Change the Channels to Reach the Millennial Mom

There are more than 10.8 Millennial moms in the U.S. and this influential demographic is growing rapidly. They look at food, shopping and family from a very different perspective. The days of standing next to mom and learning to cook are over. Millennials learn to cook from YouTube.

Meal decisions happen hours before the meal and often aren’t planned. So how do Millennial moms decide what’s for dinner? They seek inspiration from Pinterest, enjoy “creative” cooking and tend to shop for groceries as needed, according to a BarkelyUS study.

YouTube and Pinterest are non-traditional channels for many grocery stores where FSIs, circulars and in-store promotion have long driven shopper engagement. It’s a brand new world where technology, data and social media play a role in what’s for dinner.

So what does this mean for grocery stores looking to reach Millennial moms?

Communications need to be real time

She doesn’t want to be over-communicated to and everything sent to her should be highly targeted. So knowing that "what’s for dinner" happens only a few hours before dinner is an opportunity to show you understand this new way of thinking.  Push recipe ideas only a few hours before dinner time.  Drive her to your mobile app to deliver timely content to her.

Integrate social into the shopping experience to deliver the content she wants

Millennial moms shop with smartphone in hand. She’s interested in natural ingredients, the impact on the environment and sustainability with products she buys. She wants you to provide clarity of information, like how and where ingredients come from. Integrate social into the store experience by providing signage, QR codes and other methods to link product to online content. Showcase Pinterest signage near ripe, red tomatoes that link her to recipes.

Be her cooking instructor

YouTube is a great platform for reaching her and creating stories that will resonate. She’s an eager student who wants to be a great mom and feed her family right. How-to videos for produce selection, tips for cooking, and engaging recipes will help drive traffic and sales to your store. And don’t just house these videos on YouTube. They are a perfect piece of content to place on your Facebook page and are great companion items to offers, in-store events and other content you are streaming.

Treat Pinterest as a branded magazine

Millennial moms are looking for you to embody your brand and show how you fit in her life. Content doesn’t have to be strictly in your category.  The Millennial mom loves quality time with family and child. Cooking is a great way for her to create teaching moments for her child -- measuring ingredients is an instant math lesson. And the origins of foods like sweet potatoes and quinoa make for great content that can teach culture and healthy eating.

And remember to post multiple times a day, seven days a week to reach her. Topics like food have most activity on Saturday and Sunday. Also don’t forget to have multiple boards to satisfy the Millennial Mom's diverse needs: ethnic foods, finger foods, birthday party planning or baby showers.

Just remember to give her genuine and valuable content on the channels of her choice.