Advertising to women part two: How to get MILT (Mothers I’d Like to Target)

Mothers are the holy grail of advertising. They make the majority of the purchasing decisions for their children and many of them are not only the breadwinners in the family, but they also control the household finances. If a company can make a Mom love them, like really love them, then they can achieve brand loyalty gold. Especially because we already know that most women take their purchasing cues from other women. Here are some brands that currently have the Mom market covered.

Dove

According to a new study from YouGov BrandIndex Dove is number one on the list of the top 10 brands that Moms like right now. The competition has always been fierce in the beauty and hygiene market, and it’s hard to stand out. Dove managed to crash through the clutter with their Real Beauty campaign. Females in general loved the confident message about loving yourself, but the message particularly resonated with Moms while they’re trying to raise their children in a looks-obsessed world. A solid product with a great parenting message? Dove has the MILTs hooked.

Craftsman

A home improvement tool company might be surprising on a Mom list, but what’s even more surprising is that they were number one on the list last year. Back to the idea that Mom’s are running most households, it’s only logical that this would include home improvements. Among another competitive market, Craftsman comes off as accessible to a female fixer whether she’s a novice or an old pro.

Cheerios

This was the no-brainer of the list. When it comes to children, don’t poke a Mama bear. And the horrible things that were said in reaction to the Cheerios series of spots featuring an adorable interracial family caused millions of Moms and families to show their support for the brand. In addition to the public support from families of every race, a Tumblr featuring “Cheerios’ Families” garnered thousands of pictures of interracial children and their loving parents. A true Mom will always stick up for a child, even if it’s not their own, and even though the support was accidental, the Cheerios brand came out on top.

The best way to appeal to Mom’s of all ages and households is to meet their needs like any other target. Appeal to their desire to do it all, but empathize with the reality that no one can do it all, and that’s ok. Getting MILTs will continue to be a struggle, but these brands are doing it right.

What brand do you think speaks to you the most?