Mom’s the Word

Baby brands are extending their lines to include moms, while many traditional beauty brands are reaching a whole new audience by targeting pre- or post-pregnancy women.

By Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher

A positive effect of the credit crunch is a new baby boom and this, in turn, is opening up a whole host of new opportunities for the beauty market. Baby toiletries and skin care have always comprised a significant part of the overall personal care sector. Although we are seeing more advances in new product development and many new brands hitting the shelves, it now almost seems to be about the baby by default as this sector of the market morphs into mom-to-be, mom-and-baby and new-mom offers. Brands are realizing that they now have two, or more, bites of the cherry with a (literally) burgeoning audience. We are seeing many more baby brands extending their lines to include moms, while many traditional beauty brands are opening up their offer to a whole new audience by targeting pre- or post-pregnancy moms. Forget baby brain, the sheer amount of new baby-related brands hitting the shelves is enough to boggle any brain.

Beautiful Baby

Johnson’s Baby Lotion is a classic baby-care product that’s been a winner with moms for years. Some may argue that it’s now a bit staid and old-fashioned looking, but Johnson’s has successfully maintained its original portfolio of products by gradually evolving the look by—and excuse the pun—not throwing the baby out with the bath water. The trust and heritage is intrinsic in the simple logo and iconic “no more tears” equity, which has been interpreted for new lines such as Bedtime Bath and Soothing Baby Naturals. But, as with any brand sector, there are new challengers that are trying to better tap into our sensibilities with different product offers and designs.

Johnson’s look grew along with its portfolio.

For many years, within the UK, especially, Boots was Johnson’s only direct competitor. Boots still has its own baby range, but has also now introduced a baby line within its own-brand Botanics naturals range—and with a very different look to the traditional core range. For example, the soothing and nurturing properties of the Botanics Gentle and Mild Baby Lotion (available in the UK only) are reflected in the name. And the packaging is pure and simple with a pretty, but pared-back natural design featuring the frond of a plant and a rubber duck. These sum up the product message: natural and baby. What more does it need? What more do you need to know?

And just as the trend for natural and organic has dominated the female skin care sector of the market, it is an even greater purchasing motivator when it comes to what we put on our baby’s skin. Therefore, it’s not surprising that new, natural skin-care ranges such as Boo Boo and Little Me have been runaway successes. However, few have reached Method with, for example, its Squeaky Green Hair & Body Wash—a fresh and contemporary design, but brilliantly functional with a great ergonomic bottle shape and a lid that turns into a cup to wash the baby’s head.

Baby brands are always looking for ways to attract moms to buy for their baby and, if market growth is any indicator, these moms are continuing to indulge in “necessary” spending splurges. So why not also target moms themselves?

Yummy Mummy Tummies

It just goes to show that it is the iconic brands, however, that still undoubtedly pave the way for the challengers. Johnson’s “Best for baby, best for you” marketing campaign directly targeted the skin care needs of the time-starved mom, encouraging moms to also use their Johnson’s Baby Lotion as a safe and gentle makeup remover. Johnson’s has not yet brought out its own moms range, but many skin-care brands are realizing how loyal their female users are and how they may be missing a trick by not catering to every stage of their life, which does, by and large, include having a baby.

Boots gets its natural message across with a plant frond and a rubber duckie.

Palmer’s, the definitive brand when it comes to cocoa butter body lotions, has just diversified to launch its Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks. Palmer’s has given this product a new structure, but essentially it sits alongside its core range. There is nothing apart from the subtle pregnant woman silhouette to categorically define that this is for pregnant ladies. Palmer’s does seem to be sitting on the fence a little bit. The naming and design don’t scream pregnancy and so would not necessarily alienate consumers who wanted to treat stretch marks caused by other factors. However, they’re not very imaginative, inspirational—or indeed obvious—in terms of targeting the pregnant woman.

I think it’s probably fair to say that, in many cases, the ingredients and composition of the mom-to-be butters, creams and bath soaks may not be much different from those offered by a brand’s core range. It’s a difficult balancing act: to successfully assimilate the new product into the brand family lineup while also packaging differently enough to target the individual and appeal to this specific market. And with so many brands now competing for moms’ attention, they absolutely need to get it just right.

Me, Too

And what about once you’ve actually had the baby? One of the most common problems for new moms is said to be cracked and sore nipples. If the reviews are to be believed, Essential Care’s Organic Nipple Balm does what it says on the tin, but it is a bit dated and worthy looking. It doesn’t necessarily say anything to make you feel good. The psychology and emotion attached to these brands should not in any way be underestimated. With hormones raging and a whole host of delicate beauty and skin problems to deal with in addition to the usual skin and cosmetic dilemmas, brands for moms have to both do the job and make moms feel good.

Method’s lid turns into a cup to rinse baby’s head.

Dr. Lipp has been around for a while, but is still a prime example of sexing up this marketplace with its original nipple cream—now successfully integrated into mainstream beauty with its multi-balm and nipple cream for lips—and is outrageously flirtatious with its signature shocking pink and gray packaging.

With the opportunity for many brands to tap into this market, they need to look at not just what may be appealing to moms, but also what’s appealing to them as savvy, stylish women. It’s about devising
a new visual rhetoric rather than just slavishly following a more tried and stereotypical route when it comes to color, images, naming and the like. Thankfully, a few brands are shaking up this category.

Cowshed has recently added to its world-class spa line with its Udderly Gorgeous range. The design ties in with the heart and values of the core range, but its target is unmistakable. As with all other products, the naming adds a cheeky twist to the classic and sumptuous packaging.

Mama Mio wins moms over with humor.

Mama Mio is another truly notable—and award-winning—brand. Again, it is underpinned with humor, and this perhaps makes post-partum problems easier to deal with—with creams such as cellulite-busting Shrink To Fit and décolletage-firming Boob Tube. But more than naming, the structures are different from anything else on the market, and also use bright colors and contemporary graphics. Mama Mio does not pigeonhole or allude to the fact that it is just for post-pregnancy women, but the message about what the products do is obvious. Maybe this is the appeal and the beauty?

A Pregnant Pause

This is a captive market and while many of the brands currently engaged may be playing to female insecurities and the need for cocooning and nurturing, being pregnant and having a baby does not mean that women lose all sense of style and taste—or, indeed, a sense of humor. If anything, with the pressure from the ultra-groomed and glamorous celeb moms,

Dr. Lipp “sexed up” its nipple cream.

many women are now striving to have the cutest, best-dressed, best-accessorized baby. And, be the best and most yummy mummy that they can be—and they want the products to help complement their new lifestyle.

Most women wear their mom-to-be, new mom and mom badges with pride and want products specifically for them in these roles, but all of us designers and marketers should
stop and think about what we are doing and also appeal to them as women. Yes, it is becoming a mass market, but moms’ expectations are high in every respect—let’s make sure we design practical, beautiful and individual products for them.

About the Author
Jonathan Ford is creative partner of Pearlfisher, a future-focused design consultancy in New York and London. [email protected]