The pathway to purchase for moms buying snacks can be an emotional, trying journey. The struggle is real. Moms are on the frontlines, fighting the fight, battling against what her family wants vs what she feels is best or “better” for them, what will make her life easier vs what they will enjoy, and so on.
It can be a real quest.
“IF YOUR BRAND MAKES IT ONTO MOM’S SHOPPING LIST—
YOU’RE GOLD. BUT MOST OF THE TIME
MOM’S SHOPPING LIST ONLY INCLUDES SNACKS AS A
GENERAL CATEGORY, RATHER THAN BY BRAND NAME.”
Let’s look at this journey in stages, it will help better identify the needs of mom along the pathway to purchase, therefore assisting marketers on appropriate messaging, tone, and of course, tactics.
Awareness
Mom has to know who you are! If you don’t break through the clutter and at least make mom aware of your snack brand, quite frankly, you’re not even in the game. As marketers, we all know the value of brand awareness, so I won’t belabor the point.
Pre-Shopping Consideration
Now that mom at least knows you exist, in her pre-shopping mode, she has snacking intent on her mind and is actively considering her next purchase. She is either mentally taking note or making a list of what she has on inventory, including the “wants” and “needs” of her family.
She is constantly looking for snacking solutions for her family and is always open to new suggestions. The key word is SOLUTION. How is your snack brand solving a problem for mom? Do you fit into her budget? Are you a “better” or “good choice” for her family? Are you convenient, versatile, and on the go? Are you portion-controlled? Do you have the variety that will satisfy her family? Are you sweet, salty, crunchy? Do you offer something her kids love and she can feel good about buying?
You have to be solving a problem for mom to be in this pre-shopping consideration mode.
In-Store Engagement
If your brand makes it onto mom’s shopping list—you’re gold. But most of the time mom’s shopping list only includes snacks as a general category, rather than by brand name.
Now, in-store activation is key. Options, variety, deals, all surround and influence mom. Balancing budget, what her kids want, what she feels is best in nutrition, taste, etc…it’s a real pressure cooker for mom.
Many factors come in to play here; coupons, in-store deals, promotions, emotions, mood, many of the things listed above. However, one of the key things to consider for the in-store part of mom’s journey is…appetite appeal. People eat with their eyes, long before they ever taste your snack brand. So put a lot of thought, creativity and resources towards your POS. They are key drivers for mom.
The Moment of Trial
Now you’ve made it into mom’s shopping cart and you’re headed for home. This is the time for trial, usage, and hopefully loyalty to your snack brand.
Mom takes on two roles here. First, she decides whether she likes your brand, and second, she observes whether dad and kids like it. She actually cares more about whether her family likes your brand, than whether she does. This will be one of the triggers for re-purchase. Emotionally, she definitely still wants to feel good about what she’s giving her family to snack on, but this is just one of the triggers. Love and appreciation can overshadow this at times. At the end of the day, the family has to love your brand.
Key Takeaways
Your brand marketing, advertising, and in-store initiatives should help mom on her snacking journey—not add to her stress. You must influence and engage mom early and consistently at each stage of her decision making journey, to reach that status of her “Go-to-Snack”.
Quest on, snackers.
