When the producers at Viacom did some market data on their viewers, they discovered an interesting insight.  Moms would often put their children in front of the television to watch shows on Nickelodeon while they cooked, cleaned and did chores around the house, anytime between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.  These mothers would then turn the TV off to put the kids to bed, returning sometime after 10 p.m. to sit in front of the television to relax for a moment, and to unwind from the day.

And the first channel these moms saw when they turned on their TVs?  It was Nickelodeon.

Viacom’s leading executives got creative with this insight and recently launched an effort to connect to these moms through a 2-hour television slot that runs programming geared toward moms from 10 p.m. until midnight (7 p.m. until 9 p.m. PST).  The idea was to capitalize on this routine action by introducing a brand targeted toward these moms during that time slot.  The answer?  NickMom.

But more than just a block of programming, NickMom is also a community. Women who watch the programming in the evening can also incorporate elements of social television, Tweeting and Facebooking about their favorite shows and bringing the channel into their homes on multiple screens.

One tiny insight led to an entire brand strategy overhaul at Viacom.  The insight is a powerful one, too.  Because of school schedules, soccer practices and piano lessons, plus work, many moms do not get to relax until the end of the day.

Marketers can use insights such as this to help their own companies to reach out to moms as well.  In many families, mom might sip a glass of wine to unwind as her family lay resting, sitting on the couch with her tablet in hand as she checks her email, messages friends on Facebook and browses on the online shops from her favorite retailers.  In fact, in 2011, the New York Times published an entire article on the phenomenon of inebriated shopping.  The article notes how companies like Gilt, Sacks, and QVC are capitalizing on the trend, noting spikes in sales around the evening hours, and also noting that the offers sent around these times generate results.  Though the Times article doesn’t specifically limit the tipsy shopping trend to moms, it’s worth noting that the article mentions various types of companies that cater to the female, 18-35 age group.

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Are you a social savvy mom? Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest and Youtube. You name it, we got it!

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Even for moms who do not drink alcohol, the evening is time to relax.  Once dinner is served, dishes are washed and kids are asleep, people are happy, relaxed and ready to spend some time on themselves.  And, in this era of mobile devices, sitting down watching television doesn’t mean you have to quit browsing the Internet – you can browse from your phone, pausing your program at any time to make sure you don’t miss anything.

If you are trying to hone in on moms to help grow your business, perhaps it is worth experimenting with running an evening promotion, sending nighttime email blasts or posting on Facebook later in the evening, after work hours.  If you can reach the mom when she is feeling social and relaxed, you are not only are more likely to inspire a spontaneous purchase, but also to form a positive association between the mom and your brand.

Moms are a very particular target, and in many homes they hold the purchasing power to make decisions as to spending, budgeting and savings.  To learn more about how you can market to moms in order to create brand preference and instill brand loyalty, check out our Florida marketing agency’s recent whitepaper on marketing to moms, which discusses strategies for segmentation, creating appeals and assessing your own brand to determine the right moms for your business.