Connected Mums Research
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Transcript of Connected Mums Research
Connected Mums Research
July 2010
This presentation is the intellectual property of Polestar Communications and must not be sent on or reproduced without prior consent
Motherhood has changed
* TNS Digital Life Survey, 2009
A ‘Mum Mafia’ has emerged
A more connected network than ever
before
..A force to be reckoned with
Happier to define themselves as ‘Mums’ but not ‘Housewives’
Online & offline too
Mums are powerful consumers
1: A.T. Kearney Research
Women are responsible for 62% of decisions behind new
car purchases
Responsible for 90% of food purchases
Responsible for 80% of healthcare spending
decisions1!
Women are responsible for 83% of the household spending decisions
Modern motherhood has its own pressures
Yummy Mummy phenomenon
Celebrity ‘bump watch’ glamorises & fetishises pregnancy
alongside ‘ticking clock’ articles
Competitive Mums78% say one-upmanship
at the school gates is “ridiculous”, but they
“just can’t help themselves”1
1: Daily Telegraph, 10 June 20102: Joshua G2/ Marketing Week
31% claim brands appear patronising and often perpetuate the “super mummy” myth2
Polestar mums research
• The nature of motherhood has changed dramatically– ‘A lifestyle choice’ – Starting point of a career– More visible, more connected– More pressured, higher expectations
• Polestar’s 2010 research set out to ask UK mums directly how they have responded to these changes
About the research
• Methodology: Anonymous online survey• Sample: 100 ABC1 Mums with an internet connection,
living in England
Regionality Age profile
Broadly, Connected Mums are in work and at a senior level – but the nature of work is very varied
Middle management
Juniormanagement
Support N/a
How Connected Mums view their role
Celeb mums have changed how motherhood is
perceived (62%)
It’s far more acceptable to define yourself as ‘a mum’ (93%) than
as ‘a housewife’ (19%)
But motherhood is still hard graft (94%) & less
respected than ‘work’ (67%)
How Connected Mums view themselves as a group
All agree: 89%
All agree: 66%
All agree: 81%
All agree: 90%
Mums are more connected
Mums are more influential
Mums are more valued as consumers
Where Mums connect online
Social Networks: 2 key players
Mums Networks:More fragmented usage
Around half of those using the Mums networks claim
they get something different from each site
Networked behaviour: varying degrees of involvement
Mum networks are valued.. But only up to a point
Mums enjoy the reassurance that comes from connecting with
other Mums
But they in no way replace real life connections
These career women have found motherhood has its pressures, too
Desperate Housewives
Money
Looking GoodParenting Skills
• 85% are ‘house-proud’• 69% like baking for visitors
• 69% expect money to be tighter next year• 63% worry about money• 60% spend more on clothes for their children than for themselves
• 71% wanted to shift the baby weight, fast• 69% feel pressure to look good• 62% report competition between mums• 83% say ‘no way am I mumsy’
• 88% compare notes on child development milestones• 61% say they are made to feel there is a right/wrong way to be a Mum by gurus like Gina Ford
Peers can be a source of pressure as well as support and a real-life support network comes from multiple sources
How Connected Mums feel motherhood has changed them
Conclusions - Professionalising the role of ‘Mum’
• Expectations on being a ‘mum’ have never been higher – Pressure to run & manage a household and its finances....– ....be an excellent parent– ....return to work / start up a business– ....whilst still looking good
• Yet, with status & pride in the role on the up, and their increasing influence recognised, Mums are grasping the initiative using the full range of tools at their disposal
Conclusions - The Connected Mum
• Actively using the technologies & skills learnt in professional life to help them skill-up & cope with the stresses of modern parenthood
• Online networks play a critical role• Staying connected
– Over 70% feel more reassured by belonging to these networks– 80% would recommend them to friends
• Reassurance & influence – Online networks support their desire to gain & transfer knowledge – One in ten uses them to drum up support around issues– Around a third posts questions and comments
• Use of online networks is fragmented & not homogenous• Draw on a variety of different networks rather than dominant sources• It’s not all about community sites such as Mumsnet - product & service brands have a
valued role to play
Conclusions – The Connected Mum
• Primary source of support networks remains off-line
• It’s here that they draw on immediate support of family, friends & neighbours
• Critically for brands, face-to-face advocacy outstrips online by 7 to 1
Implications for brands
• Modern mums are an audience of immense value & influence
• More connected than ever, they offer the ultimate advocacy opportunity
• There’s a genuine opportunity for brands to be part of their network if they empower mums with tools and add value to their lives
• Think beyond community based online networks – they are only part of the solution
For more information contact:
Kiran Kaur: [email protected]
+44 (0)207 089 6591
Megan Butler: [email protected]
+44 (0)207 089 6589