The Power of Mom conference held at the Woodmead Country Club on the 27th March 2019 was a milestone in the marketing industry. This conference marked the first of its kind in South Africa to focus on the ‘mom-sumer’ whose journey through parenthood changes her buying power from self-centred consumer to the relaxed trusted advisor.
The impressive speaker line-up for the conference included Esti Prinsloo from Nielsen, Anwar Jappie from Google, Gail Schimmel from Advertising Regulatory Board, Jodene Shaer from Chat Factory, Nancy Austin from Minanawe as well as Sarah Britten from Brand Factor. The event was hosted by Projeni Pather, Managing Director of Exposure Marketing, the driving force behind the conference.
“Having interacted with the mom market for the past 15 years, we have seen how the landscape has changed. There are so many details that need to be taken into account when marketing to the ‘mom-sumer’ today. Considering she is responsible for more than 60% of household spend we have to address her individually. In this dynamic economy, marketers need to have the most up-to-date research to communicate with moms effectively. Power of Mom will continue to drill down into this market to bring our delegates creative strategies, case studies and platforms that will push the boundaries of their current plans,” says Projeni Pather, Power of Mom Conference Director.
One of the key takeaways from the conference is that the mom-sumer is ever changing and any brand that wants to engage with her has to create content that interacts with her at every stage of her life, starting even before she becomes a mother. Focusing on making her life easier and evoking feelings of gratitude towards a particular brand are also crucial to a nurturing a lifelong relationship with moms.
The conference also included panel discussions with industry experts from Ogilvy, Grey Advertising and MK Malele Consulting who provided insights into how to create campaigns that appeal to the everyday mom as well as how to extend your market beyond the higher income parent groups. The thought-provoking discussions gave delegates an opportunity to review their current marketing plans with renewed vision.
The Influencer panel on the other hand, tackled intense contractual obligations that have not been previously addressed in an open forum. With up and coming mom influencers on the rise and brands reaching out even more to find the right brand ambassadors, the relationship between marketers and influencers are taking strain. The discussion enabled both influencers and marketers to leave with a better understanding of the expectations from each other. The influencer panel discussion together with the debrief on the new Social Media regulations from Gail Schimmel, CEO of the ARB, the mom-sumer can look forward to more authentic content from brands and influencers.
This first Power of Mom conference provided delegates with the opportunity to extend their minds to the infinite opportunities when marketing to moms, to network with like-minded brands, make new connections, be exposed to the latest research, to find solutions to the challenges and to extend to new mom markets. The organisers have been inundated with new subject matter that needs to be addressed, so make sure you secure your seat for the next Power of Mom conference in March 2020.
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