in this area, the benefit of monitoring these opportunities over time is also something that would be wise. We thrive on research and know that understanding whole swathes of the population is a big task that must be done well to be effective and useful to your business.

The changing shape of society provides many new challenges, but also many new opportunities to become the brand, the retailer, the go-to source of advice for dads navigating a brave new world in which they have few role models.

COME BOYS

HERE THE

US: http://www.fatherhood.gov/

http://www.apa.org/pi/families/

resources/changing-father.aspx

UK: www.civitas.org.uk/hwu/fathers.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8467763.stm

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19925686

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13393192

http://oxygen.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen/

search_results/show&/display/id=639338/display/

id=639338#13

http://oxygen.mintel.com/

display/609765/?highlight=true

www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/

jan/26/cost-raising-children

Clare Parsons Research Manager Ipsos MarketQuest

15Sleep deprived, rushed, wound-up, worried, scruffy,

nostalgic of the time you actually had time, worried about the future, feeling like an exhausted Santa on Red Bull but somehow deeply and utterly happy? These are states that certainly relate to the situation of some mothers, especially of young children.

To delve a little deeper into this turbulent new world, we opened a discussion among mums of pre-school children in our syndicated community Ipsos Connect, which hosts 1,800 UK residents. One of the predominant feelings that arose is that as these women juggle between motherhood, work and other responsibilities, they often feel they are not doing a great job anywhere.

We’ve come a long way since Simone de Beauvoir felt the need to argue against patriarchy in favour of women’s rights. However, modern times brought new challenges for women epitomised in the idea (and expectation) that they will “do it all”.

Whilst not all concur with this notion, this dilemma is certainly voiced across the internet’s more therapeutic landscape i.e. mum forums, blogs, social networks and our own Ipsos Connect discussion, and is encapsulated by this comment: “I wish I could stay at home to look after my baby, but I am put under constant pressure by my husband and society to go back to work”. And when it is not society it is the economic strain, and so the juggle continues.

The level of exhaustion can be desperate at times, and is often matched by the quality of advice provided. In response to the following stress point “it’s 3 am and my baby just won’t sleep” a mum’s forum suggests visualising yourself in your perfect fantasy world stating “it’s a great way to relax without having to be asleep and if you visualise positive images, they’ll pop back into your brain automatically when you’re stressed”. Yeah, right.

This frustration may not affect all mums in the same way, but many are crying for help. Reaching out to them meaningfully could create an effective commercial opportunity.

This brings us to the subject of how products help mums through this epic yet demanding time in their lives; when they have small children, are trying to keep them happy and at the same time trying to preserve their jobs, marriages, relationships and a certain level of sanity.

These vital items, which are our focus here, could be categorised into two broad groups: first are those related to baby / small children care; second, are those related to the woman herself. We reviewed and discussed both in our forum and here is the outcome.

Starting with the first category, concentrating on the most valued items, which made the biggest difference, were health and safety followed by everyday convenience. Health and safety is a basic safety solution with an existential opportunity for growth.

Everyday convenience is entirely connected to the reduction of chores. This includes an array of healthy ready-made foods, extremely popular among mums; baby wipes and multi-surface / anti-bacterial wipes i.e. to clean food stuck on high chairs.

The global baby care product industry caters to around 4 million babies on a yearly basis, generating retail revenue of nearly $7 billion, according to Packaged Facts. In terms of need gaps, the most evident was around nappy disposal as current systems are considered inadequate, notwithstanding the general environmental impact.

Moving onto our second category, related to the mum and woman herself, four stand-out themes emerged as indispensable and are interconnected by one overarching motivation, the one to cope with the status quo in a more or less constructive way.

Time saving online shopping came at the top of the list, it’s the most widely advertised tip on mum forums and comes across as quite revolutionary. Household cleaning and laundry products which could save you time and effort are welcomed but are often a cause of disappointment as they still cannot do the job for you.

As mums crave a level of interaction and a little bit of ‘me time’, staying connected was also prevalent. Communities, forums, blogs, e-books; within or outside the motherhood remit, were viewed enthusiastically. Smartphones and tablets have further enhanced this magic with various apps, allowing mums to conveniently follow, connect and share with the outside world. To illustrate that, mum blogging is on the rise in the UK following a BBC report, and in the US, 14% of all mums are regular bloggers.

However, new technology is not enough to offset all the pressure, and the final domains relate directly to coping mechanisms: pain relief and stimulants. To those who can never afford to take a ‘sickie’ (i.e. mums) pain killers were seen as life savers at times.

As for stimulants, mums are consuming caffeinated beverages as never before. All this consumption has given rise to a growing number of ‘caffeinated moms’ following the National Sleep Foundation. Mums feel guilty about how much energizers they are having, but these are seen to combat exhaustion and help them get through their days. Until healthier but effective alternatives take the market by storm, mums will resort to such measures.

And as such, the battle for women in the 21st century is on; from “I want to HAVE it all” to “I am struggling to DO it all but may have no choice”.

Understanding this growing section of mums, who fantasize about inventions that would make their lives easier, exploring advanced sciences and technologies and speaking their language may well prove to be the key ingredient for successful innovation in this field. The wonder woman has got to go.

Karolina Drakic Associate Director

Ipsos InnoQuest

ABOUT IPSOS MARKETING

At Ipsos Marketing we help you understand your markets, your customers and your competitors. Operating across 84 countries, we provide insights about the past, the present and the implications of both for your future. We help you assess the importance of emerging trends and the potential of new ideas to build brand advantage.

CONTACT Rob Myers Managing Director Ipsos Marketing T: 0203 059 4700 E: rob.myers@ipsos.com www.ipsos-mori.com/marketing