A recent report published by Razorfish and CafeMom, has found an emerging marketing challenge: “digital moms.” The study indicates that this group of the population has begun to take hold of the offerings of Web 2.0. With more choices to manage, more information to balance, the moms of today are turning to digital communication.

The research shows moms are willing to research on line, and are connecting with friends, finding advice, and shopping more than ever using today’s new technologies. Initial awareness of products is coming more and more from digital channels, and not just TV. And the age of the mom and her kids corresponds to the mode and type of information moms access.

The researchers were able to draw some conclusions, both in how moms are using media, as well as for how marketers can use the data.

Finding 1:   Moms are using Web 2.0, beyond just search engines and email.
Channels used by more than 50% of the digital moms in the research include:
•    94% email
•    74% search engines
•    65% social networks
•    56% text messaging
•    55% instant messaging
•    52% gaming
•    51% news sites

How you can apply these findings: Marketers should embrace these channels as well as investigating online video, blogs, and DVR. RSS and podcasts are used passionately by those who use them, and mobile browsing is on the rise. Marketers should also start to understand how they work together.

Finding 2:   Age of both the mother and the child affect the media the mom is using.
The type of technology platform used by the digital moms show an age factor. Moms under 35 are using social networks and mobile browsing, while the over 35 crowd is using informational tools like online news or consumer reviews. Moms with kids over 12 are more likely to use online gaming.

How you can apply these findings: “Marketers have an opportunity to respond to these trends by acknowledging that a “one-size-fits-all” strategy against moms may not work. It will be important to segment by age and continue to follow these trends year over year to ensure that marketing programs are speaking to each set of moms in their technology comfort zones.”

Finding 3:   Moms of kids over 12 also use media to monitor their children.
Moms are using blogs and other media to not only get information on products, but to get information on their children. About half (47%) of moms who use social networks and have children 12-18 are monitoring their children’s behavior through technology.

How you can apply these findings: “Marketers have an opportunity to empower moms with content, experiences, and a community to tap into their dual motivations – staying connected for their own needs, as well as the needs of their children.”

Finding 4:   Moms are communicating with a different set of people.
Digital moms are using online communications to connect with more than their family and friends. Sixty-five percent are communicating with known and unknown friends using social media, 56% are text-messaging, and 52% are gaming. Thirty-five percent are connecting with online friends, compared with 83% who connect with friends. But gamers are more likely to play with strangers or online friends (47%) than with family. Digital moms, then, are creating communities of known and unknown friends that are held together by common interests rather than demographics.

How you can apply these findings: It will be critical to understand how moms are socializing, and who they are socializing with, and around which common interests they are socializing to determine how products and services meet the needs of these moms.

Finding 5:   Moms are moms, but with interests beyond parenting.
Lifestyle content interests such as Fashion/Clothing and Food/Clothing remain constant, no matter the age of the children. Life-stage content like Baby/Parenting or Computers/Electronics changes, as one would expect, as the children grow.

How you can apply these findings: “Marketers should consider marketing to mom as both an interconnected woman and a mom, as her interests extend beyond parenting.” Remember that interest levels change based on the age of the children in the household.

Finding 6:   Initial hearing about products still comes from TV, but researching and decision making is done online.
Moms are still hearing about products through the traditional methods, but when it comes to doing research and learning about products, 50% of the moms turn to searches and websites. Online consumer reviews are having an influence on how and from whom digital moms get their information. They also turn to websites, referrals, and search engines when it’s time to make a decision.

How you can apply these findings: “Since many social environments contain more than one social activity, it is important to consider the combined effect of social influence channels – online consumer reviews, RSS, social networks, blogs – and have a comprehensive strategy to leverage them.”

The research gives a comprehensive overview of how the age-old art of mothering is meeting the new art of Web 2.0. It’s a must-read for anyone who markets to the moms.

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