February 2009
A new marketing report by Razorfish and CafeMom indicates that moms' digital behaviors change remarkably when their children turn 12 and that mobile browsing and social media channels are increasingly affecting moms' buying decisions.
‘Digital Mom,’ as the report is called, consists of two companion studies.
The first study, conducted by Razorfish–one of the largest digital marketing companies in the world–focuses on how digital moms are adopting emerging technologies.
The second study, prepared by CafeMom–the largest social networking site for moms–
concentrates on the role that social media play in helping to inform purchase decisions, among other key trends.
Survey findings are expected to help marketers to better understand the different types of moms using mobile browsing, social media and emerging technologies and how to engage them most effectively depending on their age and the age of their children.
Razorfish surveyed 1,500 “digital moms,” defined as women with at least one child under 18 in the home who have engaged with two or more emerging technologies and who have researched, sought advice or purchased a product on the Internet.
Digital moms are not a niche market. According to Nielsen NetRatings, 32 million women in the U.S. have children ages 18 and under and go online; of those women, 84%, or 27 million, interact with emerging technologies.
Results confirm digital moms have moved beyond email and search, and are now active users of Web 2.0 technologies. The majority of moms are using social networks (65%) and text messaging (56%). More than half of these moms are also gamers, with 52% of them playing games online or via a console.
Terri Walter, Vice President of Emerging Media at Razorfish and author of the Razorfish study said that a particularly interesting trend is the rise of mobile browsing. While only 10% of digital moms use mobile browsing, the women who do use it say it has more influence than other media channels as they get closer to a buying decision.
"This finding is significant," Walter said.
"It predicts the profound impact that mobile browsing and perhaps shopping applications will likely have on peoples' buying decisions as more people adopt smartphones."
CafeMom on its part studied 1,740 of its active members, combined with CafeMom behavioral and usage data, to achieve a deeper understanding of how and why moms are using social media, and its impact on shopping behavior and purchase decisions.
The study found that moms are spending more time on social networks than ever before, turning to them for social, recreational and informational purposes. Once part of a social network, these moms are not just passive consumers, but active participants in activities such as blogging, photo-sharing, engaging in group discussions and building communities based on similar interests.
"With the rise of social networking, moms are becoming less dependent on traditional media and brand advertising to inform purchase decisions," said Laura Fortner, SVP of Marketing and Insights at CafeMom and author of the CafeMom study.
"Marketers can extend brand engagement by interacting with moms in their space and leveraging their influence within their social networks."
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