Trillion-Dollars Moms: Marketing to a New Generation of Mothers (Hardcover)

by Maria Bailey (Author), Bonnie Ulman (Author) "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten..." (more)
Key Phrases: mom market, boomer moms, boomer mothers, Trillion-Dollar Moms, Baby Boomer, Generation Xers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"…as much a sociological study as it is a marketing lesson…any marketer will benefit from this book’s compelling observations" -- PRWeek, July 11th issue

"…they show entrepreneurs how to mine today’s mother lode with the help of original consumer research, experiential insights, case studies…" -- Entrepreneur, July 2005 issue

Product Description
Mothers are the most powerful consumers in the United States today. But to obtain a portion of the $17 trillion+ spent by moms, authors Maria Bailey and Bonnie Ulman say marketers must recognize the power of mothers, appreciate the time they put into selecting a product, and understand what it means to be a mom today.

It’s a far cry from years past. Recent Census results indicate that the mom market has dramatically changed. In Trillion-Dollar Moms, Bailey and Ulman provide background information and analysis of today’s multigenerational moms, revealing original research findings on how the differences between them affect purchasing behavior.

Drawing on proprietary research, their experiential insights, and case studies of successful marketing initiatives, the pair will empower you to secure the spending of moms with strategies and tactics that include: •Initiating publicity campaigns that resonate with mothers •Developing powerful sampling programs with doctors and pediatricians •Creating advertising campaigns with relevant messaging •Hosting special events that appeal to the mom market •Launching flex-time programs for working mothers •Incorporating women business owners into your vendor list •Designing Web sites with time-saving features for busy moms There’s no doubt that mothers spend money. And with Trillion-Dollar Moms, you’ll have everything you need to act on and capture your share of this lucrative market.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Business (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419504576
• ISBN-13: 978-1419504570
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #389,331 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TRILLION-DOLLAR READING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS, August 29, 2005

By	Heather Ivester (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is brilliant. If you're in any type of business, you've got to understand what your customers want. And since women make 80% of the major purchasing decisions, you need to think about what your company can do to meet women's needs. Especially savvy mom shoppers. Their pocketbooks represent a $1.7 trillion market.

How can you think like a mom if you're not a mom? You can't, unless you're willing to research.

That's where Bailey and Ulman's book comes in. They've done all the work for you. From cover to cover, you'll read hundreds of case studies and research examples that prove the authors' expertise in the field of marketing to mothers.

If you're a 50-year-old male executive sitting in a high-rise boardroom designing a marketing plan, you have no idea what the buzz is among moms on the playground. Word-of-mouth can spread news about a product like wildfire.

I can't say enough great things about this book! I was completely fascinated with their studies of generational differences. There are four generations of mothers out shopping today: Silver Birds (born between 1935-1945); Baby Boomers (1946-1964); Gen X (1964-1976); and Gen Y (1977-1994). The older generations are grandmothers out shopping for their children and grandchildren, while the newest wave of moms are just entering their child-bearing years.

The authors write, "Although it is true that all moms are women, not all women are moms, and expecting to connect with a mom as you speak to her only as a woman is a well-documented misnomer...By ignoring her role as a mother and just speaking to her as a woman, you are essentially subtracting from the equation the role that she values most." In a nutshell.

The book explores each generation's way of thinking and shares the interesting discovery that it's not the mother's age that links her thinking to her peers; it's her child's age. So, you could have a Boomer mom and an X generation mom with kids the same age, and they'll have more in common than peers without children or with kids in a different age group. I've found this to be true in my own life, and it made sense seeing this fact in print.

What's the one thing that moms really want? Read the book. If your product can meet that need, you'll more likely win her over. How has technology changed the shopping experience for moms? The authors won't just tell you -- they'll SHOW you through detailed case studies.

Bailey and Ulman will also share their views on why certain products do well in the mom market and why others fail. They describe several successful marketing campaigns, as well as some doozies. For example, Ziplock bags realized what a struggle it is for moms to pack up snacks for their kids when they're on the go, and they designed a marketing strategy to show mothers they understood. It's like the authors say, "If you want to think like a mom, you have to walk in her shoes."

The biggest take-away I got from the book is that mothers today value information more than any other time period. The average mom reads 4.1 magazines a month, so this is where we're getting a lot of information. Products that meet women's needs for information will have the best advantage in the marketplace. And this increases the value of good public relations over traditional advertising.

I'd recommend this book to anyone. It's fun to read through, but it's definitely a great reference tool to keep nearby. Bailey is CEO of her full-service marketing firm, BSM Media, and Ulman is principal of the Haystack Group, a communications and consumer research consultancy. Most importantly, they know how to think like moms because they ARE moms!

--Reviewed by Heather Lynn Ivester, "Mom 2 Mom Connection" columnist

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with Knowledge!, September 27, 2005

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If men are from Mars, mothers are from Venus and advertisers are from another galaxy altogether. Fortunately, authors Maria T. Bailey and Bonnie W. Ulman have a hot ticket for corporations that hope to rocket to the new frontiers of mother-focused sales. Backed by credible marketing data, real-life case studies and their own experiences as mothers in the world of marketing, Bailey and Ulman decipher the consumer motivations of modern moms and New Age grandmothers. They include excellent examples of successful corporate strategies and of some misdirected advertising campaigns as well, plus easy-to-understand charts, sidebars and graphics. This makes the book repetitious in parts, but still strong. We warmly recommend it to marketing, public relations, advertising and business development professionals.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Takes Mom Marketing Beyond the Basics, April 20, 2005

By	Sharon "Sharon Milliron" (Tampa Florida) - See all my reviews

This book does a great job of shattering old sterotypes such as the Soccer Mom and reconizes the complexity of marketing to moms. Bailey and Ulman offer fresh research that provides interesting, useful insights. For example, moms of different generations may be the best of friends because the ages of their children are the same, so recognizing the common experiences of moms regardless of their own age is important. This callenges traditional demographic profiles and demonstrates that the moms market needs to be considered from many angles. The book is an easy read as it often uses interviews with real moms to convey key points. I found it very beneficial and a worthy addition to my bookshelf.