by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager 

I was very impressed recently with the Earth Mama^® Organics brand by how they connect with their primary shopper – soon-to-be moms and new moms. One of the ways they do this is by offering two sets of plans on their website that appeal to this group – a birth plan and a “lying-in” plan.

I used their birth plan template when I had my first child, but the lying-in plan was new to me (and as a recently new mom…again…I wish I had known about it). The reason I want to tell you about the lying-in plan is because the idea is pertinent to other brands and retailers.
The lying-in period is the time immediately postpartum and up to three months when a mom is bonding with her baby and attempting to recover from childbirth. The Earth Mama Organics lying-in plan is an online form that is filled out prior to giving birth.

The plan includes the basics such as personal information and your doctor’s name and phone number. But it also includes who your top members of your support system will be, what specific jobs they are willing to do, and special notes for them. It lists the mother’s favorite snacks, food, and music. It has a check list of things to do to prepare for the lying-in period along with a list of potential goals.

Now here’s where my retail alarm bells really went off—it also lists the mother’s favorite brands and personal item preferences to best assist her support team when picking up products at the store for her and baby. All of this information is rolled up, and when the mom hits “submit” it spits out a PDF she can print off or email for anyone who asks “How can I help?”.

When I read this, I immediately thought of all the other applications of a plan like this such as those who are going to undergo a surgery and will have a recovery period at home. I thought of family caregivers who are often so overwhelmed and don’t really have a clear roadmap. I also thought of the post-death period when a family is grieving. In all these situations, people have strong needs that involve products, but they don’t always know how to ask.

There must be a savvy manufacturer or retailer out there thinking they could easily do this and incorporate a specialty plan into their website or create a plan app as a value-add to their customers and as a way to facilitate more product sales. Help your customers make a plan to purchase more products!