The Alpha Mom

Chances are you know this woman, or perhaps are just like her - the "Alpha Mom". According to an article by Mintel/Oxyen, the Alpha Mom/woman asserts her role as an influencer, both in and outside of her family role, beyond just being a mom. The Alpha Mom, according to Mintel, is "the holder of power beyond traditional motherly activities" which includes product purchasing in addition to health decisions. This group can't just be targeted as the current norm, as the Chief Purchasing Officer. This woman breaks through boundaries beyond roles or gender - she is multi-dimensional.

From a marketing perspective this group's desire to self-define impacts channel planning. Word of mouth marketing certainly plays a role, but also just getting these mom's to try product and have it in their homes is key-- often Alpha Mom's do not have time to socialize product decisions - and they want to use what they see in other Alpha Mom households. For health decisions this may equate to more in-person word of mouth in addition to the Facebook's of the world.

Alpha Moms are choiceful in their product decisions, often looking for dual purpose products (e.g., hair + skin, baby + adults), and streamlining the number of products they use. This is especially true for repeat-moms or older moms, according to the Living La Vida Rapida survey by AOL and OMD. Increasingly, moms are boasting or posting about how they are streamlining or saving, as thrift is the new chic. Marketers are increasingly targeting this woman. Ninento pre-released their new Wii video game console to Tupperware-style mom parties, and timed the release of Wii Fit around Mother's Day. Kimberly Clark and P&G have created web sites and social media destinations focused on product innovation, coupons and offers.

As I was getting my haircut the other day, there was a heated conversation around childhood vaccinations next to me. Rather than being passive, I jumped right in and offered the "facts" that I knew to debunk the negative myths around immunizations. I know I influenced about 3-5 moms that day, and I felt satisfied by helping them in their decision making. So - I suppose I wear the Alpha Mom badge with honor then - so be it!