In her article “Market Focus: Expectant Mothers,” Sharon Cole explores the challenges presented to the marketers whose business is concerned with expectant mothers. Cole emphasizes the fact that time for impacted this target market is rather limited. Thus, she suggests, it is necessary to target pregnant women in an extremely effective way and to do it very fast (Cole). Cole remarks that the target group has only nine months to make preferences, and the marketers cannot afford to waste their time. What is good, Cole notices, is that the target market is huge and constant.
According to Cole, the best way to get pregnant women interested in a product is to send samples directly to them. This tip works even better if sampling is provided by a person working with the expectant mother, like a health care facilitator or a registered nurse (Cole). By providing samples, companies create a way for future cooperation. Frequently, expecting mothers do not think about some products for them and the future baby until they see a sample.
Expectant mothers need prenatal vitamins, cosmetics items (new shampoos or deodorants induced by changes in the organism), baby items (pacifiers, items for skin care, diapers), and clothes adjusted for their condition. As many women combine expectancy and work, it is crucial to provide them with the items which will make them stay stylish during this important life period. Cole remarks that modern women do not intend to hide their state. On the contrary, they want clothes that will emphasize their beautiful forms cutely and stylishly (Cole). Thus, creating trendy clothes for pregnant women is a great prospective business opportunity.
Kristen May advises on impacting the target market in her article “How to Market to Pregnant Women.” The author suggests several strategies that can help marketers to get expecting mothers interested in their product.
First of all, May suggests, it is necessary to employ appealing images. Therefore, to get the potential consumer curious, one needs to make the product appealing. May recommends clothes as an example: baggy and boring items are not preferred by pregnant women. Rather, they like fashionable items that emphasize the beauty of their condition.
Another clue given by May is to propose items providing comfort. Thus, using vocabulary which describes convenience and relaxation will draw the attention of pregnant women. Additionally, pictures showing how happy others feel using a product have a great effect on the target market. For working expectant mothers, an opportunity to relax after work is one of the key drivers for buying a product (May).
May also recommends exploiting the nesting instinct when persuading women to try a product. As this instinct is connected with women’s need to prepare the house for the future baby, this is the time to sell things that might be needed. May remarks that the desire to get everything in order makes women susceptible to campaigns promoting cleaning products and items for the nursery.
Finally, the author emphasizes the importance of advertising not only for expectant mothers. May notices that husbands are ready to do anything to make their pregnant wives feel better and keep their spirits high (May). Thus, she suggests emphasizing words like stress-free and comfortable in the adverts. By doing this, according to May, marketers will convince men to buy things that will make their women happier.
Ej Dickinson’s article “Dear Maternity Clothes: Please Stop Being So Ugly” is dedicated to the problem of finding stylish maternity garments. The author is frustrated about the fact that clothes for pregnant women are not created to be stylish. Dickinson mentions how unpleasantly surprised she was when she started looking for cute maternity clothes but failed. Most of such garments, as Dickinson remarks, are of poor quality and style. Also, they have strange accessories like stripes or bows which are not at all pretty (Dickinson). Instead of making a woman look pretty, these details make an ugly impression, Dickinson says.
The author analyzes some of the garments designed for expectant mothers and keeps wondering why they are so terrible. Dickinson emphasizes the importance of looking and feeling great during pregnancy and sadly concludes that it is rarely possible. Any woman, especially when she is working, expects to hide as much inconvenience of her condition as possible. Instead of looking fat and clumsy, expectant mothers wish to make an impression of blissful happiness with their pregnancy (Dickinson). They want their colleagues or friends to see how comfortable their clothes make them feel. Reaching this goal, Dickinson remarks, is a complicated issue.
In her article, Dickinson is trying to remind the clothes producers that pregnancy does not equal asexual. Whatever a woman’s condition is, she always wants to look and feel ladylike. Women wish to look elegant and emphasize their beauty. At work, they want to feel comfortable but at the same time to look businesslike and stylish. The present state of things, Dickinson emphasizes, is far from satisfactory. Thus, it offers a lucky chance for business owners who want to win the sympathy of this target market.
Works Cited
Cole, Sharon. “Market Focus: Expectant Mothers.” TargetMarketing, 2017. Web.
Dickinson, Ej. “Dear Maternity Clothes: Please Stop Being So Ugly.” Racked. 2016. Web.
May, Kristen. “How to Market to Pregnant Women.” Houston Chronicle, 2017. Web.