Industry Insights and Statistics

Get to know the parent-and-family market better. Partners Marketing offers you some food for thought as you reach out to moms. For ongoing insights, sign up for our online newsletter.

Mom is responsible for $1.7 trillion in spending each year.

Marketing implication: She's not just picking out clothing and groceries. She's
making decisions in every category, from travel to the family car and big-screen TV.

35 million moms are spending time online.

Marketing implication: Mom is using the internet for support, guidance and
community. She relies on social networking sites to stay connected and get new ideas. And she's a big texter. All this makes Mom a marketing word-of-mouth powerhouse. And she's not just talking about baby gear—she's talking about financial services, personal care, healthcare, entertainment and more.

When our nation was founded, there were 2.5 million residents. Now there are 307 million with 4.2 million births expected this year.

Marketing implication: This huge population increase is the reason behind continual new product introductions. While the population has multiplied, so have approaches to raising children. There's an audience for everything—you just have to find it. That's where smart segmentation comes in—it's the only way to get the right offer to the right household.

18,764 families have eight or more children (although this year the rate is a more manageable 2.1 children per family household).

Marketing implication: Super-size your target. Multi-member households should be on your list for product promotions and discounts. It's likely that these families are seeking significant savings. But once they're hooked, there's a lot more brand loyalty and greater lifetime value to follow.

Last year, 38,568 births occurred outside hospitals.

Marketing implication: Of course, that means 99% of babies are born in a hospital setting. So you can reach out to expectant and new moms within the trusted environments of their hospitals, OB/GYNs or midwives, and pediatricians' offices with confidence. Make sure these influencers are part of your strategy.

In 2008, nearly half of all kids under age five (47%) were members of a minority group. More than half of those are Hispanic.

Marketing implication: Be sure to speak to these kids' parents, too. Translate your messages, make sure they resonate culturally and consider relevant offers, so you don't miss out on a big slice of your audience. Building models for these minority markets will help you choose the right channels and craft the right messages and offers.

9.8 million single women live with children under age 18.

Marketing implication: In many homes, Mom truly is doing everything—working, cleaning the house and caring for children. She is stretched to the limit and is desperate for products or services that will allow her more time with her family. She's also looking for ways to get the best value for her dollars. While these moms greatly appreciate and benefit from relevant product offers, you'd better make it quick. She doesn't have time to dig into research and product comparisons or read through fluff.

The average time between births is 2.9 years.

Marketing implication: Get to Mom early if you want to build brand loyalty—when the second baby comes, she'll be less likely to test new products. In fact, parents of babies are 10% more likely to try a new brand than parents of toddlers and older kids. Once she has two, she's more likely to go with what's tried and true. If you want to grab her attention, you and your message need to be right on target. It helps to be aware of Mom's stages within your customer database, so you can anticipate her next life stage and be there with offers she wants.

It's estimated that there are 140,000 stay-at-home dads.

Marketing implication: Today's dads influence purchase decisions at a variety of levels. Some are staying home to care for the kids, others are single parents and there are more and more super-involved dads than ever before. The result? Dads are an untapped, growing audience that need to be on your radar, even if Mom probably hasn't stepped out of the decision-making picture. As an added benefit, dads might give you more time simply because this is new to them, and they haven't been overwhelmed with offers in the past.