NEW YORK ? Brand marketers must emphasize transparency and emotional relevance in campaigns and communications to win over well-educated, information-hungry millennial mothers, said executives with Hain Celestial Group, parent of Earth?s Best baby food and Celestial Seasonings tea, as well as agency Iced Media during a presentation at the Mobile Women to Watch 2015 Summit. 

In their presentation, ?Connecting with Millennial Moms in the Newsfeed Era,? 

the executives discussed how millennials? making up 83 percent of new moms has made necessary a major shift in marketing communication strategies and tactics to engage the audience. The route to reaching millennial moms on mobile is through their desire to be associated with brands that are transparent and share their values.

 

?If you have a campaign that is purely promotional, your campaign will die,? said Emma Froelich-Shea, chief digital officer, Hain Celestial Group. 

Joining her on the stage was Leslie Hall, cofounder and president, Iced Media.

Brand communications must adapt to reach the most educated generation in U.S. history, which puts education over major life events, the conference was told.

For millennial mothers, adulthood is a state of mind, not a series of milestones and moms are more socially conscious and expect brands to align with their values.

Hain Celestial is known for its devotion to organic, natural products and causes such as healthy eating and safe personal care as well as for pricing that seems realistic and honest, the conference was told. 

Hain maintains local production and follows environmentally responsible manufacturing practices that reduce its global footprint, including no testing on animals. It also is involved in charitable initiatives.

Mobile communication strategies are no longer emerging but essential, the speakers said.

Seventy-nine percent of consumers use mobile devices for shopping. Digital and social touches 100 percent of the purchase decision journey.

Next year one third of all U.S. households will try online grocery shopping for the first time. More than $200 billion worth of consumer packaged goods will be sold online this year.

Millennials, born between 1980 and 1996, account for 83 percent of annual births.

Many prioritize education and career before motherhood and marriage. Thus, marriage is no longer a prerequisite for motherhood. In fact, millennials are delaying marriage, but not motherhood.

The brands and products chosen by Millennial moms say something about who they are. Forty-four percent identify with brands more personally than any previous generation. Forty-eight percent choose brands that support social causes as a cornerstone of their business.

They share their enthusiasms with others. In fact, there is no private endeavor for millennials because they document everything.

When they show allegiance to a brand on Instagram it is more a statement of what they stand for than about the qualities of the brand. 

?More than any previous generation, millennials consider brands they use and the products they buy to be extensions of their own values,? said Ms. Hall. ?They identify with brands more personally than any other generation and choose brands that support social causes.?