canadian
Table of Contents Introduction page 3 Executive Summary page 4 • The New Marketing: Technology Has Changed Everything • Mom Power • Moms and Media • Moms Get Social • Influence in a Peer-to-Peer World
Methodology / Definitions page 6 Key Findings page 8 Meet the “Prosumers” page 20 • Prosumer Methodology
Meet Some Digital Moms page 21 About Us / Contact page 24
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Introduction Despite the existence of numerous studies of American Moms, little research has been done about Canadian Moms, especially in regards to their online behaviour. Canadian Moms spend 1,000 more minutes online each month than their U.S. counterparts (that’s more than 16 hours) and roughly twice as much time online as U.K. Moms. Moreover, Canadian Moms use more of their online time connecting with others and using social media platforms, while U.S. Moms’ behaviour proves to be much more fragmented. With the obvious need for some Canada-specific information, Mom Central Canada, a Toronto-based consulting company, partnered with Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG, a leading advertising agency, to uncover how Canadian Moms are ‘doing digital.’ Over the course of this study, we talked to a variety of Moms nationwide; from the Stay-atHome Mom who takes her kids to Beavers, cooks dinner every night and cuts coupons, to the woman who actively blogs and runs her own digital business while expecting her first child. While profoundly different, they do share some striking commonalities. Moms today find themselves time strapped, facing a long list of “to-do” items each day without enough hours to get things done. They care passionately and strive to do what’s best for their families, while also trying to fit in a bit of time to recharge their own batteries. Solution seekers and “social researchers,” – they often put forth extra effort to make thoughtful and well-informed decisions. Like Moms of previous generations, they rely on advice, recommendations and support from other Moms. Yet instead of backyard conversations, today’s Moms turn to the Internet to find this support. As Tatiana, an Ontario blogger and new Mom, put it, “This Motherhood thing isn’t easy! Being online has allowed me to connect with other Moms day or night. I can get and give support and I feel less isolated because of it.”
Canadian Digital Mom is a study that gives readers an intimate peek into the lives of Canadian Moms and, specifically, how technology is affecting their lives today – from how they shop, to how they keep in contact with friends and family, to how they raise their kids.
Executive Summary The New Marketing: Technology Has Changed Everything The symbol above is the Chinese character signifying “crisis.” Interestingly, this same character also denotes “opportunity.” It’s a fitting symbol for the situation faced by modern brands. The current changing technological landscape represents the greatest crisis faced by marketers. But it also represents the greatest opportunity – if we are prepared to evolve, rethink the ways in which we’ve been doing things, and embrace the technological revolution head-on. In the past, advertisers had a distinct advantage over their contemporaries of today: a passive audience that was, for all intents and purposes, trapped. For today’s marketer, reaching the modern, active, engaged Mom consumer means convincing them to spend their valuable time with your brand. Our role as marketers today is to do more than create a great TV spot or print ad. It’s about creating ideas that will actually engage Moms, ideas they’ll find interesting and in which they can actually participate. Connecting with Moms today is less about the old ethos of “breaking through” and instead focuses on being “invited in.” It means that brands need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and actually become what people are interested in. Brands must shift away from passive consumption toward active participation. Technology makes all of this possible. Though women historically have not been considered beta-adopters of technology, they are proven early adopters of social media. Of Moms surveyed in our 2008 Mom Central “Moms on Twitter” Study, 48% consider themselves early tech adopters. These women intuitively understand the importance of social media and online networks, as those pathways closely reflect their everyday offline behaviour. The Internet and social media have been woven into the fabric of Canadian Moms’ lives and they’re now leading the charge.
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Mom Power Moms today are pressed for time, balancing the demands of work and family. For them, the Internet is an incredibly valuable resource. It’s how they stay in touch with friends, keep engaged with the news and discover and research new products and brands. Over 94% of Moms use the Internet to research products and 43% are seeking product advice from others online. And these Moms are powerful – both as consumers and as advocates. Not only do Moms control more spending than any other demographic group in Canada, they are increasingly engaged in the ongoing dialogue with and about brands. A recommendation from a fellow Mom is far more influential than any television ad or brand-sponsored website. Purchasing decisions are most heavily influenced by word of mouth, to a much greater extent than any traditional or emerging technological media. And as many marketers have already discovered, a group of Moms armed with nothing more than laptops and blog accounts can increasingly make or break a brand.
Moms and Media Forget the stereotype of the Mom, sitting at home watching soap operas and reading magazines. Today’s busy, active Moms are incredibly selective about which media they choose to consume. More and more, they are turning away from traditional media and embracing all things digital – from social networks and forums to blogs and digital video. Canadian Moms are, on average, spending more than 3 hours daily online and 19% of these Moms are spending over 7 hours daily online. In fact, Moms today spend significantly more time online than they do watching TV, listening to the radio or reading a newspaper or magazine. Digital technology allows them to be selective – getting only the content they want, not what media companies push at them.
Moms Get Social Some people still imagine that social networking is the domain of teenagers and college students. Little do they realize that these groups’ Moms are on these exact same sites doing the exact same activities. In fact, many Moms are on there more often! Yes, social networking is all grown up. In fact, of all Canadian women, Moms are the most likely to use tools like Facebook and Twitter. Seventry-eight percent of Canadian Moms are using social media and almost half of Canadian Moms access a social networking site every single day.
Influence in a Peer-to-Peer World Some marketers think that they can just put an ad on TV and their work is done. But our research found that what really influences a purchase decision isn’t what Moms hear from marketers but what they hear from fellow Moms. Recommendations from people they trust – people like them – have become the most powerful form of advertising there is. Referral from friends and family is by far the most trusted source of product advice, and the source that is most often involved in the decision-making process behind the purchase.
Methodology This study was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 delved into available syndicated data to provide an overview of Moms and their media habits, and made it comparisons between Moms and other demographics. Phase 2 was a quantitative study conducted with a total of 605 Canadian Moms (with at least 1 child under 18 living with them). Moms were recruited for the survey through the Angus Reid Forum, Canada’s leading online panel of respondents. A sample of this size is considered accurate to +/- 4%, 19 times out of 20. The survey was fielded between August 14 and August 18, 2009. Phase 3 of the research made use of qualitative methodologies in order to gain deeper insights into the attitudes and behaviours of Canadian Moms. Indepth interviews were conducted by an experienced moderator with 8 Moms from a variety of backgrounds. Additionally, respondents kept journals for 1 week, detailing their daily lives and focusing on their online activities. This portion of the research is qualitative in nature and based on a small sample size. It should be viewed as directional rather than definitive.
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Definitions Digital Moms are profiled using a number of definitions and segment names in this study. The following definitions are intended to clarify the terms used in this document. Using Forrester’s Social Technographics Profiling tool, we have been able to classify the Canadian Digital Mom population into 5 different segments based on the ways they are using the internet. Below is a description of how each group is classified. Digi-Segments (NB: Respondents can belong to more than 1 group) Creators (47% of total sample) – at least once a month “upload photos to a website” OR “publish, maintain or update your own blog” OR “publish or update your own website” OR “upload video you created to a website” OR “upload audio/music to a website”; Critics (72% of total sample) – at least once a month “add comments on someone’s page on a social networking site” OR “contribute to online forums or discussion groups” OR “comment on someone else’s blog” OR “post ratings or reviews of products or services online”; Collectors (38% of total sample) – at least once a month “use RSS” OR “add tags to web pages, online photos, etc.” OR “vote for websites online”; Joiners (72% of total sample) – at least once a month “visit social networking sites” OR “update/maintain a profile on a social networking site”; Spectators (21% of total sample) – at least once a month “watch video posted online by other users” OR “read online forums or discussion groups” OR “read customer ratings or reviews online” OR “read blogs” OR “listen to or download audio/music posted online by other users” OR “listen to podcasts”.
Internet Usage High – between 4-6 hours daily Medium – between 1-4 hours daily Low – less than 1 hour daily
Key Findings Digital Moms, on average, spend 3.1 hours daily, 6 days a week, using the Internet for leisure purposes. It goes without saying – Moms are busy. Their days are jam-packed with to-do list items from the moment the day begins, so they are selective about how they spend their time and what types of media fit into their daily routine. Not surprisingly, online activity has become their top choice of media. As a new Mom from British Columbia puts it, “I prefer to be online. I’m able to be selective about what I read and watch and I can quickly get what I need to help me get through my day.” Many Canadian Moms agree with this sentiment. They spend more time online than with any other traditional media, including TV, radio and print. In fact, Moms are least likely to be seen reading a newspaper or a magazine – information from these sources is now easier and less expensive to access online. Time Spent with Media Daily
14%
11%
23%
10% 4%
8%
Watching television 4-6 hrs
2-4 hrs
18%
21%
22%
4% 10%
4% 11%
19%
21%
42%
38%
24%
25%
20%
15%
25%
8% 1%
6 hrs +
14%
23%
21%
Using the Internet
7%
13%
14%
8% 5% 12%
12%
16%
19%
17%
Listening to the radio 1-2 hrs
20%
Reading a book 30 mins - 1 hr
Reading a newspaper less then 30 mins
Reading a magazine None
These web-savvy Moms have worked the Internet into their everyday lives. As Pam, a Stay-at-Home Mom with 3 kids from eastern Ontario told us, “It’s the first thing I do in the morning. I get my kids up and then I turn on my computer to check the news, my email and my sites. My computer stays on all day.”
“Given the busy hectic lives that Moms are leading today, brands need to connect with them on their time and on their turf. Putting an ad on TV isn’t enough. Having a presence where Moms are already spending their time versus creating new communities or sites for Moms to visit can often be the best solution. Brands need to ask themselves: ‘What can we do to provide real value for busy Moms? How can we as a company make their lives easier and better?’ That is the key not only to engagement but to building long-term loyalty.” Jeff Plowman VP Client Service & Strategic Planning Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG
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Time Spent on Specific Sites Canadian Moms are big on connecting online. Over 30% of their online time is spent with the 3 major chat, social media and email sites. When search sites are added, Google and YouTube bring the number up to nearly 40% of their online time. MSN Messenger 12.0%
Source: comScore June 2009
Facebook.com 10.6% Other 53.4%
MSN Hotmail 7.7% YouTube.com 4.6% Google 4.2%
Yahoo! Mail 2.4% EA Online 0.9% eBay 1.6% Yahoo! Messenger 1.2% MSN-Windows Live 1.4%
“We’ve gone from a small handful of communication media – TV, print, radio – to a massive proliferation of information and entertainment sources. How Moms spend their leisure time has changed dramatically and it’s continuing to evolve every day. Marketers need to be on top of these developments or they’ll simply get left behind. The marketing of the future doesn’t confine itself to one screen or one forum. We need big, groundbreaking ideas that work across every different consumer touchpoint.” Joshua Somer Strategic Planner Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG
The Media Planning Perspective: “Canadians are highly engaged netizens; especially Moms. Big audiences, more time spent and higher functional expectations mean that marketers need to carefully integrate their plans across their selected media channels. Moms use online to plan ahead and save time. Marketers who support that direction by providing information, clear navigation and utility will win them over as loyal purchasers. Marketers who don’t will lose them and, worse, will suffer from Mom’s word-of-mouth email, chat and social networking.” Chris Williams Managing Director Media Contacts Canada
While Digital Moms use the web almost daily, their use of mobile technology to undertake the same activities has yet to reach critical mass. The use of mobile technology to access the Internet or check email is far less popular with Moms. On a weekly basis, Moms only use these features 18% and 16% (respectively). That’s not to say that they’re not using their mobile phones for activities other than phone calls - 53% now use their mobile device to send SMS messages. Texting is one way that Moms can stay in touch with their kids and it’s not surprising to see that the use of mobile technology increases as the age of the children at home increases. Frequency of Online Activity 5% 4% 6% 4% 9% 4%
5% 5% 7% 4% 7% 5%
67%
66%
30% 47%
8% 6% 4% 6% 3%
0
1
Checked your email on computer 2
3
4
5
Visited social networking website 6
84%
82%
3%
5%
9%
6%
10% 7% 6% 5% 5% 2%
34%
Accessed Internet on computer
66%
12%
10%
19%
Sent or received text message
7% 6% 5% 5% 2% 6%
Played video game on computer/ gaming console
Checked your email on a mobile device
Accessed Internet on mobile device
7 (Days per week)
“The Internet has emerged as a critical part of a busy Mom’s daily routine and primary source for their entertainment, information and social interaction. Moms across all key demographics use the Internet frequently and for large amounts of time. Marketers seeking to reach Canadian Moms need to ensure that strategic online activity gets embedded into any communication plan. While mobile activity has yet reached high-enough levels to vie with computers, marketers need to keep careful watch as Moms move from text messages to increasingly online connectivity. Our analysis of Prosumer Moms shows that they’re using this technology more frequently and Consumer Moms will soon follow their lead.” Stacy DeBroff CEO Mom Central, Inc.
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Moms are highly engaged, connected and influential online. For the purposes of this study, we used Forrester’s Social Technographics Profile tool and applied it to Canadian Moms. This tool provides “a way to group people based on the groundswell activities in which they participate” (Groundswell, Forrester Research 2008). By doing so, we were able to look at the types of activities Canadian Moms are adopting and develop appropriate strategies in the social media space. We looked at 20 different online activities that Canadian Moms engage in. Each of the 20 online activities is classified into 1 of 5 groups, based on the type of involvement of the user: Creators –
participate in activities that involve the creation of content online (i.e. uploading photos, publishing a blog)
Critics –
participate in activities that involve providing commentary, participating in online discussion or reviewing products
Collectors –
participate in activities that involve sorting, collecting or managing online content
Joiners –
participate in activities that involve actively connecting with others online
Spectators – participate in activities that do not involve interaction from the participant (i.e. reading blogs, articles) Based on this segmentation of activities, we found the majority of Canadian Digital Moms to be Critics (72%) and Joiners (72%), and were least likely to be Spectators (21%). Digital Moms are highly engaged online. They are actively responding to what they see and share it with others. They join websites, keep updated profiles, comment, blog, rate and share. Close to 50% are Creators and create online content through blogs, social media and websites. Many of the bloggers we talked to say that they started blogging as soon as they became a Mom. Maria, a blogger from Quebec, says, “As soon as I had my son I felt this need to share my experiences. I wanted to let other Moms know about products I liked or didn’t like. I wanted to meet other Moms going through the same things.”
Collectors tend to be the most technically savvy Moms - they’re more active than the other groups in all types of online activities – gaming, social media, blogging and social networking. They will spend the most time online and use the newest online applications (e.g. tagging, RSS). Participation in Online Activities 44%
Visit social networking sites 19%
Update/maintain profile on social networking sites
Read blogs Contribute to online forms or discussion groups Watch video posted online by other users Comment on somone else’s blog
17%
15%
Comment on someone’s page on social networking site Read online forms or discussion groups
19% 17%
28% 16%
11% 8% 6% 5%
16%
15%
12%
14%
21%
7% 4%
16% 16%
15%
8%
12% 10%
29%
3%5% 10%
11%
10%
11% 4%
19%
12%
8% 3%
18%
6%
10%
20%
16%
11%
Listen/download audio/music posted Use RSS Add tags to webpages, online photos, etc. Read customer ratings or reviews online Upload photos to a website Post ratings or reviews of products or services online
3% 3% 9%
15%
13%
14%
28%
10% 5%
8% 23%
26%
11%
20%
17%
11% 8%
16%
3%5%4%4%
Publish, maintain or update their own blog Publish or update their own website Listen to podcasts Upload audio/music to a website Vote for websites online Upload video they created to a website Once a day
Once a week
4% 6% 5% 4% 5% 8% 5%
11%
11% 12%
5% 8%
13%
2%5% 9%
7%
Once a month
8% 11% 13%
Once a year
Less often
“Not all Moms are created equal. Know your Mom target and the type of activity she’s engaging with online, and tailor your online presence to fit her. If your target is an older Mom with teens, she’s more likely to be a Spectator online, so creating online editorial or blogs would make sense in order to reach her. Asking her to upload video and pictures? Not an effective idea.” Kathryn Easter Managing Director Mom Central Canada
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Participating in social networking sites is by far the biggest online activity that Moms engage in. Moms want to stay connected with friends, family and other Moms. Playdates, phone calls, and Tupperware parties were how Moms traditionally socialized and stayed connected with other Moms. Now, social media have become inherent in Moms’ lives, offering an alternative way for them to meet and exchange information. Seventy-one percent of those we asked have visited a social networking site in the past month, and 44% visit daily. Moms are using social networking sites to keep in touch with family and friends (88%), and to reconnect with old friends (73%). According to comScore, Moms indexed higher than all women when it came to participation on Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Canadian Moms are also most likely to visit Facebook on a regular basis compared to other networking sites. Nintey-six percent of Canadian Moms who participate in social networking sites use Facebook, with 61% visiting Facebook at least once a day. Moms are also very active on Twitter compared to the rest of the Canadian population – according to comScore, they’re 27% more likely to use the networking site. Reasons for Use of Social Media Sites
Participation in Social Media 2% 8%
4% 4% 10%
88%
To reconnect with old friends
61%
81%
To keep in touch with friends and family
89%
73%
To communicate with likeminded people
28%
To learn about new things
20%
22%
To meet new friends
14%
12%
To keep tabs on my child(ren)
14%
4%
At least once a day At least once a month
MySpace
To network for business
At least once a week
None of these
I do not visit regularly
Don’t know
12% 3% 1%
“Natural conversationalists and connectors, Moms use social media to proactively pass along ideas and product assessments to others. This accelerates brand word of mouth and creates an opportunity for companies to form relationships with Moms and engage them in product development and brand advocacy.” Tracey Hope-Ross VP Research Mom Central
Word-of-mouth and online information play critical roles in influencing a purchasing decision. Traditional media are still key for awareness. Traditional media like television, newspaper, magazine and radio advertising are the most often cited resources that make Moms aware of products and services. Once Moms are aware of the product, more information is often gleaned from other resources, such as word of mouth and search engines like Google. Search engines and store websites are turned to most often to provide comparative and competitive information. Ultimately, purchasing decisions are most heavily influenced by word of mouth, to a much greater extent than any traditional or emerging technological media. Product brand websites have the least influence on the final purchasing decision among Moms under the age of 35 (5% compared to 15%). Moms in Atlantic Canada report the greatest influence of traditional media on the final purchasing decision, while western Canadian Moms report that referrals from friends and family are most likely to impact their final purchasing decision. Influencers in Purchasing Decision Traditional Media
Other Media
209 87
143
125 177
Awareness
Research/Information
90 54
Compare
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Final Decision
“Clearly, traditional media still have a very important role in connecting with consumers, but the real magic happens when brands are able to combine awareness activities with those that get them talking, experiencing and sharing. At the same time, sinking all your marketing dollars into a glitzy new website simply doesn’t cut it anymore - Moms don’t need another destination in their hectic lives. Brands need to go where they are already spending their time and engage with them there.” Ron Tite VP Creative Director Euro Sharpe Blackmore:
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Reliability of Media Sources 90%
Referral from friends or family 79%
Web search engines like Google
Television commercials Radio commercials
32%
57%
37%
57%
37%
49%
E-commerce websites like Amazon.ca
Reliable (Net)
17%
59%
Magazine ads
Audio or video podcasts
29%
59%
Product brand websites like Ford.ca
Social networks like Facebook
14%
63%
Newspaper ads
Shopping discussion forums like Redflagdeals
12%
73%
Store websites like Futureshop.ca
Expert review websites like CNET
5%
15%
39% 35%
7% 10%
30% 24%
34% 21%
Not reliable (Net)
Canadian Moms are actively using the Internet to seek out and share information about products and services. Nine out of 10 Online Canadian Moms report using the Internet to research products and services. It’s not just for major purchases either. Moms we talked to mentioned they would use the Internet to gather information about everything from hair products and electronics to books and diaper creams. Thirty-eight percent of Moms have provided advice about products or services through forums, review sites or on a blog. Moms with new babies (under the age of 1 year) are the most likely to go to the Internet to ask for product advice from other people (51%). This behaviour can be seen in action by checking out sites like weewelcome.com and the Babycentre.co.uk community. Moms with young kids are actively seeking and sharing information about meal ideas, cars, insurance, family travel and, of course baby and family products. Despite the availability of and frequency with which Canadian Moms access online sources of information, the most reliable source for information about products for purchase is referral from family or friends – 90% consider it reliable. Moms also trust web search engines and store websites. Traditional media are much more likely to be considered unreliable.
Nearly all Digital Moms use search and huge numbers use it everyday. Search accounts for over 5% of pages viewed by Moms. Google is easily the largest provider of search in terms of audience size, and Bing is making progress with Moms as well. Source: comScore June 2009
Total Unique Visitors (000)
Average Daily Visitors (000)
%Reach
Average Pages per Visitor
Total Internet: Custom Target
2,867
Search/Navigation
2,769
100.0
2,765
4,393
96.6
1,689
231
Total Unique Visitors (000)
%Reach
Average Daily Visitors (000)
Average Pages per Visitor
Google Search
2,675
93.3
1,451
149
Bing
1,550
54.1
299
91
Ask Network
1,233
43.0
138
21
“Moms have a lot of decisions to make every day and they want to be informed. The majority of Mom Consumers transform themselves into “social researchers” by seeking out online reviews to make thoughtful and well-informed purchasing decisions based on their peers’ recommendations, even when making the smallest purchasing decisions. Social media provide creative new ways to establish and augment connections with Moms. Successful brands implement programs that work with, not against, the powerful current that Mom word of mouth generates.” Tracey Hope-Ross VP Research Mom Central
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Online Moms are purchasing online, significantly more than the rest of the population. Seventy-seven percent of Moms we surveyed had made a purchase online in the past year. This is significantly higher than the estimated 32% of Canadians (16+) who purchase online, according to Statistics Canada. Online purchases are most common among younger Moms (under 44 = 79%) and Moms with young children (83% had children under the age of 1). Furthermore, purchase behaviour is most common among Moms in the West and Ontario (80% and 82%), while Quebec Moms are the least likely to make purchases online (67%). Visits to Shopping Sites - Moms vs. Women
Source: comScore June 2009
350 300 250 200 150
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Online Moms’ traffic indexes are higher than online Women, without exception, when we look at major shopping sites.
“Canadian Moms are clearly not averse to purchasing online, but further research by Mom Central suggests that the online shopping environment needs to be right in order for Moms to become a customer. Shipping and concerns about returns rank highest as barriers to purchase for this consumer. Providing easy solutions to these concerns will likely welcome more Moms to shop on your site.“ Kathryn Easter Managing Director Mom Central Canada
Finally, when it comes to Moms’ engagement and usage online, age matters. Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y – does it matter? The answer, when it comes to Moms, is yes. But equally, if not more important, is the age of her kids. Looking at the age of a Mom’s kids can be more helpful in determining her behaviour online and offline for 2 reasons: • Age of kids often correlates with her age • Age of kids often dictates behaviours regardless of the age of Mom This last point is especially true when it comes to Moms with children under 1 year old and again with Moms of teens • Moms with older kids spend more time watching TV, listening to the radio and online • Moms with older kids are more likely to send and receive text messages • Moms with older kids are using social networking to keep tabs on their kids, not to connect with friends Moms with kids under 1 year old spend more time: • With social networks • Uploading pictures • Participating in forums and discussion groups • Reading blogs • Posting ratings and product reviews • Asking for product advice from other people online
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“It’s one of the most common questions we’re asked when consulting with brands and agencies: ‘What’s more important to target: age of child or age of Mom?’ Traditional measures lead marketers to focus on the age of Moms. Our conclusion is that traditional measures do not generally work to understand today’s Moms and that when it comes to media habits, focusing on the age of the child(ren) to segment your Mom target is the way to go. Moms’ behaviour and interest in content is more often driven by the age and size of their family, versus their own age. This is a unique insight that sets Moms apart and requires more expertise and understanding to be applied to an engagement strategy.” Cora Brady Managing Director Mom Central Canada
Meet the “Prosumers” Within the pages of this report you may have come across a word you haven’t heard before – “Prosumer.” So who are these “Prosumers”? Simply put, they’re the 15 to 25% of men and women who make or break a market – in every category and in every region of the world. These are the leading-edge consumers who allow us to see “what’s next”, the ones who point us to what the rest of consumers will think, feel, say and buy in the next 6 to 18 months. These consumers are ahead of the curve in terms of trying new products, and are influential among their peer group and often sought out for advice. Compared to Moms as a whole, Prosumers are younger, more affluent and more embracing of technology. Prosumers spend significantly more time online than the average Mom and are even more engaged with social networks. While Prosumers share much in common with consumers as a whole, they are significantly ahead in some areas. For example, Prosumers are far more likely to embrace mobile technology as a web device. Prosumers are twice as likely to be on Twitter – which gives some indication as to where other Moms will be in the not-too-distant future. Nearly twice as many Prosumers as average Moms have provided advice to others when it comes to recommending products or services.
Prosumer Methodology Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG has developed a proprietary methodology for identifying Prosumers from among the general population, using an advanced statistical algorithm. For more information on Prosumers, please contact the Sharpe Blackmore team today.
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Meet Some Digital Moms Digital Moms are by no means a monolithic group. They’re not limited by their age or where they live or by the number of kids they have. Rather, they come from all backgrounds and all walks of life – from the young, urban new Mom who turned her blogging hobby into a successful business to the older rural Mom who uses the web to hunt for bargains. Over the course of this study, we had the opportunity to meet many Digital Moms with a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences. Here are portraits of three of them. Karen Karen is 30 years old and lives in Vancouver with her husband. They’re expecting their first child – a girl – in just a couple of months and couldn’t be more excited. Karen could be the poster woman for how Moms are embracing digital technologies and social media – and for the power that they can wield. In fact, Karen was able to take her blogging hobby and turn it into a full-time job running her own small business! Karen had a typical 9-to-5 office job working for a B.C. government agency. But her real passion has always been food. Cooking, going out to restaurants, gardening. That’s what Karen lives for. The proliferation of social media allowed Karen to explore her passion like never before. Instead of being content to read restaurant reviews in her local paper or waiting for the monthly issue of a cooking magazine to arrive at her doorstep, Karen found herself surrounded 24/7 by all the information she could possibly want when it came to food. She found sites that let her download interesting new recipes and share her results. Blogs kept her in the know about great restaurants off the beaten path. And Karen couldn’t get enough. Karen became a regular commenter on numerous food blogs and forums, and fellow readers began encouraging her to start her own blog since her comments were always so valuable. So Karen took the plunge and became a blogger in her free time. Almost every day, she’d go online and blog about recent culinary adventures – be they in her own kitchen or at a local restaurant. She soon developed a large and devoted following. If she wrote a positive review about a restaurant she’d tried, it would be booked solid for weeks. If she gave her personal “thumbs-up” to an item at a local bakery, they’d sell out instantly. Eventually, Karen was able to leave her old job behind and make a living writing about her passion. Karen credits her tremendous success to one simple ingredient: authenticity. She figures that there are enough professional food critics out there and what people are really looking for is an authentic voice from an average woman like her. Unlike the restaurant critics for major newspapers, Karen doesn’t have a massive expense account where she can order whatever she wants and never have to worry. She’s not a famous face who will get exceptional service the average diner won’t. She’s someone her readers can actually relate to. She’s a peer. And because her readers see her as someone “like them,” her voice carries far more weight than those of the professionals.
Pam When most people think of tech-savvy Digital Moms, they don’t usually think of Pam. But they’d be wrong. Pam is 37 years old and has been happily married for 15 years. She lives in a small farming community in southwestern Ontario and is a stay at home mom to her three young kids – ages 3 through 11. Her priorities in life are clear: her family and her community. Despite the challenges of raising three young kids, she manages to volunteer 2 days a week, lead a Girl Guide troop and is active in her local church. For Pam, the Internet is what keeps her connected to the world around her. Because she lives in a small, rural community, doesn’t work outside the home and has the hectic schedule of a Mom of three, the web has become her main outlet for keeping in touch with family and old friends – and making some new ones along the way. Pam started blogging a little over a year ago and, in her own words “It was more out of boredom than anything else.” She considers it a substitute for keeping a journal, just a nice way to collect her thoughts and experiences and keep friends updated about her family. As she went along, however, she discovered a group of people just like her – Moms of young kids who like sharing their experiences and trading ideas on everything from where to find great deals to their personal parenting philosophies. And despite its existence strictly in a “virtual world,” it’s become a real community. According to Pam, “Even though I don’t know these bloggers in real life, they feel like good friends to me.” One of the biggest online activities for Pam is researching purchases and doing online shopping. Pam and her husband are on a tight budget and, with three growing kids, they make sure that every dollar counts. Pam finds that shopping online is often where you get the best deals. Just recently, she purchased all of her kids’ back-to-school clothes online. Even when buying from a retail store, she still likes to do her research online first. She always looks up where she can get an item for the best price before she sets out to buy it.
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Jennifer Jennifer is 23 years old and lives in northern Ontario with her common-law partner. They have a 2-year-old boy at home and are expecting their second child any day now. Jennifer admits that her first pregnancy came as a surprise and that she and her partner found themselves a little bit overwhelmed – or, in her words, “pretty freaked out.” The second time has been a little bit easier but there’s still so much to learn and plan and so much uncertainty as to what to expect. The Internet has been such a valuable resource for Jennifer – she considers it to be practically a “lifesaver.” From the time she found out she was pregnant for the first time, she started going online in order to learn what she could expect, as well as what she could do in terms of nutrition and other aspects of prenatal care. And because there are so many things you need to buy for a first child – from crib to stroller to car seat – the web has been a godsend in terms of information and advice. For these big-ticket purchases, Jennifer didn’t want to take her chances, so she turned to the web to do her research. While she dug through the websites of various product manufacturers and retailers, she says that what she found most helpful were reviews from other new Moms. Hearing personal experiences from people in her situation was considered to be, by far, the most influential. Since her first child was born, the web has continued to be a valuable, almost daily resource in her life as a Mom. Pressed for both time and money, she has a series of sites that she loves to consult for fast, easy, affordable and nutritious recipes. For those little maladies, she keeps WebMD bookmarked as a quick reference. She’s also met, through the web, a local group of young Moms who meet up on weekends for activities in the park. She finds it a great way to get her child involved in activities and also for her to make new friends, since her social life has taken a beating since her first pregnancy. And finally, she has Facebook, which she uses to share hundreds and hundreds of pictures of her little pride and joy.
About Us Mom Central and Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG are pleased to share with you the findings of this groundbreaking Canadian research. To learn more about this report, including additional findings, or to schedule a presentation for your team, please contact kathryn@momcentral.com.
About Mom Central Mom Central Consulting is the leading marketing-to-Moms agency, founded in 2006, specializing in viral marketing and social media campaigns to activate the Mom Consumer. Mom Central Consulting partners with national brands and communications agencies to build brand awareness and activate Moms to drive retail purchases and online participation. Mom Central Consulting has offices in Boston and Toronto. momcentralconsulting.com 1235 Bay Street, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M5R 3K4 Cora Brady Managing Director, Client Service and Strategy cora@momcentral.com 1 416 966 0645
About Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG A renaissance agency that unites vigorous artistic and intellectual activities with new world delivery, Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG connects the world’s most respected brands with consumers. Clients include Air France, Agilent, CDW, Enstream, Evian, Fidelity, GSK, Home Hardware, IBM, Kraft, Merck Consumer Healthcare, Reckitt Benckiser, Smart Technologies, Volvo and others. sharpeblackmore.com 473 Adelaide Street West Toronto, ON M4S 3E4 Jeff Plowman VP Client Service & Strategic Planning jeff.plowman@sharpeblackmore.com 1 416 355 5017
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