Welcome to my blog on Content Intelligence and Engagement Performance; I have spent years in collaboration, messaging and social space developing advanced technologies to improve the consumer experience and lead generation. Was inducted into the Viral Hall of Fame by Marketing Sherpa as well as other industry awards. Join me in the conversation.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Moms and Social Marketing 2010

Over the past year I have been observing my wife and the use of social media. It's been amazing what I have found out and her overall behavior around social brand interaction. The Mom Marketing BIGresearch, 2009 did a great job highlighting things I was able to directly observe. Here is a great verification to what I observed.

According to a Retail Advertising and Marketing Association survey conducted by BIGresearch, women with children at home are more likely to use Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter than average adults. Additionally, 15.3% maintain their own blog.

Mike Gatti, Executive Director for RAMA, suggests that "... retailers who aren't engaging customers through social media could be missing the boat... the web provides efficient, convenient ways for brands to stay in front of their most loyal shoppers and attract new ones."

On a scale of one to five, when asked what types of promotions most influence their purchases, product samples in the store, product samples delivered to home, loyalty cards, and special displays rank as moms' favorites, says the report.

32.9% of Moms prefer department stores and 23.2% head to specialty apparel stores when shopping for clothes for themselves. Shopping for their children's clothes, 30.7% say they head to discount stores, 19.6% say department stores and 17.5% prefer specialty apparel stores. 45% of Moms also most prefer discounters the most for their children's toys and for their own personal health and beauty products.

When it comes to the traditional media preferences, the Food Network and the Discovery Channel are the top cable TV picks, People and Cosmopolitan are the most-preferred magazines, and the daily local and weekly community newspapers are at the top of the list of most-read.


Though individual comments don't constitute a comprehensive study, they are valuable in considering the marketing message. When asked what advertisers on Facebook should do that they aren't currently doing, moms say:
• "Provide exclusive offers (i.e., printable coupons, etc.). Exclusive offers would entice me to respond to the message (not just read/glance at [it]), and I might look them up on Facebook and become a fan."
• "[Be] more interactive. Starbucks is a good example - they just had a Facebook campaign where you could send a coupon for a free Starbucks ice cream to a friend on Facebook."
• "Offer samples."
• "Certificates or coupons for freebies or special discount offers. I always print those and use them."
• "Coupons/discounts for family places [such as] restaurants or coupons for grocery stores."
• "[Be] a little more targeted with online store specials."
• "Just talk to us. Direct us to Twitter or a blog where we can talk back. It's too complicated to carry on a conversation on Facebook. Make it easy for us."
• "I'd like to be able to comment on something they post without being alerted every time someone else makes a post. Sometimes that becomes distracting."
• "Provide something that would actually help me, not just market their product."
• "I like being a fan and following the products/companies that I choose to follow. It makes me feel like I can make the choice of what advertisements I am willing to pay attention to. Advertisers need to move toward fan pages and away from the sidebar ads. Running the occasional contest is always fun!"

For more depth on the report check out http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=786

Chase McMichael
@ChaseUNBOUND


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