The truth about mums

The truth about mumsChallenging our myths about marketing to mothers

million women 18

Source: 2011 Census

60 hours of chat and coffee

865 Women with children under 16

4.8m monthly visitors

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Mumsnet community

Source: IPSOS/Saatchi & Saatchi quantitative research, Nov 2013

Only

19% believe there are any examples of mums in advertising that they can

relate to

“Here's a newsflash for all you advertisers.

Please, I realise you all have targets to make,

stereotypes to depict, money to count,

but treat parents as intelligent people,

not as just a parent”

Source: Mumsnet/Saatchi & Saatchi qualitative research, 2013/14

Five myths

Myth #1Motherhood defines mums

Revelation #1

Mothers hate being labeled simply as a ‘mum’

“They won’t remember the things that I

taught them, they will remember the person I

was”


“I would never define myself as a Mum,

of course I am a mum but I like to see myself

as an independent person”


3/10

Only

23%of mothers are happy with people other than their families calling her mum

mothers even agree that they are ‘me first and then a mum’

Motherhood

is a role and

responsibility

not a life

John Lewis: Generations

Myth #2Mums are‘practically perfect in every way’

Revelation #2

Mothers ridicule perfection

74%

say they have ever met a perfect mum


of mums agree that they aren’t perfect but they aren’t trying to be

Only

9%

“We all suck the stains out of their rugby shirts

and pack them back in the bag because we forgot

to wash them.”


It’s messy out there –

but in a good way

Persil: Dirt is good

Myth #3Mums are prudes

Revelation #3

Mothers often have a dark and sometimes dirty sense of humour

Only

30%


say that motherhood has made them more mumsy

say that motherhood has made them more reserved

Only

28%


“Just because I’m a mum it doesn’t mean

I’ve had a humour bypass operation”

“It doesn't make me less of a mum with what

comes out of my mouth! I swear, make jokes, and

talk about sex more than the average person and

it has absolutely no effect on my parenting skills.”

Example

Stop treating her like a child

Old Spice ‘Old Spice made a man of my son’

Myth #4Dads are

sideshows in the

parenting department


Revelation #4

Dads are full partners in

parenthood and increasingly seen

to pull theirweight


60%

Only

25%

say their partner is just as involved in parenting

of mothers think that their partner isn’t doing enough around the house.

“The bumbling husband, clever wife adverts are

just cringe-worthy. They were probably funny a few

years ago but now it’s just another stereotype and a

boring one at that”



“I am not the only parent in my household

there happens to be an adult male living here too

who was equally involved in the creation of the

small people. He is a fully functioning, responsible

adult who is perfectly capable of being with – not

looking after or babysitting his children”

Parenting matters to Dads and Dads

parenting matters to Mums

Robinsons – ‘Pals’

Myth #5Motherhood is a

life of unrelenting

drudgery

Revelation #5

Motherhood is the most fun you can have with your clothes on


60% say that the best fun they have is with their kids

say that their kids are more fun to spend time with than most of the adults they know60%

Why can’t we recognise that being a mum

can just be fun?

The mum label hides the fault lines running through

motherhood

MUM

Business

The truth about mums