Spreading the word campaigns

When we talk to clients about spreading the word campaigns we like to be clear about what we’ll achieve by the end of the campaign. Spreading the word is just that, getting a message out there through word of mouth. Because of the advent of the internet and social media that might also now include Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest and other networks that pop up and create communities around them.

Social media is in essence just a way of amplifying what you might say to one mum at the school gate or to your neighbour over the fence. The message is the same but you can now say it to thousands of people at the same time instead of just one. At MumPanel we think it’s important that any spreading the word campaign takes account of a mum’s natural journey, so if they’ve never used facebook then we just want them to concentrate on the places they do speak to other mums – playgroups, their gym glass or their kid's swimming lesson. It’s also worth keeping in mind that different mums have different paths – some of our mums will never use social media, some practically live on it. If you want to market to mums then you have to speak to all influential audiences, not just the ones who are part of the latest marketing channel.

So where does spreading the word fit into marketing? If we hand out samples and use our hub mums and bloggers to talk to mums about a product will there be a sudden rush to the shops? Maybe. We need to positively impact customer behaviour so they take action and buy – we can do this by creating brand awareness and flagging up information for mums as they move towards their purchasing journey. Spreading the word should happen pretty early in the information giving cycle and continue so mums are constantly kept aware of a product in a very human way. But spreading the word shouldn’t happen in isolation – the best campaigns are part of an integrated approach (with clear objectives). After all what’s the point of spending time and money spreading the word about a great product only for our mums to be unable to find it in the supermarket because of poor point of sale? That’s an easy way to make mums instantly forget about your product. If you want to create a strong spreading the word campaign you need to start with objectives, be clear about what you want from it and then back it up with a great product or service and clear messaging.

If you’d like to know more about spreading the word campaigns with MumPanel then leave a comment below or drop us a line.

Should you listen to your customers?

Last week I went along to The Talk of Manchester to meet up with other North West businesses. The day rounded off with a panel of successful business people including Jennie Johnson (Kids Allowed) and Tim Bacon (Living Ventures Group) taking questions from the floor. One of the questions directed to Tim was whether he listened to what his customers had to say about his business. His response was very interesting, in a nutshell he said that if he listened to what every single customer had to say he'd become completely bogged down in it and it would take up all his time. Instead, he prefers to watch what his customers do, rather than what they say to him. There were a few gasps from the audience but he has a valid point. He did qualify his statement by saying that he does customer research, and takes note of what they say but he was emphasising the older adage of  'actions speak louder than words'.

We work in lots of different ways when it comes to research, sometimes (for easy to answer questions) we might just do a survey of mums. But often we need to dig a little deeper and that might take the form of opinion pods or lab testing. That allows us to both listen to what mums are telling us but also observe their behaviour and actions. For example, we recently did some lab testing with children who play on immersive worlds such as Moshi Monsters. We consistently heard from mums that they were concerned about the safety of their children when playing online. Then we sat in lab testing and watched several children quickly find and use the chat facility on some games, an aspect some mums didn't even know was there.

So many things skew what comes out of our mouth - the expectations of others (so maybe what we as mums think we should be saying or doing), thoughts others have put in our heads (from media to next door neighbour) or the difference between perceived and actual reality. We have to be masters of behavioural observation to gain real insight, to understand everything that isn't being said as well as the words we are hearing and the actions we are seeing.

That doesn't mean we can stop listening, we can gain information from asking the right questions, we just have to know when to go digging for more.

By Lynne

Supermarket sweep – mum insight

The battle of the supermarkets is a constant rumble in our lives, two years ago Tesco were shining bright but this week announced their first profit fall in years and a £1billion recovery plan. Part of that plan is to respond to the increasing amount of shoppers spending their grocery money online. And who are the shoppers they want to target? Mums.

Earlier this year we carried out an extensive MumPanel research project looking at mums views and attitudes towards using the web*, for grocery shopping and other tasks such as using social networking sites and finding information on products. Well over a third of mums frequently shopped for groceries online and only around 15% had never used the internet for food shopping. You can see the results in the graph above.

The insight we gather from that is that supermarkets need to keep a careful eye on what’s happening online and how to appeal to mums but they can’t forget about what’s happening in store.

Last year we worked with Morrisons on a project exploring how their baby products and services appealed to mums. They’ve made changes based on some of our recommendations and as part of a wider store refit have improved the shopping experience for mums.

Both Lynne and I live in areas where Morrisons have carried out store overhauls (Warrington and Preston). The biggest changes in the Warrington store have been to the entrance and ease of getting around the store – vital things for time pushed mums who want to get to the products as quickly as possible. Foods and sections are now positioned in a way that makes more sense when you are trying to fill your trolley quickly (or meal plan as you go around – something mums do a lot!). There is also a ‘basket section’ at Warrington, meaning lunchtimers and mums can quickly grab a few essentials like lunchbox items for their kids. A good layout and access to products encourages mums to buy more, making store makeovers a win-win for everyone. Morrisons have taken the step of integrating online shopping for kids products in store by introducing Kiddicare pods, a clever move that increases brand awareness and gives in store mums the opportunity to shop online even if they wouldn’t normally.

Asda have their sights set firmly on the mum market. In February this year they launched the Asda Mumdex, a quarterly report containing the opinions and views of nearly 4000 mums on how they feel about their finances, their community and their family. Asda are working hard to re-engage mums with more in store marketing and introducing an app for Android users to make online grocery shopping easier.

We took to twitter and asked some of our mums whether improved in store marketing would appeal to them. Some of the responses were revealing – one mum said this would be ok as long as it didn’t stop her getting on with the shopping. Supermarkets need to remember that mums are busy and shopping is generally something that has to get done, not a relaxing experience (especially not if you have a toddler in tow!). Another mum said it wouldn’t make any difference to her because she’d been let down by Asda service in the past. And that marries with what we heard from the research we did last year on shopping – if mums don’t get decent service then they will go elsewhere. So for example my local Sainsbury’s has recently had a revamp. I love shopping there because I know I can always get everything I need. But on the way back to the mother and baby parking spaces there is a steep sideways slope that is very hard to navigate with a full trolley, toddler and 5 year old. Will it stop me shopping there? No. Would it if something else went wrong? Probably.

It’s worth considering a mum’s day-to-day journey when thinking about what they need and what’s going to keep them in your store. A local supermarket where I used to live kept the baby changing room locked (and you had to pay a deposit for a key). I know why they did this but as a mum who encountered it for the first time with a poo-covered baby and toddler it was enough to ensure I never went back to that supermarket.

With several supermarkets revamping their own brand ranges (including Morrisons M Range and Sainsbury’s giving Little Ones a makeover) we asked our twitter mums whether new packaging makes a difference – we heard the same message back several times. Packaging is part of the appeal but mums are more interested in the actual product – if that works for them then they will go back and try it again.

Waitrose have recently collaborated with Mumsnet to develop their online offering and they do an excellent job of creating a seamless in store and online experience (with some outstanding customer service to back it up). I’ve noticed a change in their email campaigns; making me consider them as a place I might do my regular family shop instead of a supermarket for a ‘special occasion’.

So as the fight for mums continues who will come out on top? If you’d like to know more about how our research and campaigns can help you connect with mums then contact us.


*MumPanel study April 2012. 690 respondents.

Finding and filling the gaps – mum insight

We’ve all had those moments in life when we’ve thought up outlandish inventions or wished for a product that didn’t exist. I found myself doing this more once I became a parent and scouring the internet for the solution to problems I didn’t know I had before my children arrived (do you need to carry a potty around once you start potty training, how do you carry an umbrella and push a pram, how do you sneak vegetables into your children’s diet?).

And if you are trying to sell to mums then how do you stay one step ahead of the competition? You find products that don’t exist that mums want. Spotting trends and understanding what products might appeal to mums is best done through a combination of research and insight techniques. We know from our insight work that new products and services can often develop from an offhand comment by a mum. We also know that developing products quickly through a streamlined research process is important, both to keep up with a fast changing market and to beat the competition to the store shelves.

Because we work with thousands on mums we’re constantly hearing about emerging trends and what they want – if you’d like to know more about how we can help you develop new products or services then drop us a line.

Easter holidays and birthdays – mum insight

We’re in the midst of Easter holidays and Katie’s 5th birthday (Lynne’s daughter) is next week. That means we’ve been on the hunt to find activities to fill the days and some treats which don’t break the bank. Most mums, even if they have disposable income, have to constantly balance financial considerations – the household budget versus buying yet another pair of school shoes, forking out for holiday childcare so they can work, enabling their kids to enjoy the holidays by paying for activities offset against the increased council tax bill they just received.

It’s a constant juggling act, which makes most mums financially savvy when it comes to day to day spends. Take today for example, I took my eldest off to the cinema (ODEON) and the ticket guy tried to sell my one of their loyalty cards (£1.99), the ticket price was about £6.50 and he told me I’d get a free ticket next time. So theoretically, I’d be saving myself £4. But as a busy working mum with young children my opportunities to get to the cinema are limited and I knew there would be terms and conditions attached to when I had to claim the ‘free’ ticket by. In my head I’d be paying £2 for something I might never use. I said no and was met with an expression which combined surliness and contempt ‘she’s obviously no idea what a brilliant bargain this is’. As a marketer, I (erm) marvelled at their excellent customer service but as a mum thought they could have pitched the sale in a much better way - why not offer a paid for card that gives me an automatic treat for my child? Alternatively, a free card, which would encourage me to bring my child to the cinema more (at premium times when I have to buy a full priced adult ticket)? A missed opportunity to tap into the mum market.

I’m off to a birthday party this weekend (Princess and Pirate theme – for 5 year olds, not the adults), always an expensive occupation, buying outfits, gifts and cards. We’ve seen some innovative ways to keep these costs down including getting your child to make a birthday card (also quite handy if you are last minute) and re-gifting unwanted presents (shhh). But sometimes birthdays can be an opportunity for education, Lynne’s daughter has requested a visit to the Imperial War Museum, North at Salford Quays for her birthday as they have been doing a World War 2 project at school. It would be great to see companies developing gift offerings that go a step beyond the expected dolly, book or dvd.

If anyone is looking for something to do this weekend then how about checking out the Imperial War Museum North. They are holding an exciting exhibition for children, Once Upon a Wartime. You can learn all about the true events that inspired books like Carrie's War, The Machine Gunners and War Horse.

And even better our client Soreen are going to be there all weekend handing out free samples. Yum yum!!!

If you’d like to know more about innovating and creating products and services that appeal to mums then contact us.

Why you shouldn't ignore research - The Apprentice

Last night we were glued to BBC1 watching The Apprentice. What had us so interested? The teams were asked to develop a household gadget that would solve a problem and could take a slice of the £10 billion pound homeware market. The boys decided on a home composter but we were much more interested in the girls' team approach. They initially struggled for ideas after nominating Jane (a food manufacturing supplier) over the seemingly more qualified R&D Manager Katie. Finally they focussed on what problems they could solve in the bathroom. Laura said she didn't like being splashed in the bath and the idea of a baby splash screen was put forward along with a protective tap cosy. At this early stage they lacked ideas - and we often find that's not about knowing the market very well - when we do mum insight work we pull on the opinions and thoughts of thousands of mums. Out of this we can come up with product and service ideas that mums love, and are grounded in research rather than what we think 'might' work.

When we're working with companies on new product development we go through a number of testing and reviewing stages including focus groups which is where the girls went next. As they arrived one of the team said they really needed to listen to what the target market wanted. By this stage it was becoming clear that the team was already being influenced by the loudest members of the group - the same thing can happen in companies when one person wants to champion an idea - even if that idea is flawed and the market doesn't want it.

The mother and toddler group were used for focussed research, the ideas of a tap cosy and splash guard were put forward and (from what we could see on the programme) the guard was rejected (can't reach the child, splashing is fun) and the tap cosy was a good idea that mums would buy. On the street research was also done and the conclusions were the same. So they had different types of mums in different settings telling them the same thing (valuable insight both in terms of what mums want and also what they don't like) but as they moved to the design stage they ditched the tap cosy idea because it was too difficult or risky. Despite the market clearly telling them they wanted the product they abandoned it at the first hurdle. Developing a really good product that mums actually want isn't always easy and the companies we work with have to juggle commercial considerations but what's the point of developing a product that the market has clearly told you they don't want.
Katie, R&D manager, made it very clear that she thought there was no point in doing market research if they were just going to ignore it. We couldn't agree more wholeheartedly.

In the end the team member who was fired was the one who contributed the least. She didn't like the splash guard concept and we wondered if she would have been saved if she'd spoken up. We know companies don't work exactly like the Apprentice but it did make us reflect on listening very carefully to team objections during the product development process.

Get in touch if you are currently developing a product or need idea generation for products and services aimed at mums.

Mums are already thinking about summer – mum insight

The first few rays of sunshine have only just appeared in the last few days but along with most mums we are already thinking about summer. Not necessarily about the wonderful long days but more about how it might affect our pockets. After Easter, I’ll have to kit my eldest out in summer school uniform so I’ll be looking for retailers who have multi-buy offers on hardwearing clothes. Lots of mums we speak to tend to bulk buy clothes a couple of times a year (so late summer/early autumn for winter and spring for summer). Anything that helps mums save money is useful – £5 off if you spend £30, buy 2 get a 3rd free. Boots are particularly good at incentivising mums to buy more clothes or buy in bulk, regularly offering buy one item, get one half price – it would be great to see their range extend beyond 5-6 years. Marks and Spencer have obviously picked up on when mums might bulk shop as they have a well-timed online sale this week offering a range of discounted children’s clothes.

This weekend we finally dragged the outdoor toys from the garage and I know they will be well exercised over the Easter holidays (weather permitting). When I speak to other mums we hear that kids still love bikes and scooters (and here is some mum insight – I prefer the scooter to the bike because it fits in my car and I can carry it). This summer I’ll have to investigate scooter possibilities for my 2 year old because she just wants to do whatever her big sister does.

Easter is just around the corner and the biggest bugbear we hear from mums is chocolate – they don’t want it! It’s really easy to end up with a house full of sweet treats that you then have to meter out while listening to the begging noises from your kids. We’d love to see a company create a campaign about giving chocolate a swerve for something healthier that still engages children.

And speaking of engaging kids the chat around the school dinner table is all about CHEDDS by Cathedral City. They’ve recently launched a range of three snack-sized treats perfect for lunchboxes, the cheese bricks are a particular hit in Lynne’s house.

Finally we’re not ignoring the budget but others have said it much more eloquently - mums reaction to the budget, and what the budget means for families.

By Nicola