POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 9:54 AM
In the wake of the disappearance of a Maine teen – who hasn’t been seen since she left with a man she met on Facebook – Stacy stopped by NECN to offer timely tips to parents on how to keep our digital natives safe in an online world.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:50 AM
As we've discussed before, we’ve seen Moms come alive on social media – leading the way on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest – and this rapid embrace of technology and social media platforms enables Moms to find their voice, resulting in a dramatic change in the consumer marketing power balance. No longer willing to receive top-down messages from brands, Moms today want a voice in product innovation and a seat at the marketplace table.
Last night I spoke on FOX 25 Boston, drawing attention to the rise of Moms as social media powerhouses and as a result their rapidly morphing relationships with brands. We highlighted the story of a Cranston R.I. Mom, Chelley Martinka, and her 10-month-old daughter:
A 28-year-old Cranston woman, mother of a 10-month-old girl with dwarfism, has convinced a national pickle manufacturer to stop using the word midget on its labels for small pickles.
Chelley Martinka noticed a jar of Cains "Kosher Dill Midgets" in December. In protest, Martinka called and wrote the company, Gedney Foods in Minnesota, which produces the pickles; and she also started a blog and created a YouTube video (original story).
Chelley's gripping YouTube video (see below) acts as a powerful message fueled with first-person passion, and had a dramatic impact on how the Cains brand team thought about marketing its products to consumers. With one video, one woman encouraged a brand to stop, listen and change:
For more on the mobilization of Moms and the shifting balance of consumer marketing, see my thoughts via the video below:
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBostonPOSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 12:42 PM
Click here to see Stacy’s M2Moms Presentation on SlideShare
Each fall, the M2Moms conference takes place in Chicago – two days filled with research, insights, and innovations from the top agencies and brands focused on the Mom Marketplace. We’ve sponsored the conference for the past several years, and I always look forward to it as a place to see old friends, cultivate new relationships, and take part in discussions about our space – where we’re headed and how far we’ve come.
Yet, this year I’ve noticed an even more elevated sense of exhilaration and intensity around the conference. Through every presentation and panel discussion, we’ve seen enhanced insights related to marketing to Moms and a deeper understanding of the role Moms play in the marketplace – and beyond.
We’ve seen Moms come alive on social media – leading the way on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest – and this rapid embrace of technology and social media platforms enabled Moms to find their voice, resulting in a dramatic change in the consumer marketing power balance. No longer willing to receive top-down messages from brands, Moms today want a voice in product innovation and a seat at the marketplace table.
But as much as Moms have caused a shift on the marketing front, we’ve also seen other areas where Moms have found their voice. We only need to look as far as the 24/7 election coverage to see the profound impact of women. Not since the “Soccer Mom” days of 1996, have we seen such discussions surrounding the role of women in a presidential election. Regardless of political persuasion – right, left; red or blue – women have staked their rightful place in the electorate and speak up on issues they believe in – a development that can only elevate the national political dialogue.
Moreover, we’ve seen other moments in history where Moms found their voices, pushed back against the establishment, and changed the status quo. In my M2Moms presentation this year, I talked about such seminal achievements as the Suffrage Movement, where women fought for political equality, the Women’s Movement, where women fought for workplace equality, and Title IX, where women fought for educational equality. And today, we can look all around us to see the effects of these groundbreaking movements – women in political leadership positions, women moving to the upper echelons of Corporate America, and women pursuing their educational and academic dreams.
We’re just two years or so in to today’s movement toward marketplace equality – so it will take some time before we see the full measure of what’s been accomplished. But as we’ve seen throughout history, movements of social change gain speed, passion, and intensity as they move forward, so we can only imagine what Moms can accomplish in the coming years. And, as we do now, we look forward to the efforts of the M2Moms Conference – organizers and participating brands and agencies – as they help cultivate this forward motion and continue to shine the spotlight on the Mom Marketplace.
For me, the M2Moms Conference made a real difference, embracing me as I began a new chapter in my professional career when I launched Mom Central. That’s why I was so honored to learn that I was selected as the third recipient of the M2Moms’ MomFirst Award that recognizes entrepreneurs who started their companies because of needs they observed as Moms.
For so many of us, as we look back on our accomplishments – whether it ranges from starting a business to fighting for political, workplace, or educational equality – the fact that we were Moms “first,” inspired us to rise up . . . for ourselves, for our daughters, and for the next generation of women.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 11:52 AM
From “Having it All,” to the “Mommy Wars,” to commentator Hilary Rosen vs. Ann Romney, the debate over working mothers shows no signs of abating.
In the July/August issue of The Atlantic, former Washington, D.C. insider and current Princeton professor Anne-Marie Slaughter penned an essay titled “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All” that pointed to the economic, workplace, and social factors contributing to women off-ramping their careers. With the commentators and pundits still weighing in on Slaughter’s perspective, Yahoo! announced its new CEO – 37-year-old former Google exec Marissa Mayer – who’s, by the way, six months pregnant.
With two degrees from Stanford, recognition as Google’s first female engineer, a speaking circuit star, wife, Mom-to-be, and now, CEO of a Fortune 500 company – Marissa Mayer appears – by nearly every possible metric – to have it all. So, is she the rule or the exception? And should we even be thinking in these terms?
From my vantage point – as a CEO, entrepreneur, attorney, spokesperson, wife, and Mom to two teens – the appointment, as well as the surrounding discussions, reveal a number of telling truths.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 4:16 PM
Insight and Studies
What Makes Someone Leave a Website (Infographic) from Social Media Today
Detailed graphic of how not to layout a website and what viewers react to:
Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It’s important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website.
Salesforce.com Expected To Buy Buddy Media, Ups Social Marketing Muscle from MediaPost
Amid broad consolidation in the social marketing space, Salesforce.com is reportedly closing in on Facebook specialist Buddy Media. Although unconfirmed by either company, the would-be deal comes just a week after Oracle agreed to buy social marketing firm Vitrue for a reported $300 million. While the transaction has yet to close, Buddy Media and SalesForce.com have already agreed to terms that value Buddy at more than $800 million, reports AllThingsD.
Stresses the importance in freely distributing quality information without restraint through social media channels:
Writers have gotten lazy recently with regards to communicating with clients. These important tips can aid in making an email to a client advantageous and favorable:
1.Tell people what they need to know. 2.Take the time to provide a brief salutation. 3. Use numbered bullet points. 4. Include words “please” and “thank you.” 5. Avoid writing sentences that are longer than 30 words. 6. Describe what action should result from the correspondence. 7. Note who is responsible for the action. 8. Provide specific due dates-with times. 9. Avoid giving orders. 10. Provide a relevant and provocative subject line.
Social Media
Social Media Marketing Is An Oxymoron (Branding Strategy Insider)
The term "social media marketing" is now firmly established in our current lexicon. The big job is to get the marketer embedded in the "social," and once there, pile on the "marketing." The truth is, though, that consumers are not listening. Here's why.
4 Ways To Use Storytelling For B2B Social Media (Social Media B2B)
B2B companies who embrace social media to connect with prospects and customers need to understand storytelling as a means for communication. No one wants to hear about your products. They want to hear about solutions to their problems.
Women Are Bugger Fans of Social Media than Men, Survey Says from Mashable
2,000 Brits were surveyed and the results indicate that 54% use social media sites compared to 34% of men:
It’s no secret that women tend to use Pinterest more than men. Women are also more likely to have a blog than men. And the usage of social media by women influences advertisers and shapes web content.
Why Online Brand Marketers Better Get an Interest in Pinterest, Fast from Social Media Today
While Pinterest hasn’t made major news in the last few weeks, it is still important for Marketers to use Pinterest to reach Moms and e-commerce shoppers:
A few months ago I wrote of the need for brand managers to get “pinterested” due to the fact that women, AKA the one responsible for the majority of household purchase decisions has “developed an affinity for the latest and greatest social media platform.”
It would also appear that those in the e-commerce world better also get “pinterested” if they have not already.
Facebook Camera: The Love Child of Facebook and Instagram from Social Media Today
We already see a result of the Instagram-Facebook combination:
The transformation is complete. Not even two months after the purchase of Instagram Facebook has released its own photo app to the public. Facebook Camera, a separate app from the Facebook mobile app, can be considered a complete clone to Instagram.
Facebook Promoted Posts: A Step-By-Step Guide from Mashable
Facebook adapted a new feature that now lets businesses promote their posts for a certain fee. The advantage this brings to businesses is that they increase the amount of people a business reaches for any eligible post. They also can specifically target their audience by language or location as well as keep track of how many people viewed their post:
Earlier this year, Facebook shared the statistic that a Brand Page’s content is only seen by 16% of the fans. Facebook’s slew of ad tools and these new Promoted Posts are geared to help businesses reach and engage more of their fan base. A brand can now pay $5, $10, $15 or $20 to “get more people who like your Page to see this post.”
Facebook Rolling Out ‘Trending Videos’ [REPORT] from Mashable
Facebook users recently have come across a new feature that trends articles in their news feed and now Facebook will do the same with viral videos:
Once you’ve got the new feature, it will auto-populate with videos your friends are watching on Facebook’s Open Graph apps…However, plenty of Mashable readers found the feature cumbersome and annoying. One, David Holley, called it “obnoxious as hell” because it didn’t seem to actually highlight articles that his friends were reading.
Facebook Finally Lets Page Admins Schedule Posts, Have Different Roles from Mashable
Facebook is letting Page admins schedule posts and brands can now individualize specific duties for different page admins:
Separate help center page from Facebook also provides an answer to one question many Facebook Page admins have been asking for some time: How do I schedule a post to appear later? The answer: From your Page’s sharing tool.
Twitter trumps Facebook as Primary source of Social Media Intelligence from Social Media Today
Interesting- More companies are monitoring their Twitter regularly than Facebook:
The survey shows that 62.5% of companies monitor Twitter and 69.4% monitor LinkedIn as part of their day-to-day intelligence activities. However, Facebook and Google+ are not regarded as essential sources to monitor, with just 47.2% and 35.2% of companies monitoring these sites regularly.
‘Crowdspeaking’ Platform Thunderclap Pushes Your Tweets to the Masses from Mashable
A new site called Thunderclap helps messages trend on Twitter:
A message will be Thunderclapped if it gets a certain number of supporters by a certain date in time, determined when you create the message. The default setting is 500 supporters within seven days. Once the goal is reached, the message will be automatically re-tweeted by every person who supported your message by clicking the “Back this Message” button.
The site is partnering with notable people who have strong social media followings. Essentially, the person sends out an invite tweet (or status update or email), encouraging people to support a message and take action. This message will link them to the Thunderclap website. Currently, there is no limit to the number of Thunderclaps per day, but the company says it’s keeping it small to start so as not to crash any servers. It’ll also be measuring the effectiveness of certain Thunderclaps as it rolls out.
YouTube
How to Use YouTube for Marketing Your Business from Social Media Today
Video is becoming crucial in online marketing; here are a few tips to doing so:
The best part about using YouTube for your company videos is that embedding the YouTube link on your site saves bandwidth, meaning a faster download time for customers when they visit your page. However, make sure that you take full advantage of the SEO and branding options available through YouTube by following the simple tips below.
Marketing to Moms
Multi-Level Mommas from MediaPost: Engage Moms
Goes to show the best way to market to Mom may be having her sell the product for you:
Most moms are natural-born multi-taskers—an ability that many of them are nurturing as part of their transformation into effective multi-level marketers. This can be unofficially traced back to the advent of the home party, where moms emerge as effusive sales consultants for their favorite brands, inviting their friends over and for product-themed social events in a festive setting. These home-based entrepreneurs often followed the reliable wine-in-the-kitchen/products-in-the-dining room format, but once creative and smart marketers started catching on, they began offering moms new ways to sell more, more often, and without even popping a cork!
Brand Social Media Marketing Strategies
Pepsi to Provide Free Music Downloads on Twitter from Mashable
During the upcoming summer and fall months Pepsi will offer free music downloads, music videos, and a series of concerts through a year long partnership with Twitter:
The “Live for Now Music” initiative is an extension of Pepsi’s recently launched “Live for Now” global campaign, will offer free music downloads, music videos and a series of pop-up concerts this summer and fall. Every Wednesday for the next 52 weeks, Pepsi will offer videos providing an overview of the artists, music and music news trending on Twitter that week. In addition, @pepsi will offer free downloads from the Amazon MP3 store for fans who follow the brand on Twitter and use the hashtag #PepsiMusicNOW in their tweets. The brand will also use Twitter to announce pop-up concerts, which it will offer on-demand afterward for fans who want to watch it later.
How (RED) United the Social Web in the Fight Against AIDS from Mashable
Red has utilized social awareness for RED’s iconic products through specific digital campaigns and partnerships with prevailing brands such as Coca-Cola, Apple and Starbucks:
RED’s most recent digital campaign, RED Rush to Zero, includes three new efforts to drive money toward the Global Fund: the RED Rush Games, a global video gaming tournament; the RED Music program, which offers RED tickets to concerts featuring popular artists at major venues; and the Cash & Rocket RED Tour, a fundraising mission across Europe. RED Rush to Zero will take place June 1-10.
JCPenney June Book Features Gay Dads Huffington Post
After working with JCP we’ve kept an eye on what they have done in the social media space as well as national ad campaigns. JCP stands strong, preparing their Father’s Day ad!
JCPenney has put out another gorgeous ad featuring a same-sex couple, this time two dads and their two kids in honor of Father's Day. It seems pretty clear that One Million Moms had less than no effect on JCPenney. (Other than perhaps inspiring JCP to keep moving forward seeing how desperately ads like this are needed.)
Social Video Boosts JCPenney Brand Lift 23% from MediaPost
With the Olympics just around the corner, brand marketers will be looking for ways to leverage their marketing for the Games and to boost their ad buys with social components, as brands increasingly integrate social video into larger broadcast campaigns.
Agency Trends
The Ongoing Agency Evolution (Society Of Digital Agencies)
Some of the most successful agencies embrace a "beta culture"--where they are always experimenting, prototyping, and placing small bets to learn and build on what's working--both for their clients' needs as well as their own bottom lines.
Pay-For-Performance: Agencies' New Reality (CMO.com)
As CMOs feel the pressure of added accountability from their organizations, that pressure is rightly being shared with their agencies. The agencies that succeed are the ones that truly understand marketing's responsibility beyond brand impressions.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:08 AM
Step aside standard household fare, such as kids’ clothes, home décor, and health care, as Moms move with confidence on the technological front – namely with electronics, computers, cars, and cell phone purchases.
New research from Mom Central[i] shows just how far Moms have expanded their consumer footprint. Moms now fully embrace big-ticket purchases, with 80% feeling comfortable purchasing a cell phone or camera, and 73% easily purchasing a laptop on their own. Likewise 70% of Moms purchase games or gaming consoles on their own, and 69% will buy a TV independently.
A separate Mom Central survey[ii] found that Moms proactively educate themselves on prospective purchases – with 82% reading online product reviews before buying a brand they haven’t tried yet and 96% trusting products more after they’ve conducted their own research. Now, Moms arrive at the car dealership or computer store armed with research, recommendations, and pricing information that allows them to stand toe-to-toe with the sales staff – regardless of the product.
And it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Recently, we fielded two media inquires from trade journals – one from the world of sports, the other in the automotive industry – with both reporters noticing this trend of increased focus on Mom consumers and wanting the scoop.
The sports piece looked at the surge of interest in women athletes and Olympians who combine sports and motherhood –Janet Evans, Dara Torres, and Kerri Walsh, to name a few– who’ve also snagged key endorsements. These athletes’ deals – with brands ranging from HP to McDonald’s to BMW to the Milk Council to BenGay – demonstrate the wide range of organizations interested in engaging with Moms.
At the same time, this link between Moms and sports breaks down yet another purchasing barrier, demonstrating that women also move comfortably in the once male-dominated world of sports. Kids need new soccer gear or lacrosse equipment? With a little online research and word-of-mouth recommendations in their back pocket, Moms can easily talk goalie gloves and face masks and feel confident they’re making the right choices for their kids.
Online research also helps pave the way for Moms to navigate in the automotive realm. Today’s Moms often live in their cars – running multiple carpools, handling school drop-off and pick-up, and driving to the supermarket before swim practice lets out – and they know better than anyone when the car needs a tune-up or when the minivan won’t last through another winter. Social media – with its reviews, first-person recommendations, and on-the-go access to information ranging from All Wheel Drive to air conditioning systems – empowers Moms to stand tall while negotiating big-ticket car purchases and navigating service repairs.
Car companies, too, recognize that Moms represent a key – and growing – consumer audience and understand the power of reaching them through trusted social media outlets, such as Mom blogs. Increasingly, these companies extend invitations to Mom bloggers to experience first-hand the newest happenings in the auto industry, as we’ve seen through invitations we’ve received to such events as the GMC Terrain Winter-Driving, Toyota’s Design & Drive, Nissan’s Sedan Preview, and most recently, Nitto Tire Ride-and-Drive.
So make way for this new generation of Mom consumers – and watch them as their purchasing horizons expand even further.
[i] In January of 2012, Mom Central surveyed 1,200 Moms for their views on a number of issues related to technology. The 60-question survey was conducted online.
[ii] In April 2011, MCC surveyed 900+ Moms with kids under 11 years old on their attitudes on social media and technology, parenting and being a Mom, and how they want to engage with brands.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:54 AM
While most Moms can remember their Moms clipping coupons, it hardly seems possible that couponing first gained a foothold in American homes back in 1887. This year marks 125 years of families saving money by using coupons, and in honor of the occasion, Valpak surveyed more than 500 women to get insights on their coupon use.
While the survey looked at a wide range of issues related to coupon usage, it also revealed several key trends, including the pride Moms feel when scoring a coupon coup, the surge toward digital deals, the new roles coupons play in dating and relationships, as well as the link between brand loyalty and coupon redemption.
Social Pride in Couponing
Today, Moms of all demographics embrace couponing. Rather than tucking coupons away – hidden in white envelopes to surreptitiously pull out at the cash register – Moms look for opportunities to cut costs by using coupons, flock to coupon sites and blogs in search of deals, and absorb money-saving tips from shows like “TLC’s Extreme Couponing.” A quarter of women surveyed say they see couponing as “more socially acceptable” now, and 58% of women say they’ve seen an uptick recently in how frequently they incorporate coupons into their shopping excursions.
Moreover, saving money via coupons offers Moms a real sense of pride, as they show off their latest finds and tally money saved through coupons, deals, promo codes, and free shipping. Nearly 70% of women surveyed say they “love saving money and getting great discounts.”
Digital Couponing Comes of Age
While paper coupons remain powerful – with 84% of women using coupons clipped from newspapers and mailings – electronic coupons continue their upward rise. Today, 55% of women check out destinations such as Valpak.com to find coupons, and 65% download online coupons from their favorite retail outlets. In addition to coupons and special offers, the search for electronic promo codes becomes the new norm for Moms just prior to hitting “place order” on online transactions.
Moms also scour social media sites such as Facebook, where 34% of women search for the latest coupon deals, as well as 19% of women who use mobile or SMS coupons. A recent Mom Central survey on Moms and Couponing revealed that 45% of Moms read couponing blogs to find deals and learn first-hand money-saving tips from other Moms who share their experience of managing a family on a budget.
Coupon Dating & Gifting
The classic example of coupon redemption centers on a Mom using coupons at the supermarket for household goods like paper towels or frozen food. But in a tough economy and with increased acceptance of coupon usage, barriers come down regarding where consumers feel comfortable pulling out a coupon. In fact, about 60% of women in the Valpak survey say they have no issue with a partner paying for dinner or other date-related expenses with a coupon. For women in the 41 to 50 age bracket, the number rises even higher, with 70% of these women supporting partners using coupons for special occasions.
Experiential Couponing
With increased acceptance of coupons comes an even wider range of redemption possibilities, with activities and experiences exploding in popularity. Even Moms who lack the time to clip coupons before dashing off to the supermarket love going online to coupon sites to take advantage of deals ranging from ski weekends to trapeze classes to horseback riding. Moreover, 50% of women strongly agree that they “love using coupons with friends and family to save money on the things we like to do.”
Lessons in Loyalty
Coupons also represent a chance for consumers to expand their purchasing horizon and experience a new brand. An overwhelming 96% of Moms in the Mom Central survey say they’ve used a coupon to purchase a brand they wouldn’t normally find in their shopping cart. Moms – who today shrug off longstanding brand loyalties in search of a deal – say coupons and other incentives make an impact. In fact, 78% of Moms explain they will gladly switch brands if they have a coupon, and 68% pay attention to brands offering free samples.
No More Hide ‘N Seek
Despite the groundswell behind coupons, retailers can’t assume they’ve made a sale once consumers come through the door, coupon in hand. Products associated with coupons must be easily accessible in-store for consumers or featured prominently on promotional displays or end caps. If not, 70% of Moms in the Mom Central survey say they would forgo using a coupon if they had to search to find the product once they got to the store.
Sources: Valpak surveyed 502 women in January 2012 on their opinions about coupons and their personal usage of coupons. Mom Central surveyed 2,200 Moms in July 2011 on a variety of issues surrounding coupon behavior and usage.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:50 AM
For so long, the mere mention of online or video games conjured up images of teens battling for gaming superiority in their family basement or 20-something men creating elaborate role-playing scenarios over the hottest new gaming releases.
But today, the gaming demographic has morphed considerably, with Moms representing the new face of gaming. A new Mom Central survey of 1,200 Moms reveals that approximately 70% of women are casual gamers.
The reason for the shift? Increasingly, Moms have discovered that casual games fit easily into their busy lives. Most Moms juggle childcare, household responsibilities, family healthcare duties, work and volunteer obligations, pet care, financial management, care of aging parents, and much more. Because these games can be quickly launched from an app or Facebook, they offer Moms an easy way to unwind and play a fast game while in the midst of a chaotic day – even if it’s a respite of 5 to 15 minutes.
Moms, too, have discovered that their ever-present Smartphones, iPads, laptops, and computers serve as the ideal vehicle for a break in the action with such games as the New Orleans-themed Bayou Blast, the numbers-focused Drop 7, and the interactive word-building game, Words with Friends.
With 56% of Moms playing on gaming consoles with their kids, Moms have also realized an added benefit of casual games – the opportunity to interact with their digital natives in their world. Today, kids appear increasingly ensconced in an electronic cocoon – spending on average 12 hours a week engaged with technology and 8 hours on the weekend. By joining kids in their gaming passions, parents have the opportunity to break through the cocoon and meet kids in the “digital middle.”
Families can also take advantage of the interactivity, speed, and intensity of online games and put a digital twist on traditional board game activities. In years past, families sat down at the kitchen table on a Friday evening for a game of Monopoly, Clue, or Life. Today, families can gather around a gaming console or laptop and play digital versions of board games such as Apples to Apples, Yahtzee, or Risk; activity-oriented games like Wii bowling or Kinect Adventures; and Facebook games like Bayou Blast.
Regardless of if casual games provide a much-needed break for busy Moms or offer up a weekend family activity, look for Moms to continue dominating this category as they reach for their phones, iPads, laptops, and computers.
For more information on Moms and the Rise of Casual Gaming, check out Stacy’s recent appearance on New England Cable News.
Disclosure: GameHouse, the manufacturer of Bayou Blast, is a client of Mom Central Consulting.
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:31 AM
How a challenging economy, social media, and the new online recommendation culture combine to untether Moms from long-held brand loyalties
Back in the day, Moms played favorites. They raised “Crest Kids,” nurtured “Gerber Babies,” and took care of their “Tide Families.” With a host of brands available, they remained loyal to a select few – ones perhaps their mothers used – and simply moved past the rest in the supermarket aisles.
But no longer.
New Mom Central Consulting research reveals that today’s extended economic crisis, coupled with the rise of social media and the new online recommendation culture, compels Moms to move away from long-held purchasing behaviors. Today, just 50% of Moms consider themselves brand loyalists.
A sluggish economy and stalled recovery have combined to motivate Moms – who make a majority of their family’s purchasing decisions – to shrug off brand loyalties and explore new products, particularly if presented with a financial incentive. For example, 78% of Moms surveyed explain they will gladly switch brands if they have a coupon, and 68% pay attention to brands offering free samples.
In addition, Mom’s rapid embrace of the social media culture plays a significant role in the untethering of brand loyalties. With 9 out of 10 Moms citing Facebook as their “go-to” social media destination and 3 out of 5 Moms engaging with one another on Twitter, social media becomes the new “picket fence,” where Moms connect with one another to hear trusted recommendations and gain first-person perspective.
While we’ve always lived in a “recommendation culture,” social media now allows Moms to easily develop a network of trusted advisors and tap into them for their experiences and insights. As a result, Moms appear more willing than ever to leave brand loyalties behind and try a new product if a trusted friend loves and recommends it. In fact, 65% of Moms surveyed poll their Mom friends when trying a new product to learn about their experience, and 90% trust products more after hearing about them from friends.
But as much as this new brand freedom and flexibility opens Moms to a host of product options, it remains equally unsettling for brand marketers, used to cultivating – and keeping – loyal customers. Brands now must realize that winning over customers proves not a “one and done” effort, but instead an action they need to repeat day in and day out. So what can brands do to win over Mom consumers?
Moms say the traits they most admire in brands center around “honesty,” followed by “affordability” and “transparency.” Moreover, 55% of Moms list “lying,” e.g., making untrue claims, as the worse mistake a brand can make in communicating with Mom consumers.
Ultimately, the Mom marketplace continues to change – with Moms deepening connections with fellow Moms through social media platforms and online conversations that widen their horizons. As we enter a new age of relationship marketing – both Moms and brands – will continue to chart new territory.