MullenLowe Group Gets Frank About Women

Fact: globally, women earn 20 - 30% less than what men are paid yet women will control 2/3 of consumer wealth in the next decade. Smart brands know that they should be building relationships with women to sustain growth and profitability, yet the sad truth is that 9 out of 10 women find marketing-to-womenefforts ineffective.

The opportunity for brands to enhance their marketing to women efforts increases, when considering mothers in particular: mums control 85% of home purchases and wield an estimated annual buying power of $2.1 trillion in the U.S. By 2017 the U.S. baby care category alone will reach $67 billion, and $35 billion in China. With this in mind, Frank About Women, MullenLowe Group’s marketing to women global think tank, opted to examine the similarities and differences of global motherhood to inform how marketers can better reach global mums. Frank About Women conducted a Global Motherhood Survey to uncover insights and guide marketing decisions, using proprietary online research in Spring 2016 in the following markets: Australia, China, Colombia, India, U.K., and the U.S. 

From tapping the right “frexperts”  (those voices typically found in social media that offer sound advice based on common goals) to learning how to hustle the “mum-muscle”, the white paper titled Global Motherhood: Unity In The Divide observes mum’s most honest, inner emotions in relation to consumption and spending behavior, revealing:

· The dynamics of “Mumtectonics” – the external influences that collide with internal pressure to create either fissures or majesty in her mum style.

· What makes a “good mum” - all global mums struggle with the concept of self-love, with Indian mums being 36 times more likely than Australian mums to say “my child always comes first”.

· Why 2/3 of pregnant women and mums are disappointed with a brand or product they bought for the care of their child, and how building mum’s confidence early on is key.

· The magic data diet of U.K. and Australian mums: they are 66 times more likely to say it’s best not to consume too much information during pregnancy as it causes them stress.

· The fact that 81% of global mums state that other mothers are the single biggest influence on the brands they buy, with 79% say they regularly give mums or mums-to-be purchasing advice, it’s like a civic duty!

· Why transport items such as buggies are second in line in all countries except India, Colombia and China (due to infrastructure), while toys, clothes and accessories are up for spending scrutiny.

· The value of catching Z’s - Mums report being 46% more interested in sleep than sex. Incredibly, mums say they worry 30% more about household duties than their post-baby relationship. Want to get frisky with her? Try folding the laundry.

· Parenting skills and the size of the prize: which do mums value more: speed or depth of development? 79% of Colombian mums actually say too much exposure to technology is bad for kids while 60% of Chinese mums seek ways to incorporate more technology at an early age to amplify learning.

“Frank About Women is a global think tank with a mission to make communications more effective, relatable, and enjoyable for both advertisers and women. With this white paper, we investigate the far-from-obvious, challenge assumptions, and deliver provocative insights and ideas that help brands build meaningful relationships with global mums.” – Shaun Stripling, Chief Strategy Officer, MullenLowe U.S. (Winston-Salem) and Global Director, Frank About Women. 

Frank About Women began 14 years ago by MullenLowe with a mission to help marketers better understand how to connect with women through effective, creative communications. The global motherhood study is the first international piece of research from Frank About Women that aims to inform and direct marketers with proprietary knowledge and insight on how to better connect with expectant, first time, and new mothers in the six markets of focus.  Previous content with insights delivered from Frank About Women include how technology, social media and influencers play in a woman’s life and how it impacts her ‘gut instincts’. All prior whitepapers and research can be found on Frank About Women along with  ‘Frank Flashes’ and other thought leadership pieces from the global team.