Mom Retail Trends: QR Codes [INFOGRAPHIC]
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:04 AM
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24 posts categorized "Trends"
02/24/2012
02/17/2012
Moms and the Rise of Casual Gaming
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.
- Moms play computer, online, mobile, and video games by themselves an average of 5 hours a week
- Moms spend an additional 3 hours a week playing computer, video, online, mobile, and video games with their kids
- 52% of Moms play games at home
- 34% of Moms play on gaming consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox 360, etc., by themselves
- 34% of Moms regularly play games on their cell phones
- 29% of Moms turn to games while waiting for kids or in line at a store
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.
01/27/2012
The New Brand-Disloyal Mom
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.
01/17/2012
Living Digital at CES: Where Mom Bloggers and Tech Connect
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:31 PM
Last week I spent three days at the vast, sprawling, and ever-intriguing 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The big trend spotting for me as I marveled at diverse technology product innovations: how deeply integrated technology will continue to become for today’s digital families. From fridges that have an electronic touchpad built in to tell us everything from the weather to expiration dates on our food to the complete waterproofing of our phones during the manufacturing process to new ways to power-up on the go, stay tuned for more from CES as I’ll post soon on emerging trends in consumer technology.
I took part in a fascinating Mom & Tech panel discussion with several other Mom bloggers, organized by Robin Raskin and Living in Digital Times. While we all had varying Mom perspectives and blogged from different points of view, we all shared insights from our own experiences with technology from a Mom blogger engagement perspective. As I talked about both the power and the challenges involved in blogging about technology, I also shared insights gleaned from some of our recent Mom Central Consulting research surveys, which all looked at the different ways Moms incorporate technology into their busy lives.
I’ve included some of our top research highlights here.
“Hold on a Second, I’m on the Phone!”
- The majority of Moms (51%) have downloaded over 16 apps to their Smartphones.
- Most popular download categories among Moms: social networking (82%), games (80%) and entertainment (79%). For kids: games dominate (73%) with education coming in second at 50% and entertainment at 40%.
- The majority of Moms (59%) consider cost the most important factor in selecting an app. 39% of Moms report typically downloading free applications, while 28% want apps $.99 or less. Only 1% would pay over $5 for an application.
- 74% of Moms let their children regularly play on their phone. Only 17% of Moms say they have downloaded no apps for their kids.
- Win Mom over, and your app becomes her new best Smartphone friend: 47% of Moms reported using their favorite apps at least once a day on average.
On the Go – With Foursquare
- Of those surveyed, 26% of Moms have a Foursquare account.
- In thinking about why they check-in, Moms want:
- Coupons/Discounts/Specials (62%)
- To connect with friends (37%)
- Friends/Family to know where they are (34%)
- In thinking about why they check-in, Moms want:
- Given the options provided, Moms would activate a code if it offered:
- Discounts and coupons (92%)
- Special offers (75%)
- Exclusive content (46%)
New Trends in Health & Wellness
- 75% of the Moms polled will discuss health/medical issues on social networking sites.
- 62% of Moms follow/friend consumer HC and 52% follow/friend wellness companies online.
- To share suggestions and questions about health or medical issues on social media and networking sites, Moms utilize…
- Social networking site like Facebook, MySpace (56%)
- Online discussions, forums, list-serves, or other online group (56%)
- Blogs, such as a mom blog or blog focusing on a specific health issue (48%)
- Websites of any kind, such as a health sites (37%)
TV Trends in the Digital Age
- While Moms' TV viewing habits reflect the digital age (60% watch shows online or via DVRs), the greatest percentage of Moms (64%) still watch their favorite shows live.
- The vast majority (79%) of Moms indicated interest in interacting with show producers, actors, hosts, or other fans online.
- 30% of Moms report that they post on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites while they watch TV.
Moms & Social Media
- Moms don’t view social media sites with a quick-and-done glance while heading out the door for carpool pick-up:
- 54% of Moms check into Facebook all day long and 78% use their Smartphones to check in and update their Twitter and Facebook accounts while on-the-go.
- 9 out of 10 mom prefer Facebook as their “go to” social media destination.
- 4 out of 5 Moms maintain two separate identities on Facebook, private and public.
Connecting With Brands
- 80% ignore targeted ads on their social media networks.
- 10 – the average number of brands Moms following or like on Twitter or Facebook.
- 60% of Moms agree – poorly used Twitter or Facebook accounts negatively impact Mom’s perception of a brand.
01/06/2012
Top 6 Trends Leading Up to the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 12:58 PM
For generations, Americans dreamed of technological innovations that would jumpstart commerce, speed up communications, and make family life easier. Now, as wired households have become the norm, each January we visit the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to see what’s next on the innovation horizon. This year, as CES lays out innovations in the world of consumer technology that would make even George Jetson’s head spin, we’ve identified our Top 6 emerging trends for the digital family.
“Turn on, Lights!”
The Jetson’s lived in a futuristic apartment complex in Orbit City – filled with gadgets and gizmos and a robot housekeeper named Rosey. With future homes being wired with integrated systems that control lights, operate locks, turn on and off stereos and TVs, and raise the temperature as we drive home – we’re not too far behind. CES 2012 should shed some light on next-generation technologies to make today’s smart homes even brighter.
Welcome to the Cloud
As families move more and more tasks and activities online – ranging from finances to photos – it will become even more challenging to track, consolidate, and organize our digital imprint. As the Cloud cover increases in 2012, we look to CES to showcase some of the hottest new developments in Cloud computing.
Good-Bye, Landline!
With so many families – adults and kids alike – toting cell phones and staying in touch via such technologies as UMA, Skype, and Biscotti TV Phone, many households have opted to say good-bye to their landlines. Between families wanting to trim household expenses in tough economic times and attempting to reconcile the value of a phone that simply makes and receives calls, we expect to see this trend continue in 2012 – and even more landline alternatives emerge out of this year’s CES.
Digital Natives Dominate
From gaming systems to laptops to Smartphones to tablets, few things come between kids and their electronics. And as more and more brands market apps and accessories for kids – ranging from toddlers to teens – we’ll expect to see technology designed for kid consumers continue to grow. The silver lining for parents? With kids unwilling to separate from their electronics, it continues to become even easier for parents to track tweens’ and teens’ whereabouts and keep tabs on them as they move from activity to activity.
Electronic Accessorizing
Most families now count laptops, Smartphones, tablets, e-Readers, GPS systems, and digital cameras as basic to their everyday lives. But with all these devices comes the need for ways to tote, customize, print, project, and otherwise accessorize our technological tools. At CES 2012, we expect we’ll see a host of ways to maximize these innovations – including how to extend battery life, capitalize on Bluetooth options, and increase the capabilities of our tablets and Smartphones.
Maximizing Mobile
With the advent of Smartphones and touch-screen technology, it seems fewer and fewer people actually talk on their phones these days – choosing to use them instead to text, surf, change channels, make purchases, navigate from point A to point B, and even start their cars on frigid mornings. As phones become increasingly more sophisticated, we’ll look to CES to see emergent tools, apps, and hardware that can further morph Smartphones into the one indispensible device that never leaves our side.
10/21/2011
Who’s a Pepper?
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 1:22 PM
Let's start with true confessions: whatever they put into Diet Dr. Pepper works so well for me that it seems in some kind of chemical synch with the flavors and taste sensations I most crave.
Simply put, in the spirit of their commercials airing when I was growing up, "Hey! Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?" I realized then I was a Pepper, and for over two decades, I've sworn by it as my diet soda of choice. When driving from Austin, Texas, after storms had stranded flights leaving from the South by Southwest Digital conference and driving the lonely stretch of highway to catch a flight from Dallas – all the roadside stands and billboards proclaimed Diet Dr. Pepper nation – and I thought perhaps I am both a Pepper and a Texan at heart?
So imagine how disheartened I felt when, as both a brand enthusiast and seasoned social media marketer, I learned that Diet Dr. Pepper's marketing team recently declared its true love for MEN!
The brand’s new campaign for Dr. Pepper TEN – a diet soda targeted to men – recently hit the Internet and airwaves, and audience reaction has already bubbled up out of the can. The brand’s Facebook and TV campaign took a “humorous” approach to targeting male consumers, which resulted in an Indiana Jones-meets-Terminator-themed commercial where a macho man shouts such memorable lines as “It’s what guys want,” and “You can keep the romantic comedies and lady drinks.”
The fun continues on Facebook, where commandments – ranging from “thou shalt not OMG” to “thou shalt not post furry animal videos” – appear if a viewer “likes” the Man’ments section.
While we don’t want to leap onto the political correctness bandwagon and realize the commercial spot featured some funny moments – notably when the manly man attempted to pour Dr. Pepper TEN from the can into a crystal water glass in a moving jeep – the main question remains … why?
Why would a brand take a marketing approach that – while certainly generating buzz – may not end up as the kind of buzz a brand wants or that ultimately translates into sales? Why would a brand team consciously risk alienating, angering, or annoying potential consumers – particularly in this economy? This also might be a good time to remind the folks back at Dr. Pepper headquarters that Moms make a majority of family purchasing decisions, so a brand campaign that boasts “it’s not for women,” might not present the best strategy.
Moreover, the brand’s emphasis on über-targeting echoes a larger marketing trend where brands emphasize generational differences and slice and dice demographics that they believe will allow them to market their products in just the right way to just the right audience.
But when Mom Central Consulting asked over 900 Mom consumers what they wanted most from brands, their answers proved surprisingly straightforward. Moms want “honesty,” “affordability,” and “transparency.” They also want authenticity when dealing with brands, as well as attentiveness and direct interaction. In fact, 51% of Moms feel marketers hold stereotypes of Moms and want brand teams to recognize them as individuals.
While the Dr. Pepper TEN campaign exhibits an out-of-the-box approach that advertisers covet, it may not prove the best strategy in the long run. Only time will tell if the “manly” campaign proves effective, but brands will rarely go wrong if they simply listen to what consumers want.
10/14/2011
No More “Moms Like Me”
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 2:10 PM
Gannett just announced that MomsLikeMe, its online community for Moms, would cease operations on Friday, Oct. 14th after three years and 81 localized sites.
Gannett, the media giant that operates USA Today, more than 20 news stations across the country, over 80 newspapers, and a host of other digital and online properties, said on the MomsLikeMe site that “the market has evolved substantially since we launched three years ago and there are many new and different ways for people to connect and engage.” The site went on to say that the decision to shutter MomsLikeMe took place at the corporate level and that the company plans to invest in other “digital initiatives” throughout its organization and plans to launch them in the future.
The closure reflects ongoing trends seen across the marketplace of the challenge in aggregating consumers – particularly busy Moms – into separate online communities far removed from the social media platforms they use on a daily basis. A recent Mom Central Consulting survey showed that 9 out of 10 Moms cite Facebook as their “go-to” destination for connecting with family, friends, and brands. Moreover, 4 out of 5 Moms have two separate identities on Facebook – one public and one private – further demonstrating how completely they rely on the platform to facilitate all of their social media connections.
We’ve also seen that driving Moms to separate websites – whether they focus on brands or communities – represents a thing of the past. Brand marketers have learned that Moms want brands to come to them – to the online neighborhoods where they hang out on such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs. In fact, 56% of Moms agree that brands can most effectively reach them via social media networks or through Mom bloggers.
It now appears that Moms have delivered the same message to traditional media.
09/26/2011
Follow Us on Slideshare!
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 11:41 AM
Are you following us on Slideshare yet?
If not, you may have missed the new Mom Industry Trend Reports we've posted:
Mom Industry Trend Reports - Supplements and Vitamins
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09/23/2011
The Brand-Disloyal Mom
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 4:58 PM
Stacy recently spoke with Stephen Reily of Vibrant Nation about Moms and brand loyalty:
“Moms have become untethered in their brand loyalties, partly as a result of the Recession and partly as a result of the social media culture. Moms are willing to leave brands.”
“I think we’re entering the age of relationship marketing,” said DeBroff, “and it’s fascinating but for many brands a real struggle.”
Somebody is winning business from this brand-disloyal mom, and DeBroff describes a number of success stories – not always where you expect to find them.
“You never know where you’re going to see it from,” says DeBroff. “Brands are really wrestling with mapping their aspirations with tactics that will get them there. They are embracing social media but struggle with how to measure it.”
For the full article, visit Stephen's post on VibrantNation.com here.
08/24/2011
What Do Moms Want From Brands?
POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 10:35 AM
In a recent TechMedia interview, Stacy illuminates why Mom Blogs effectively reach Mom consumers, and how social media helps to fuel word-of-mouth:
Social media and the digital world of instant communication and viral memes that go global overnight has affected the once staid advertising strategies of brands such as Proctor & Gamble, among others. “Money has shifted from the traditional advertising to this realm of creating enthusiasts and igniting them,” DeBroff says.
What do moms want from brands?
“Moms don’t want brands to summon them, they want conversations,” says DeBroff. “They want businesses to interact with them. They want an opportunity to experience products.”
It works because other moms like to hear from people who have actually experience the products and have something relevant to say. “They trust it so much more coming from other moms than from brands or celebrity endorsements.”