REDEFINING THE MOM NETWORK: IT'S PERSONAL, NOT SOCIAL

MomConnection® study reveals new understanding of how product information moves through the mom market

New York, NY, November 10, 2009

The park bench hasn't gone totally virtual when it comes to why moms buy,

according to recent findings from MomConnection®, The Parenting Group's nationally representative research panel of 5,000 moms. While moms clearly turn to online communities and social networks for advice, support and connection (60% report having used a social network in the past 24 hours), their offline personal network of family and friends still drives purchasing behavior, trumping online social networks by a scale of 4 to 1.

The study found that the role of social networks in moms' lives is still largely for entertainment and personal communication; it's not a channel where most moms are receptive to gathering product information. Only 24% of respondents have used Facebook for product information and buying advice, while 5% have used Myspace for product info, and 3% have used Twitter.

Facebook is moms' social network of choice, by a wide margin.
(*Percentage of moms who reported that they were members)

Facebook (81%)
Classmates.com (39%)
Myspace (38%)
YouTube (36%)
CafeMom (31%)
Twitter (23%)
LinkedIn (21%)

So where do moms get advice on product purchases?

Moms' most frequently-used* sources of product research and buying advice:
(*Percentage that use chosen sources "all of the time" for advice)

Mom-focused web sites (41%)
User reviews on shopping web sites (34%)
Magazine articles (32%)

The survey also found that moms interact with brands on a surprisingly high level, actively requesting information and resources from the companies whose products they use. One-on-one interaction with brands is their preferred way to receive info:

81% have visited a brand's web site for more information
65% have signed up to receive a newsletter from a brand
36% have posted a link or joined a fan group on Facebook

How do moms spread the word once they've formulated an opinion about a product?

The research found that nearly all moms are "influencers" in some way:

94% of moms give advice to other moms in at least one product category.
The average mom gives and get advice in more than 8 product categories.
69% recommend specific brands by name to other moms.
54% have rated or reviewed a brand online.
37% have posted their opinions about a product in an online forum or blog.

The most popular* subject areas for mom-to-mom discussion of product choices:
(*Percentage of moms who give and get advice in each category)

Children's toys and games (86%)
Entertainment (84%)
Cooking and baking tools (82%)
Online/offline shopping (78%)
Drugs and remedies (75%)

Family planning was the least popular discussion topic, with only 42% of moms giving or getting advice about fertility and family planning issues.

Where moms need the most advice:

Moms are more likely to seek advice, rather than share advice, on product decisions in the following categories:

Financial services
Home renovation, repairs and appliances
Cars and automotive products
Electronics and home entertainment equipment
Computers and cell phones

The mom "brand magnets"

The MomConnection research also identified six key characteristics that draw moms to one brand over another. Moms are most likely to talk about brands that they feel are:

A good value
Trustworthy
Responsive to moms' needs
High quality
A money-saver
A time-saver

Survey Methodology:

The Mom Network survey was conducted by MomConnection among 583 moms with children under 12 between September 10 and September 24, 2009. MomConnection is a proprietary, nationally-representative online research network of 5,000 moms managed by The Parenting Group, publisher of Parenting, Babytalk and Conceive magazines and Parenting.com.