Heather Mitchell, communications manager for Unilever

“Overall, we’re speaking to moms in a different way than a lot of marketers out there. We’re not speaking to her solely as a mom, instead we’re speaking to her as a woman.”

Connecting with moms as women and not just parents has been the key to Unilever’s success in the mom space. In particular, their Suave brand found marketing magic with their “Say Yes to Beautiful” campaign and the popular “In the Motherhood” web series was recently picked up by ABC to become part of its future television line-up. It appears the company has hit the sweet spot with today’s busy moms—helping them embrace the realities of motherhood while still maintaining their womanhood.

Patti Minglin, editor of M2Moms® E-ssentials, recently interviewed Heather Mitchell, Unilever’s communications manager, to find out the secrets behind the Suave brand success and how looking at mom through different eyes can work wonders for your brand.

Minglin: Most of our audience is familiar with the Suave brand “In the Motherhood” webisode which is so popular with moms. Why do you feel this type of promotion and program work well with today’s moms?

HM: Moms are spending a significant amount of time online so it’s an important vehicle to reach her. But, like any other marketing channel, the real challenge is to engage her and break through the clutter. In creating “In the Motherhood,” an online web series by moms, for moms and about moms, our main objective was to create and give moms a real online community where they could not only share in the trials, tribulations and joys of being mothers, but also laugh at the everyday truths of their lives and connect with other moms. The format is perfect for moms and really fits their hectic lifestyles because the series provides on-demand entertainment that they can view when they are able to. In its second season, the “In the Motherhood” online series has received more than 16 million views and was actually the top rated parenting site visited in April.

Minglin: What other creative ways is Unilever connecting with today’s moms?

HM: Suave has always been a brand popular with moms and we’ve always targeted women as our key consumer target. Over the past three years our connection with moms has become more apparent in our marketing and relationship with women. Overall, we’re speaking to moms in a different way than a lot of marketers out there. We’re not speaking to her solely as a mom, instead we’re speaking to her as a woman. Our “Say Yes to Beautiful” advertising campaign speaks to moms in a very real way and in a way that makes the light bulb go off that you don’t have to spend hours on your appearance to get your beauty back. We’re waking her up and reminding mom that her beauty doesn’t have to stay buried at the bottom of the laundry basket.

Minglin: What trends do you see emerging in the mom space? Are moms of Gen Y changing the way brands communicate and connect with their consumers?

HM: The internet is going to continue to shape how we communicate with consumers. As we’ve done with “In the Motherhood,” we will strive to break through the clutter and surprise mom in unexpected ways where she spends time - online. Moms of all ages are spending a significant amount of time online and we’ll continue to target her there.

Minglin: What is Unilever doing to continue to make their products relevant for moms?

HM: Suave will continue to offer a wide range of great performing products at a great price. So, being at their mommy best doesn’t have to compete with caring for themselves and their family.

Minglin: What new and exciting things are you working on right now that you would like to share with our audience of brand managers and marketing executives?

HM: As you may have read recently, Suave and Sprint are thrilled that ABC has been inspired by its In the Motherhood online series, and that the network’s future programming will include In the Motherhood in its line up. This new show will bring the already successful concept to a broader audience of moms.

Minglin: And, just for fun….what are the top songs on your iPod right now?

HM: Madonna’s Hard Candy album and Duffy’s Rockferry album.