US Moms – Current Consumer Trends
Like all consumers, today’s moms are navigating rapid societal change. As family planners and gatekeepers of their children’s purchases and online content, their influence as consumers is more significant than ever. Balancing the demands of work, family and personal aspirations, they seek brands that understand their unique challenges and priorities. But the permutations of individual circumstance and possible economic futures mean that brands must also be agile enough to meet moms’ changing expectations.
How to Market Effectively to US Moms
Moms are not a monolith; from educational priorities to marketing strategy to the signifiers of trust in social media influencers, their needs and preferences vary widely based on factors like age, financial situation and values. However, common themes include: a desire for convenience that frees up mental space, a focus on their children’s future success and a cautious approach to digital content and advertising. Brands that succeed in connecting with moms are those that position themselves as allies, not just for their immediate needs, but also for the future their children will grow into.
Key Areas Covered in the Report:
- Market dynamics affecting moms
- Best marketing practices and messaging to capture their attention
- Moms’ social media habits and concerns about the content their children see
- How moms shop for their children
- Changing perspectives toward fashion and beauty after motherhood
- Moms’ educational priorities for their children
- Significant differences in attitudes and behaviors between dads and moms
- Innovation and marketing examples
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report is written by Hiro Takemasa, Senior Consumer Lifestyles Analyst at Mintel. Hiro draws from more than a decade of experience in marketing, R&D, regulatory and market research in CPG and specialty chemical industries. Hiro has an MBA in Marketing & MS in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois.
Moms, reacting to the fast pace of societal change, need help and understanding from brands, from time and mental load management to guidance on their children’s future.
Hiro Takemasa
Senior Consumer Lifestyles Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions for a stable economy, with uneven burdens
- Opportunities
- Understand moms’ diverse needs to move beyond convenience for convenience’s sake
- Join and foster “kid-friendly” online ecosystems
- Partner with moms to define and shape their kids’ future
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Moms’ labor force participation has more than recovered since the pandemic
- Graph 1: moms’ labor participation rate, by marital status and age of child, 2019-24
- Expenditures vary greatly by age of children and household makeup
- Graph 2: consumer unit average annual expenditures, by household makeup, 2023
- Potential changes to the Child Tax Credit and its effects on families
- Moms by the numbers
- Moms are steadily having children later in life
- Graph 3: mean age of mother, by birth order, 2016-23
- Graph 4: percentage of first births, by age of mother, 2016-23
- Implications of older motherhood
- Moms of children under the age of 18 decreased by nearly one million since the pandemic
- Graph 5: number of co-resident mothers of children under the age of 18, by age of mother, 2019-23
- Graph 6: number of co-resident mothers, 2019-23
- Total number of families declines, average family size stays the same
- Graph 7: families with children under 18, 2013-24
- Graph 8: average number of own children under 18 per family, by type of family, 2013-23
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Principles of mom-approved advertising
- Maintain TV’s reputation as a safe advertising platform for kids products
- “TV ads” hold a significant legacy advantage
- Graph 9: all moms – acceptable marketing towards their children (any rank 1-3), 2025
- Moms’ acceptance of TV due to its perception as a safe platform for kid’s ads
- Graph 10: employed moms – acceptable marketing towards their children (any rank 1-3), by work from home status, 2025
- Platforms must curate ads, advertisers must choose platforms to create a legacy of parental approval
- Busy moms focus on immediate and definite benefits
- Moms self-report a preference for straightforward discounts and educational content
- Graph 11: all moms – most attention-grabbing marketing (select up to three), 2025
- Gen X moms prefer discounts over social media and interactive marketing
- Graph 12: moms – most attention-grabbing marketing (select up to three), by generation, 2025
- Younger gens have nuanced requirements for representation
- Graph 13: moms – most attention-grabbing marketing (select up to three), by race and ethnicity, 2025
- Financially struggling moms prioritize discounts over all else
- Graph 14: moms – most attention-grabbing marketing (select up to three), by financial situation, 2025
- Commuting moms want to make the most of their time
- Graph 15: moms – “educational or informative content” as most attention-grabbing marketing, by working situation, 2025
- Realistically depict relationships between moms and their children
- Graph 16: moms – enjoyable topics of conversation with children – part I, by age of son, 2025
- Graph 17: moms – enjoyable topics of conversation with children – part I, by age of daughter, 2025
- Target shared interests during peak child age groups
- Graph 18: moms – enjoyable topics of conversation with children – part II, by age of son, 2025
- Graph 19: moms – enjoyable topics of conversation with children – part II, by age of daughter, 2025
- The shift to digital interests such as social media occurs in early teens
- Relationships with social media and social media advertising
- Moms gravitate towards visual and video-centric platforms
- Graph 20: social media sites used daily, by moms vs all, 2025
- Facebook maintains its popularity between generations
- Graph 21: moms – social media sites used daily, 2025
- Influencers’ relatability outweighs expert credentials
- Graph 22: all moms – social media influencers’ indicators of trust, 2025
- Get creative to win over moms who distrust “influencers”
- Graph 23: all moms – do not trust social media influencers, by select demographics, 2025
- Peach & Lily campaign addresses overt influencer commercialization by sending unbranded samples
- Shopping for their children
- For many product categories, a quarter of moms purchase whatever their child requests
- Graph 24: all moms – degree of input from child on purchases, 2025
- As children age, moms tend to take input from their children
- Graph 25: all moms – categories with total or significant input from children, by age of children in household, 2025
- Family vacations prompt new product searches as much as starting a new grade at school
- Graph 26: all moms – events that trigger new product searches, 2025
- Keep experiences central when messaging educated moms
- Graph 27: moms – events that trigger new product searches, by education, 2025
- Differentiate messaging for enrichment vs necessity
- Graph 28: moms – events that trigger new product searches, by financial situation, 2025
- Approach to beauty and fashion after motherhood
- Almost two thirds of moms spend as much money and time on beauty routines as before they had children
- Graph 29: all moms – changes in approach to beauty and fashion, 2025
- White space or give me space? Older moms maintain beauty and skincare spending but want comfort fashion
- Older moms pivot towards utility and value in fashion but do not reduce their BPC spend
- Graph 30: changes in approach to beauty and fashion, moms by generation, 2025
- Social media influence in BPC depends on generation, finances and work status
- Graph 31: moms – seeking advice from social media more after children, by select demographics, 2025
- Educational priorities for their children
- Adaptable and general skills win out over traditional academics
- Moms who have experienced financial hardship know the value of adaptability
- Graph 32: moms – attitudes towards further education, by financial situation, 2025
- Segment educational messaging by the age and education level of mom
- Tailor educational content for diverse parenting perspectives
- Even highly-educated moms emphasize practical skills over multi-discplinary academics
- Implications of a rapidly evolving economy on continuing education
- Significant differences between moms and dads
- Modern parenting emphasizes shared responsibilities, but gender conventions remain
- Moms prioritize the essentials, while dads focus on interests
- Graph 33: parents – events that trigger new product searches, by moms and dads, 2025
- Division of household mental labor may allow Dads to focus more on information-dense messaging
- Graph 34: parents – most attention-grabbing marketing (select up to three), by moms and dads, 2025
- Dads are more comfortable with online, targeted ads
- Graph 35: parents – top acceptable marketing approaches towards their children (any rank 1-3), by moms and dads, 2025
- Dads spread their social media use over more sites
- Graph 36: parents – social media sites visited daily, by moms and dads, 2025
- Dads respond to signals of expertise
- Graph 37: parents – social media influencers’ indicators of trust, by moms and dads, 2025
- Balancing demographic targeting with the diversity of parenting
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Nike’s “Why Do It?” addresses young teens and parents who are challenging everything
- Mintel Spark concept – FairNest: Equity Coaching & Resource Platform
- Moms have unique needs that inspire innovations in BPC
- Incorporate critical thinking and communication building into family activities
- YouTube continues to invest in policy and innovations to keep its content safe for children
- Parents are sensitive to links to sexuality and child labor
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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