Charlotte Summers quote

Mumsnet facilitated a close and engaged community who look to each other for support. Now, we’re about to see another shift, triggered by Generation Z parents. This is the generation of not just digital natives, but social and mobile-first ‘Mumlennials’ who are starting to have their own kids. Their needs and demands are very different to those of previous generations.

Babycenter research has recently investigated the habits of Gen Z mums. These are mums who seek support and connection, who are used to social media community and engagement, and who are actively seeking to tap similar groups of likeminded people as they reach such an important new life stage.

They’re also, unlike their predecessors, more open to content marketing techniques and brand-first content that can help them approach motherhood. For brands looking to engage with these new mums (and dads), this should be music to their ears.

We’re already starting to see the first brands looking to connect with this audience. Yoplait has just launched the MomOn campaign in the US, leveraging the discussions about breastfeeding in public, with a TV ad and community engagement involving the vloggers #Imomsohard. It’s a smart evolution of the ‘real parenthood’ approach, along with the rise of the Mommy Blogger.

So how can more brands give this audience what they want, in terms of community and connection? We’re likely to see more brands looking to ‘get real’ with parents and acknowledge that becoming a parent can be both tricky and rewarding. In terms of channels and media planning, brands need to move with these parents’ habits - whether it’s browsing their mobiles for content at 2am during an early feed, or surprising them with valued proximity-triggered offers. Their openness to content marketing also means brands can build deep connections by providing tips and advice. Gen Z Mum is likely to spur household brands on again to develop smarter, more engaging strategies to truly resonate with the experiences and challenges of modern parents.

Charlotte Summers is media planning group head at Equimedia