Today moms are older and more likely to be Hispanic and single. And because of that our marketing to them has to change. 
A key segment for healthcare marketers is women. Women who are giving birth. Women with young children. And today this segment of the market is very different than they were just a few years ago.
In 1970 one in a hundred births were to women 35 and older. Today it’s one in twelve. According to the National Center for Healthcare Statistics that continues to decline with the number of births falling another 2.6% last year.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the medium age of marriage for women is now 25.9 years old compared to 22 years old in 1980. But marriage is becoming less of a prerequisite for having children. Everyday Health cites that almost 40% of births were to unmarried women. And unlike what one may think, only 23% are to teenagers. Women in their 20’s made up 60% of unwed mothers and 17% were women in their 30s. Just 64% of moms are married – leaving over one-third of moms as single.
Additionally, one in four births are to women who are Hispanic. The number of Hispanic births has risen 95% since 1985 while the births of non-Hispanic women has fallen 3%. A full 20% of moms in the U.S. were not born or raised in this country.
Very interesting stats. And especially interesting to healthcare marketers. Traditional stereotypes of moms are basically out the window now. The faces of moms have dramatically changed and this impacts how we market to moms and potential moms. Who we need to reach and what we need to say is changing. Mediums, tones, styles and content should be re-examined. According to the Marketing to Moms Coalition 42% of moms found ads to be ineffective and 28% found ads directed to moms as fully unappealing!
This creates a tremendous challenge to healthcare marketers. We have to be sensitive to the changing landscape. We have to explore new and different ways to speak to these moms. Their needs are different. Their perspectives and attitudes are different. And our marketing should also be different.
