It’s hard to believe that there was a time that I didn’t want to be a mom. I was sure I was more Mary Tyler Moore than Shirley Partridge. And besides the word mini-van sent shivers down my spine. Well, I never got over the mini-van thing but the idea of a hug at the end of the day from someone who smelled of Johnson & Johnson Baby shampoo and Play-Doh well, that got me.

 So I find myself quite unexpected in the most courted category of beings on the planet. Moms. During this economic recession, research shows we have been most affected. And marketers are working desperately to keep me and my cohorts engaged in their brands.

 Certainly every article mentions how a mother’s choices for her family have been altered.  We are shopping at different stores, trying different brands, and cooking more at home. And I have never looked at a grocery circular until the last year.

 But there are brands we hold onto. A friend of mine whose husband was out of work sent him to the grocery store armed with a very specific list while she went to her teaching job. She looked at me and said, “Can you believe he had the nerve to walk in the house with generic Pop Tarts? He certainly won’t do that again.”

 I find it to be true of myself. Some of the 3 for $10 pizza offers in the frozen foods have me feeling the same way. Could this really be as good as DiGiorno?

Our Research and Strategy group conducted a recent survey on brand relationships in these strained times. Just like with any other relationship, there is a strong loyalty to those who got you where you are. The white paper will be posted next week. If you are a marketers’ dream, see how you stack up with other moms. If you are a marketer be astounded. The more things change the more they stay the same.

In a recent national study conducted by Trone, Inc., moms were asked to give their opinions on how well today’s advertisers understand them.  While it may come as no surprise that moms think advertisers could do a better job appealing to them, the extent to which moms feel disconnected to today’s advertising may well shock industry insiders.

Only 14% of moms agreed that advertisers understand what it’s like to be a mom or that advertisers understand the problems they face as a mom.  Furthermore, only 26% indicated that advertising was useful to moms.  The results are in, so what’s an advertiser to do?

While many of today’s attempts to reach out to moms rely on various means of expressing appreciation for the “supermom” or depicting the mom whose life is “picture perfect,” Trone’s research suggests that a more resonant approach would be to simply understand moms more realistically.  That is, to appreciate moms – warts and all - in a way that more fully realizes that moms don’t come in a “one size fits all” variety.

Broadly speaking, today’s moms come in three varieties each representing about a third of the market - the “me first” mom, “kids first” moms and “info first” moms.  While all moms share things in common such as having stress over not being able to get everything done, each type of mom has her own unique challenges and issues. 

Advertisers and the brands they work for would be well-advised to work at understanding these moms in the contexts they find themselves and to speak to them accordingly.  For example, while “me first” moms are likely interested in staying on top of current trends and styles, “kids first” moms would likely find messaging with traditional values appealing.

What may appeal to some of a brand’s moms may hinder others or even impair brand equity.  A brand’s ability to identify the different types of moms who comprise its customer base and optimally connect with each of them will be integral to continued growth.

Oh wait, they also tell them that the way they are taking care of their kids is a fad and that if they don’t do it a certain way that their babies will cry more. Moms may be busy, but they’re never too busy to call out brands that truly don’t understand them.

Click here to see the ad and many video responses posted by upset moms.

Hmm. I can just imagine the line of thinking that went into this ad. Research tells us that moms buy most of the medicines in a home. So lets come up with an ad that talks to them about what challenges they face and how Motrin can be there to help them out. Not in an old fashioned baking cookies and doing laundry kind of way. Let’s make sure we let moms know we understand what the moms of today are like. How about babywearing? You see it everywhere. You know the act of strapping your child on to your body so that your hands are free and you can both provide childcare and accomplish 100’s of other things at the same time.

An okay start. But Motrin forgot one really important step in this line of thinking—how their product relates to the situation and the target. Sure in the vacuum of a board room the idea of carrying around a child can seem difficult and tiring. Possibly even creating a backache or headache. But what the brand forgot to realize is that their target doesn’t mind babywearing. In fact, many see it is a bonding experience. And suggesting that it is a fad, or issue that needs remedy, not to mention a reason these moms cry more is not only off the mark, it’s down right insulting. And the huge outcry by moms through blog posts, videos and playground conversations has created far more bad impressions than good ones.

Marketing to moms is not easy. They are not a unified bunch. But if there is one thing I think I could say about most moms, it is that they take their time with their kids pretty seriously. And that their mama bear instinct of protection goes into full swing if they feel they are being criticized for their way of raising children.

Did anyone at Motrin ever stop to think that maybe the reason more people are using babywearing devices is because it is actually more comfortable, not less?

Click below to see many of the blogs and articles that moms have written in response to the ad.

• Annoyed By Motrin’s New Ad Campaign
• Would You Like Some Insult With Your Pain Reliever?
• Motrin Moms React
• Motrin: The Anti-Mom?
• Motrin’s new ad attacks babywearing, insults moms.

And by the way, Motrin took down the ad and issued an apology.