Moms At Work

Part-time, full-time, work-from-home—whatever the circumstance, one thing holds true: More and more moms are heading back to work. We asked some of our mom experts—Isabel Kallman, founder of Alpha Mom™; Nataly Kogan, co-founder and CEO of Work It, Mom!; Michele Miller, top marketing-to-women blogger (WonderBranding) and co-author of The Soccer Mom Myth; and Kelley Skoloda, partner/director for Ketchum and author of Too Busy to Shop: Marketing To “Multi-Minding” Women--to give us their thoughts on why this trend is growing and how it affects the way brands connect and communicate with today’s “busier-than-ever” mom consumer.

Patti Minglin: There seems to be an influx of moms heading back into the workforce. Is this due entirely to the state of the economy or are there other reasons?

Kelley Skoloda: With 80 percent of job loss being suffered by men, it makes sense that SAHMs may be returning to the workforce to help support the family financially. And, with 401ks and college savings in decline, more moms may need to reenter the workforce to help pay for college and retirement.

Nataly Kogan: The economy is definitely a major driving force behind more women heading back to work. In a recent online poll of members of CafeMom.com, a social-networking site for mothers, 16% of 14,416 respondents said they are now finding work because of the economy. (Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123672767739688691.html). We've heard this trend from our members on Workitmom.com as well. Even if their husband is still employed, many feel that with this degree of economic uncertainty, they need to provide an additional income for their family.

Michele Miller: Yes, the economy is forcing many families to readjust their priorities and many have a need for that extra income.  But you also have a generation of women out there who are successfully finding a balance between "jumping on and off" the career track.  They watched their own mothers go through the "super woman" era, and have consciously made a choice to not go that route.  This generation of women sees no conflict in working for a while, then taking time off to raise children to a certain age, and then jump back into the workforce.  And not only are women going back in the workforce; they are starting their own businesses at a record pace.  The Small Business Administration states that when compared to men, women are starting businesses at a rate of 3 to 1.

Isabel Kallman: Our research shows that of the 11 million Alpha Moms in America, Alpha Moms over-index significantly in “working from home.”  At this point, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that technology is allowing moms and employers to create situations where moms can work from home during hours that fit their schedule.  Moreover, over the past several years we have seen an exponential rise in web tools and applications that allow moms who want to start their own businesses with a very low-cost to entry.  For example, a talented writer can now start her own publishing business via the web, hire freelance writers (who also happen to be moms), join an advertising network and contribute to her family’s income all from the comfort of her living room.  

Minglin: For brands, this can be a very positive thing—after all, more moms working could quite possibly equate to more money to spend. Is this an accurate assumption? What other positives come out of this situation?

Skoloda: I think the moms returning to the workforce will be very choosy and mindful consumers with earnings directed at savings and special needs like college.

Kogan: Yes, when moms return to work they need to spend money on things like new work clothes, transportation, lunches, etc. Another positive point for brands is that research has shown that working moms tend to have more conversations about brands and products during the day than moms who stay at home (perhaps at work, when talking to their colleagues). Another potential positive point is that working moms do say that they are busy and stressed often and really appreciate some affordable luxuries for themselves. Their spending is definitely more conservative due to the economic recession, but they will purchase items that help them get a little bit of "me" time and de-stress. Also, working moms are starved for time -- if a brand can illustrate how their product or service can save time, this makes them more appealing to working moms.

Miller: In our current economy, it might be a mistake to think that this would mean more money to spend.  Not only are women being much more careful with the money they spend; generational patterns show that we are entering an era of "thrift" - more emphasis will be place on repair rather than replace, and quality will be more important than ever.  That said, this is a prime opportunity for companies to look at women both at home and at work - a recent survey of women states that 86% of working women say they use the same products at work as they do at home.  Smart companies will learn to market to both arenas.

Kallman: Clearly, the trickle down effects of more moms contributing economically to their families is a positive both economically and socially. Also, I cannot see how a mother showing her daughter that yes! she too can create an environment that is conducive to raising a family and working cannot help empower a future generation of educated and ambitious young girls.

Minglin: Yet, this also presents new challenges for brands. What are some of the biggest challenges facing brands trying to connect and communicate with these moms?

Kallman: Clearly there are the age-old challenges that moms working in and out of the home will face regarding childcare and mommy guilt. In trying to connect with moms, brands should try not to play the “frenzied mom” or “working mom guilt” card in their marketing messages. Those are trite stereotypes and just anger moms.  Instead brands should understand that moms are still women with dreams and ambitions, the majority of who want to achieve them on their own terms.  It’s okay to talk about work ambition; it doesn’t make you less or more of a mother.  Moms love to see other moms succeed in business.  

Skoloda: Marketers must understand that dynamic and be focused on delivering value and products that multi-task.

Kogan: We have heard from many, many of our members that they are cutting down on any non-essential spending, even if they are employed. They are uncertain as to when the current recession may ease and in a poll we conducted on the site, 41% believe we've not yet seen the worst of the economic crisis. This presents a challenge to brands, especially if their products can be categorized as discretionary spending by moms. Moms also have a higher bar now for buying new products so it is essential that brands can communicate the value and utility of what they are marketing clearly and illustrate how it is relevant to the mom's life and family.

Minglin: Is there anything else about moms heading back into the workforce that is important for brands to understand?

Miller: Probably the most important thing for brands to learn and focus on is that while 10 women may decide to purchase a product or service, they will each have very different reasons for doing so.  The biggest mistake brands make in marketing to moms is thinking that all moms make the same decisions for the same reasons.  Individuals have very different "human operating systems" - learning some subtle differences between purchasing processes, combined with digging deep to answer every possible question a mom might have before she even interacts with your brand, will make all the difference in connecting with female customers.

Kogan: As I mentioned above, working moms, coming back to work or those who are working now, are being a lot more careful and conservative with their spending -- so making sure that brands communicate, clearly, the value of their products and how they can save time and potentially, money, is important.

Skoloda: For moms returning to the workforce, they will be busier than ever and harder to reach than ever. Marketers must be in it for the long-term and be willing to invest the time and resources it takes to build relationships.

Kallman: Brands need to remember that EVERY mom is a working mother whether she is paid for her work or not.   True, a mom heading back into the paid workforce may have different challenges but at the core she is still the same woman who is trying to raise healthy and happy kids.