here - Think Digital

real mums
R e a c h i n g
t o d a y ’ s
o n l i n e
m u m s
First for celebs
The web provides 51%
of online mums with
their gossip fix
Hot
shopping
tips
62% regularly shop online
for the household
30% shop for themselves
Pamper time
Your guide to what’s on
63% of online mums watch video
clips online for entertainment
“I’ll open a bottle of wine, paint
my toenails and go online”
PLUS:: how the web is transforming mums’ lives for the better
keeping tabs
on mum
When Microsoft Advertising first surveyed
the UK’s online mums, back in 2008, we
found the web was vital for organising
finances and doing the shopping, and
provided important reassurance on health
and advice for first-time mothers. Talking
to online mums again in 2010, it’s clear
that the web still does all those things –
but has become far more ingrained within
their everyday lives.
For today’s online mums, the Internet
is a vital emotional support too:
74% rely on email to stay in touch
with close friends
l 56% catch up on their favourite
TV shows online
l Mums make the most of precious
me-time by heading online
l 62% catch up with friends on social networks
l 47% play online games
l 30% shop online for themselves
l
Ultimately, online mums love the web
for its convenience. And with the
web featuring so prominently in their
everyday lives, advertisers have an
opportunity to forge real emotional
connections with mums through
advertising that is relevant, trustworthy
and offers clear benefits to them.
Real Mums used both quantitative and qualitative research. We conducted an online survey with 731 mums and a series of focus groups to tech savvy and mainstream
groups, plus family sessions in Nottingham, Manchester and London. We included a mixture of online mums (defined as regular users of the Internet) with younger, middle
and older kids; working mums (full-time and part-time); and stay-at-home mums. Groups undertook tasks, kept media diaries, online blogs and participated in a forum.
02 contents
4
a day in the life
Mums’ days are spent juggling the needs of
offspring, partners, chores and work. The web
plays a key role throughout, whether helping
to manage family life, providing personal
fulfilment and entertainment, or enabling
communication with friends and family.
6
windows shopping
8
entertainment
9
10
Online shopping isn’t just for the family –
for many mums it also provides personal
expression, escapism and me-time, rolled into
one. Today’s online mums are bargain hunters
too, with 64% reading consumer reviews and
48% using price comparison websites*.
The web offers a chance to catch
up on missed TV shows, relax with
a game or escape into the world of
celebrity. 63% of online mums watch
video clips online and 51% turn to the
web for their fix of celeb gossip.
keeping in touch
It’s not just about keeping in touch with
friends – it’s about keeping in touch with
themselves: 94% turn to email over texting
or calling – and just under half of online
mums use Instant Messenger.
reaching online mums
Modern mums want clear, relevant
messaging with an obvious emotional
and financial benefit. Find out how
to target them online.
*Source: TGI GB, Q1 2010
03
a day in the
life of AN ONLINE mum
Whatever the time of day, the web is on hand to help
mums juggle work, family and life’s everyday demands
9am
62% of mums online
In-between dropping
kids at school and
doing chores, mums
tend to use this as
their time to get
organised: buying
groceries or managing
the family’s finances
online.
12:30pm
The baby diaries
Mums’ lives change as their children grow;
whether they are nursing new babies or packing
kids off to school, the web is a key support
55% of mums online
For working mums, lunchtime
provides a chance to contact
friends online or indulge
in some me-time by catching
up on the latest celeb
gossip online.
pre-school mums:
Email and social networks
keep them in touch with
friends and play a big
role in sharing pictures
of growing families.
Forums are a popular
destination for mums
looking for support.
mums with
school-age kids:
A hectic daily routine
sees mums turning to the
web for practical help:
planning and organising
finances and family days
out. As their kids get
older, mums spend less
time on social networks
and forums.
8pm
64% of mums online
With the kids in bed, the evening
provides an opportunity to
indulge in some me-time.
Many mums choose to relax by
sending emails to friends and
watching video clips online.
5:30pm
58% of mums online
It’s time to prepare dinner, help
with homework and get the kids
ready for bed. The web provides
a valuable resource for mums in
helping them find information
and inspiration (like what to
cook for that evening’s dinner).
04 working mums:
With little me-time,
working mums are big
fans of social networking
for staying in touch with
friends and family. The
downside of spending
less time with their kids –
especially older children
– is they worry most about
them using the web.
05
windows
shopping
“There is so much
to look at online, I
prefer it than going
out shopping, you
can see so much
more online”
Shopping online saves time and money,
and is far more relaxing than dragging
the kids around stores
70% receive online newsletters on
the products they are interested in
l 15% send emails about
their purchases
l 9% chat about them using
Instant Messenger
Savvy shoppers
Mums like a bargain even more now
and aren’t afraid to search around to
make their online spending go further:
64% read consumer reviews
Over 55% use money-off coupons*
l 48% use a price comparison
website before spending*
l 42% check online for
vouchers they can use
l
l
The daily grind
The Internet has made it quicker
and easier for online mums to do
many everyday tasks:
l
l
Online mums will champion their
favourite brands and products online:
l
62% of online mums regularly shop
on the web for their household and
30% for themselves. As Internet
shopping has moved into the
mainstream, their fears about the
security of buying online has been
overtaken by its convenience.
At the same time, mums have
become more savvy: using price
comparison sites and seeking out
online discount vouchers.
l
Retail therapy
Splashing out
66% buy things for baby
61% do the groceries online
51% buy household items
The web is the perfect place to plan
an escape, whether the summer family
holiday or a special outing:
84% buy DVDs, books
and games
l 67% buy travel online
l 63% purchase tickets
l
Mother’s big helper
Me-time matters
The Internet is on hand when mums need
to organise family life and days out:
Online mums head to the web during
their precious me-time:
67% look for maps and directions
63% regularly manage family
finances using the web
l 47% refer to the Internet before
making a purchase*
l 25% get information on places to visit
When treating themselves online,
82% buy clothes and 52% buy health and beauty products
l 36% buy their jewellery online
l 30% of mums shop online
for themselves
l
l
l
“Shopping online is
time for me, I shop for
everything I want like
clothes, holidays,
things I really can’t afford,
like million pound houses!”
* Source: TGI GB, Q1 2010
06 07
let me entertain you
keeping in touch
The web is becoming more important than offline media in providing
entertainment for some mums, as it’s quick, convenient and freely available
“I try not to read all the gossip
when I log in, but I can’t help
it, especially when there are
pictures of celebrities on there.
Before I know it 20 minutes
has gone by, and I haven’t
even read my emails!”
“My son showed me how to use
Farmville. He wanted me as a
neighbour and now I’m hooked”
It’s not just friends and family that online mums keep in
touch with through the web – it’s their own sense of identity
Online communication preserves contact
with a life outside of family concerns,
as well as providing a channel for
much-needed advice and reassurance.
For many mums, it also offers a form
of escapism and allows them to have
fun with friends.
Social networks
“It keeps me feeling like I am involved”
76% of online mums have tried social
networking, with 49% using them
regularly
l 24% reject them, mainly due to
privacy concerns
l Of those that use social networks, 64%
use them to communicate with their pals and 54% have looked up old friends
l
Email
94% of online
mums use email
l It’s the No 1 way
to share photos
l After text, email is
the dominant digital
tool for 74% of mums when contacting
close friends
l
“I heard on the news when it was
snowing that policemen were told
off for sledging on their shields, so
I went on YouTube to have a look”
Private viewing
63% of online mums watch video clips
online, using it to create an entertainment
schedule that fits around their lives. 56% stay in touch with their favourite
shows through catch-up TV.
08 “It is easier sometimes
to send an email then
call someone, everyone
is so busy, and I rarely
get a chance anymore
to have a long chat on
the phone with friends”
Messenger
Web watercooler
51% of online mums can’t resist reading
celeb gossip online. The web is also
providing more of mums’ lifestyle content,
with 38% visiting women’s lifestyle sites.
“When I log into my PC Instant
Messenger just pops up and my
friends are there and they ask what
I’m up to and if I’m going out”
Game time
Casual gaming relieves boredom and
keeps the mind fresh. 53% play
online games on their PC, while 30%
choose the mobile for their gaming fix.
45% of online mums use
Instant Messenger
l 33% use it to stay in touch
with close friends
l
Smartphones
“I use my
phone for
everything,
I even go
online, it
helps me
to have
contact with
everyone,
and I can
check my
emails when I
am out too”
Online mums are leaping on
smartphones as a means of staying
in touch – through email as well as text and phone calls
l 25% of online mums own a smartphone
l 17% of them go online via their
mobile phone on a daily basis;
up from 2% in 2008
l
09
reaching
online
mums
Microsoft Advertising is No 1 for
reaching online mums*
* display only
Mums’ time online is purposeful, so they
want advertising to be relevant, targeted
and offer clear benefits to them
BROAD targeting
“Ads on Hotmail are
clever, if I have been
on ASOS looking at a
dress it will bring that
up as an ad on Hotmail
and I will be thinking
I must buy that”
Mums like to be rewarded
Online mums are most motivated by
vouchers, email communications and
competitions, with over 55% of mums
using money-off coupons*. Fansites or
brand pages on social networks offer
less appeal, although offering free
samples or special offers could help
to increase a brand’s attractiveness.
Creative and innovative
ads inspire mums
With little time to spare, online mums
are drawn to ads that stand out –
whether it’s an eye-catching design,
catchy tune or sheer creativity. They’re
not prepared to hang about either –
if a mum likes an ad, she wants to be
able to interact with it or click to make
a purchase straightaway.
2.6 million mums
visit Microsoft
Advertising daily
and 6 million
a month
Trust is important
Mums are time poor
Online mums are very loyal to those
brands they trust, so are more likely
to respond to advertising messages
from their favoured brands, especially
when there’s a clear connection
between its online and offline
messaging and reputation.
Hectic mums need to multi-task
– and they pick out technology to help
them do so: 72% watch TV at the same
time as going online and 46% have
wireless web access at home –
to make it easier to do so.
10
Microsoft
Advertising has
a 93% reach
of mums
l
channel targeting
Reach 69% of mums on MSN and talk to
them in a contextual environment
Precision targeting
* Source: TGI GB, Q1 2010
Mums on Microsoft Advertising
l
Reach 74% of mums whilst they are in communication
mode on Hotmail and Instant Messenger
Online mums
spend 2.4 billion
minutes on Microsoft
Advertising a month
l
Nearly all Microsoft
Advertising channels
index higher for mums
than the Internet average
Talk to specific types of mums with 88%
reach across the network using our
precision targeting capability
Re-messaging
Continue the
communications
with mums by
sequential
messaging
l
Source: comScore, July 2010
Source: comScore, July 2010, Females 15+ with children
11
For more details on online mums and how to
reach them through Microsoft Advertising, visit
www.reachingmums.co.uk
The five-point plan for
engaging online mums:
1
2
3
4
5
Message needs to be
clear and simple
Price/offer focus can
help prompt action
Emotional and financial rewards
are both valid motivators
Precision target for
maximum effect
Use Microsoft Advertising to reach
the No 1 mums audience online