Captivating Connections.

moms and their media fears.

"While today's moms do worry about their kids succumbing to media's influence and technology overload, such concerns still take a back seat to more traditional issues, according to a new study from Meredith's Parents Network.

After surveying about 1,000 moms nationwide, the study found that while moms are worried about media -- 68% -- and technology -- 45%, far more expressed concerns about peer pressure -- 84% -- their kids growing up too fast -- 81% -- and bullying -- 71%.

The broadly encompassing study also found that despite the economy, 70% of moms will always find a way to afford some items that make their kids happy -- a finding that might reassure retailers this season.

Also in spite of the present recession, 82% of moms reported that their children's standard of living is as good as or better than what they had growing up.

'Moms have a lot to worry about, especially in today's economy,' Dana Points, editor in chief of Meredith's Parents magazine, said regarding the findings. 'What's interesting about today's mom is that despite her worries, she still feels optimistic about the future.'

Believed to hold greater sway over purchase decisions than any member of the household, moms are held in high regard by marketers."

what mommy-women want.

Moms are women too, but according to the “What Women Want Consumer Survey” by Prospectiv, what they want changes when they have kidlets.

The research claims that "more moms than women without children said they did not mind seeing online discounts and coupons for products that interested them, and moms were less likely to report skipping over such offers. Mothers also reported trusting online coupons more than female Internet users without children.

When asked what they would like to see in marketing e-mails, 45% of moms said they wanted information relevant to their lifestyle, and another 21% said they wanted to see 'anything they send me.' Women without children were much pickier: 35% did not want any information at all, while 30% were interested in messages pertaining to their lifestyle."

So, with all the news about FTC regulatation surrounding bloggers, what about Mommy Bloggers?

"There is a lot of buzz around mommy bloggers, but Prospectiv data suggests marketers may be overestimating their usefulness. Just 1% of moms surveyed thought blogs were the most effective way to promote a brand, compared with 47% who favored product samples offered online and 40% who preferred coupons.

Female Internet users without children actually liked blogs better than moms did—but blogs still came in near the bottom of the list."

catch them if you can.

Looking to snag Mom's attention? Go for her while she's on the go.

It may sound counterintuitive (why would she be receptive to you if you're interrupting her while she's trying to be productive), but "according to Scarborough Research, women who are employed full-time and have one or more children spend 21% more on their cellular bills than the average user ($94 for working moms, $78 for all cell phone users). What's more, they are 43% more likely to download content to their phones.

'It's no surprise that anybody who's working these days is technology-enabled,' Howard Goldberg, senior vice president of advertising agency services for Scarborough, tells Marketing Daily. 'It's more important to the working mom because she has to stay connected not only to her work environment, but for her family, too.'

Working moms are also more likely to use their phones for things other than talking. Working moms are 43% more likely to download content to their phones than the average consumer, and their most common Internet practices are downloading coupons, finding local events and paying bills, Goldberg says.

'The cell phone device is used for more than just talking -- she uses it extensively, whether it's downloading coupons, looking up movies online or taking pictures,' he says. 'It's so integrated into her life, she's a prime target for reaching via mobile marketing because she's using it for more than just having a conversation.'

Also, because of an increased amount of time spent in the car going to and from work and to and from children's events, working moms are much more likely to be heavy users of out-of-home media."

it's all about mom.

"In these tight times, teen-clothing retailers are focusing on their core clientele: moms.

Aeropostale is designing new stores with wider aisles to accommodate parents with strollers and more seats to keep them in the store longer. Aeropostale staff also is exhorted to "TTM," or target the mom.

Buckle Inc. is offering personal-shopping appointments outside of store hours to work around parents' schedules. Old Navy is slanting its assortment to stress value as much as glamour.

Aeropostale

'You need to make that mom feel comfortable, because ultimately she's writing the check,' says Richard Jaffe, managing director of apparel and softlines retail at brokerage firm Stifel Nicolaus & Co. "She is the one who is responding to the economic uncertainty, the employment uncertainty."

Stores that attract school-age shoppers have always had to balance the dueling interests of the teen who wears their merchandise and parents who foot the bill. Historically, retailers have gone after the former, relying on teens to persuade their parents to make the purchase. But as the economy stifles consumer spending and crimps kids' budgets, retailers are re-emphasizing their mom-appeal.

'We're cognizant of the mom and the impact that that mom has,' says Tom Johnson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Aeropostale, a New York teen retailer that has built its brand around the dynamic of parents shopping with their kids. Mr. Johnson says meeting her needs 'is critical to our success.'"

Here's the thing though...at that age, haven't moms (or dads!) ALWAYS had the final word by choosing to withhold the allmighty credit card? At least that's how it was for me when I was a teen. Maybe that's how I learned how to be a marketer, or at least tweak my powers of persuassion...sorry Dad (for all those times you were stuck bored at in clothing store listening to me argue the merits of why I just HAD to have that pair of jeans or boots, as well as the laundry list of reasons why they were savvy, smart purchases that YOU should feel good about!).

ladies vs mommies.

Clearly a woman with children looks at the world differently than one who doesn't have a child.

New research drives this point home by highlighting real (and surprising) differences:

"When it comes to online marketing, it turns out that the recession may be creating even more differences between women with and without kids, reports a new study from Prospectiv. 'We knew they'd have different behavior,' says Jere Doyle, CEO of the Wakefield, Mass.-based online performance marketing company.

'But just how different moms are from single women surprised us a bit. Moms are looking for coupons much more frequently and redeeming them more. And the takeaway for marketers is very different -- moms, for example, are more likely to say they want to hear from brands frequently.'

When asked what type of information they are most like to receive by email, for example, 45% of the mothers in the survey say 'anything that pertains to my lifestyle,' versus 30% of the women without kids. And only 25% of the moms say, 'Don't send me anything at all,' versus 35% of the non-moms.

Mothers are also far more likely to use product samples offered online (47% versus 38%) and use online coupons (40% versus 34%.) Women without kids are more likely to say that coupons and samples have less impact, and 27% of them say they buy products only when they need them, compared with just 20% of the mothers surveyed.

Doyle thinks many of these changes will be lasting. 'So many women say they are using -- and trust -- online coupons, that it seems unlikely they would stop just because the economy picks up,' he says. 'This is a long-term, sustainable trend.'"

better connect w/mom bloggers.

Check out this great video...

About: In their mad rush to generate brand exposure across the blogosphere, many marketers and their agencies are actually aggravating and alienating the mommy bloggers they hope to partner with. That's according to Elisa Camahort Page, chief operating officer and co-founder of BlogHer. In this nine-minute video interview before she opens her organization's fifth national convention in Chicago this week, Ms. Camahort Page went through the most common faux pas committed by marketers and agencies. BlogHer is an online community and content hub that runs an ad-supported network of more than 2,500 female bloggers. It has become the de facto standard bearer for women bloggers nationwide.

moms online.

So, take a guess: How many Moms in the U.S. are online?

Give up?

According to eMarketer, "34 million mothers in the US go online at least once a month."

That's a lot of Moms!

So what are the key decision-makers doing online? “They shop for their kids—and themselves, and when they find something great for their family, they talk about it, not only with their family and friends, but often with a much broader online audience.” 

all about the power mommy.

Oooh - new catchphrase of the day: "Power Moms" (according to Nielsen, at least)

 

Definition:

 

Power Moms: Power Moms - women between the ages of 25 and 54 with at least one child and who participate regularly in online activities.

 

According to new research, these Power Moms represent 19.2% of the (active) online population, and have incredibly ability to influence.

 

The research breaks these women down even further, seperating Newbie Moms from Established Moms:

 

"While the importance and use of the Internet among moms is seemingly universal, where they spend their time online differs between specific demographic categories. Established Moms, those aged 40-50 with three or more children at home, are heavy online shoppers. Shopzilla.com was the No. 1 online destination for this demographic group; Established Moms are 92 percent more likely than the average user to visit Shopzilla. Target and Wal-Mart Stores were No. 2 and 3, with composition indexes of 160 and 155, respectively.

 

 

'Established Moms gravitate to online shopping destinations where they are likely to be receptive to highly relevant promotions to allow her to indulge herself while saving on her family’s needs,' said Jessica Hogue, research director, Nielsen Online. 'However, marketers shouldn’t rule out the rising prominence of social networking sites among this cohort, which is one of the fastest growing demographics on Facebook.'”

 

Meanwhile, Newbies, more recent mothers between ages 25 and 34 with one or two children in the home, are more than twice as likely as the average web user to visit Blogger, and 85% more likely to visit Facebook.

 

As Hogue explains, "For Newbie Moms, social networking is literally woven into their day-to-day existence. Newbie Moms use the internet to gather information about everything from nursery décor to choosing the right pediatrician. As they navigate caring for a newborn, returning to work or managing a growing household, the internet acts as a lifeline to answer worrisome middle-of-the-night questions and to build community."

 

For more info and even more details on the segmentation, including the segments of Power Mom bloggers, check out the research here.

how to really connect and respond to moms.

I don't need to tell you people how important Moms are, right? I'm hoping you know that enough to have pampered your own moms yesterday!

So why do they still feel that they're getting the shaft from marketers?

"According to M2Moms, 60 percent of moms feel that marketers are ignoring their needs, and 73 percent feel that advertisers don't really understand what it's like to be a mom."

There have been plenty of initiatives going on, so what's the issue?

"While marketers today have a so many opportunities to connect with mom at various inflection points during her life (having a first or second baby, child entering school, return to work), the challenge is sensing her distinct needs and responding in a way that truly resonates. This forces marketers to redraw the vision of mom in our head."

And how can we do that?

"One of the more fundamental shifts that marketers might pursue is to overhaul their worldview of marketing to moms. It's a nuanced point, but it is time to move away from developing 'messaging' to integrating 'listening'. Listening to online discussion acts as an ultra sensitive weathervane to hear the unexpected, the unprompted and to observe entirely new ways in which brands, categories and unmet needs may be expressed.

Nielsen research captures a point in time (January through March 2009) in which mom bloggers were describing their value systems through thousands of online conversations. Expected themes of personal values touching on morality, integrity and ethics emerge, and topical conversations pertaining to the new Obama administration and the economy are revealed. Listening also provides a mechanism for mining the subtext; in this case the association map also reveals the relationship of aspirational goals related to parenting, love, responsibilities to work and the community, as well as the environment, and the very attainment of these pursuits.

These values are the fodder that hundreds of mom blogs wrestle with in an attempt to be heard, to connect and in some cases to influence change, all while providing marketers with a panoramic and unfiltered window into precisely what it's like to be a mom today. While reaching Power Moms may require more finesse than in years past, the opportunities to observe, engage and develop a truly holistic perspective of these women are there for willing marketers."

sorry, mom.

Similar to what happend this past Easter, it's predicted that Mother's Day sales will be down:

"The NRF says Mother's Day spending will decline to roughly $14.1 billion this year, with the average dutiful consumer forking over $123.89 on Mom this year, down from last year's $138.63. Still, four out of five Americans will celebrate, with most people (62.4%) buying gifts for mothers or stepmothers or wives (21.7%). But the survey, conducted by BIGResearch and including about 8,600 shoppers, finds that people plan to cut back on gifts for daughters (8.8% versus 9.4% in 2008), friends (6.8% versus 7.1% in 2008) and godmothers (1.6% versus 2.1% in 2008)."

Hey, my mom always said the best gifts are the homemade ones. So bust out the construction paper to make a card or make her some cookies!