Making the Holiday Worth More than just Tax-Free

The purpose of the tax-free holiday is to stimulate sales and lessen the financial impact on consumers. For some states, it comes just in time for back-to-school shopping. Consumers, especially moms, are very receptive to messages during this time as they look for the best deals on items their household needs and/or desires.

As I prepare to potentially take advantage of Massachusetts' tax-free holiday this weekend, I noticed that many of the big name retailers are highlighting similar low prices on back-to-school supplies. After looking at three of these offers, I realized there is no point of differentiation between them. So, how can retailers differentiate themselves from the rest? Some retailers are finding ways by offering:

• Additional discounts on specific items/brands

• To take early orders

• Additional lines dedicated to layaway purchases

In differentiating themselves, retailers are maximizing their sales potential. For some retailers, in states that have already had a tax-free holiday, approaches like the ones above have proven to be successful.

Below are a few articles on how retailers prepare for the tax-free holiday, and the success others have found.

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/BIZ/808140310

http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/07/29/article/retailers_prepare_for_tax_free_weekend

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080804/NEWS/808040353/1042/NEWS/Retailers_seeing_green_after_tax_holiday

We Listen To Moms

Lucid is conducting another survey, and we'd like to request moms' participation. This anonymous survey is about helping companies better understand moms' needs and preferences. By taking 5 minutes to answer 18 questions you will be giving us key insight into what you do online. Also, your participation will help real families in serous need. We will be donating $5 for every 10 people who complete this survey to St Jude Children's Research Hospital. It's a great way for you to help out a wonderful charity. We know how valuable your time is and sincerely thank you for your help. To participate in the survey, go here: www.WeListenToMoms.com.

I Spy....Babies & Pregnant Women Everywhere

It looks like we may have a new baby boom in this country. According to The National Center for Health Statistics, "Early numbers report 4,315,000 births in 2007, the highest since 1957." You can read more about that here. Having one of these 2007 babies in my own home, I started to notice women sporting bumps of their own on every corner. Now that my son is eight months old, I see the strollers and baby carriers everywhere. But clearly, it's not just my own focused attention. For the first time in over forty years, we're experiencing a baby boom.

Marketers should be paying close attention to this boom, because as we know, moms carry a lot of purchasing power, and these new moms are not our parent’s Baby Boomer generation. This new generation goes by many names. These moms are late Gen Xers, Yers and Millennial Moms. They are the V (virtual) Generation. But moving past the labels, these new moms shop online, can’t survive without their cell phones, and personalize their social network profile with oodles of baby pictures. They are savvy consumers, and know when they’re being marketed to. They have a powerful voice, and use the ever-growing mix of new technology out there to express their opinion. This young generation is not afraid to speak up about what they think—not at work, not at home, and especially not when it comes to their new babies. And now, these women are buying more products than they ever thought they would need with less time and sleep.

So how do brands market to this new wave of mommies out there? A lot of brands are moving toward the philosophy of brand transparency, and having an open and honest dialog with their consumers. They are incorporating Web 2.0+ technologies such as social networks, online widgets and texting campaigns to better engage this segment. In addition to these new mommy behaviors, new moms are still looking for relevancy and convenience. Their lives are crazier than ever, so they “demand” a smooth user experience to help them accomplish everything they have on their plates. It will be interesting to watch how this new generation of moms shapes the brand experience. Marketers will have to move quickly to keep pace with their evolving lifestyles and family needs.

drawings of moms today

As readers of lucid marketing's writings know, the way in which marketers often apply segmentation labels is a pet peeve of mine. I believe what happens when marketers toss around and focus on segmentation labels, they get lazy on the real issues and how to connect with their audience. This is particularly true when these labels are applied to mothers. Paying attention to behaviors and attitudes, and minimizing labels is more useful. A way I've attempted to communicate this is by showing how different moms are.

A random group of people were asked to draw a picture of today's mom in America.

Is Mommyblogging Still a Radical Act?

If you are wondering what discussion sessions are like at BlogHer'08, Lindsay has solved it for you. She moderated and recorded the entire "Is Mommyblogging Still a Radical Act?" panel. Enjoy. I did as an attendee.