• Parents’ Must-Have Tech Gadget: Rear Back-up Camera. The rear back-up camera scored the highest marks among parents polled because it offers a great sense of security regarding anyone or anything potentially behind the vehicle. 39.3% of parents said this would be their first choice in a tech gadget, followed by the ability to synch all electronics in the vehicle (21.7%).
•  Most Overrated Car Feature: Cool box. Of all the features available in cars today that are important to parents, including safety, functionality and technology, 42.4% of parents said they felt the cool box was the most overrated feature in a car. The cool box allows parents to keep food, beverages and other child essentials chilled during trips. 
•  Given the Choice Between Optional 3^rd Row Seats or DVD Package: Optional 3^rd Row Seats. 47.3% of parents chose optional 3^rr row seats over the DVD package (38.6% with 14.1% saying neither)

 Some other discoveries:

•  Most Surprising Vehicle: Mazda 5 Crossover. Parents love its ability to seat up to six passengers comfortably, the ease of getting car seats in and out, the abundance of storage space and a USB jack for technology favorites. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 the best, the Mazda 5 Crossover received an average score of 8.3. 
•  Best Sedan Choice: Ford Fusion Hybrid. Packed with features, this vehicle scored highest marks out of all sedans because of its full array of creature comforts along with its impressive fuel economy. It also offers a rear back-up camera and rear sensors, plus technology features that allow families to charge gadgets during the trip. On a scale of 1-10, the Ford Fusion Hybrid received a score of 7.9.

Becoming a mom is a key driver to this online research: The study shows that 73% of women change their purchase criteria and reliance on social media after joining motherhood. “Women have deep sharing habits,” said Tina Sharkey of BabyCenter, who also spoke at the 21st Century Moms session, citing heavy reference to product reviews, articles,  conversations and discussion boards. In fact, moms on average will consult 13.3 sources before actually buying, according to the ZMOT research. Whereas in the past, moms would make purchase decisions within what some marketers call “two moments of truth”–the first”moment” at the store shelf, and the second at home during product trial–today, the path to  purchase is no longer direct, but more like a giant zigzag, which poses new challenges to marketers.

As an example of how the ZMOT applies to a “real” mom, I will share the experience of a member of the Child’s Play Team Mom network. After her husband lost his job, this mom became obsessed with finding the best deals on line via coupon and deal sites. Instead of routinely heading to the nearest mall to buy back-to-school clothes and supplies for her kids, she first made a shopping list, and then went online to scope out the latest styles and best prices. After reading other moms’ reviews of the brands and items she was considering, her choices shifted somewhat. Additional recommendations from moms in her weekly playgroup also had an influence. As she became ready to buy, she printed out store coupons. Then, on the day she was planning a store trip, she discovered special online discounts for a few of the items. I will bet that many of your customers pre-shop in a similar fashion.

Later this week, I’ll talk about how companies can make the most of this Zero Moment of Truth when marketing to moms.

How are moms using Twitter?

Earlier this month, Child’s Play Communications asked that question of our Social Savvy research panel, comprising moms active in the social media space.  We are announcing the results here. The responses, from 317 moms, provide a clear indication of what moms like about Twitter and when and how they prefer to use it. Marketers trying to reach moms via Twitter may want to consider these key findings:

• Moms tweet a lot. The highest percentage — 36.3% of moms — report tweeting 10-20 times a day.
• Midday means more conversation. Most moms indicate that the hours from noon-3 are the most popular for both tweeting (30.5%) and reading others’ tweets (24.8%). 
• Information is queen.  The No. 1 reason most moms tweet (43.2%) is to share information about products for kids and other moms – a fact that should be of considerable interest to companies and agencies alike. This is followed most closely by moms’ wish to interact with other moms (21.8%). The response shifts just slightly when moms are asked why they read other people’s tweets:  While 63.0% do so to get information about products for themselves and their kids, more – 67.5% — read tweets to interact with other moms.
• Moms want to see you tweeting. Asked how they decide whom to follow on Twitter, the vast majority – 78.2% — said they follow companies that interest them. Furthermore, 95.7% of moms who follow those companies do so to find out about new products, discounts and coupons.
• Tweets drive sales. The best news for those marketing to moms is that 73.1% of moms indicate that they actually purchased a product as a result of another mom’s Twitter recommendation.

 Other research questions looked at the types of products purchased following a Twitter recommendation, the popularity of Twitter parties and their impact on purchasing, what moms think of sponsored tweets, and moms’ specific Twitter experiences, positive and negative.

The conclusion: Today’s moms look to Twitter for information in a major way, and smart companies will use the space to reach this important demographic effectively.

Moms, do you agree with the results of the survey? Marketers, what has been your experience reaching moms through Twitter?

Families with children in grades K-12 were expected to spend an average of $603.63 on school supplies, apparel and electronics, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation, an amount close to the average of $606.40 a year earlier.  Spending on clothing and school supplies was projected to slightly decrease over last year, while spending on computers, cell phones, mp3 players and tablet devices was expected to increase slightly. This is despite the fact that 51.9% of families with school-age children planned to buy electronics this year, down from a historic high of 63.7% last year.

Moms and other consumers are encountering higher prices than in the past. The cost of cotton, e.g., has climbed, impacting clothing prices. But, according to the NRF report, ”Americans are compensating for the difficult economy by buying more store-brand or generic items, comparison shopping more often online, and shopping for sales.” 

What about you? Did you spend more, or less, for back to school this season? By how much, on what, and why?

Moms love coupons. Stats show that coupon and discount-themed blogs are among the most popular for women.

And no wonder. According to the USDA, a household of four spends between $524 and $1,014 per month on groceries, toiletries and cleaning supplies. As one way to manage those costs, couponing redemption increased 27% to 3.3 billion in 2009, and the total value of all CPG coupons distributed in the U.S. in 2010 reached $485 billion, up 13.9% from $426 billion the prior year.

Moms, do you regularly use coupons? Do you do so now more than in the past, and will you continue to do so once the economy improves? What kinds of products do you use coupons for?

One of the most popular topics at mom-focused blogger conferences is monetization – how bloggers can turn their posts into cash. Some of the conversations center on getting brands to pay bloggers for posting reviews—not something that most brands are inclined to do or that I support. To me, building an audience by reviewing products for no charge is simply the point of entry for bloggers who want to be considered for future, profitable brand partnerships.

That said, as the social media space matures and bloggers’ focus shifts from simply enjoying blogging to wanting to profit from it, companies need to find ways to reward those who support their business. In my point of view, bloggers who regularly provide visibility for a client’s brand for free should be recognized whenever possible with other, paid opportunities, as the natural progression of that corporate or agency relationship.

Following are some ways companies might consider working with mom bloggers:

Brand Ambassadorships. Although an ambassadorship can take many forms, it generally means engaging a mom blogger to serve as the official spokesperson for your brand. This could involve, for example, an ongoing series of blog posts (yes, more than one or two posts becomes a paid scenario) or promoting your brand at a blogger conference in return for you sponsoring her trip.

Content.  We have more than once hired bloggers to create content for clients’ Web sites. For Canadian toy company MEGA Brands, we ran a search for MEGA Bloks Moms, who regularly contribute to the MEGA Bloks Family Club, a membership-only section of the brand’s Web site.  For Music Together, a global network of music classes for kids and the adults who love them, we are recommending mom bloggers we know to be qualified and reliable.

Counsel.  At Child’s Play, we have compensated bloggers for a number of advisory roles, from explaining certain technologies to designing Facebook pages.

Hosting.  Consider asking mom bloggers to host Twitter parties, as we have, or live brand events.

Advertising.  Bloggers would really like you to advertise on their pages. Why not follow up a great review that generated traffic with a “thank you” ad that produces additional traffic?

Jobs! There is a great pool of talent out there. Keep it in mind.

• Moms are 19% more likely than the general population to engage in social networking
• They are also more likely to become a fan or follow a brand (31% more likely), become a fan or follow a celebrity (24% more likely) and comment on others’ postings (27% more likely than the general population).

Furthermore, moms are responsible for a quarter of all video streams on social networks, and are also more likely to post their own content:

• 37% more likely to post photos
• 25% more likely to link articles/videos
• 33% more likely to give status updates

Talk about owning a space!

The study is an intriguing one. For more details click here.

A survey by Greystripe, a mobile ad firm, showed that:

• The most frequent smartphone use when shopping was to locate the nearest store (about 45%)
• The next most common usage: to compare prices
• Only 15% said they actually used their smartphones to make purchases

Given Greystroke’s business, of course, the limited number of respondents and how they were recruited (239, via banner ads), the results have to be taken with a large grain of salt. A SheSpeaks online survey found that only 10% of women have downloaded shopping-related applications to their mobile devices; 62% were not even interested in doing so.

Moms: Do you use your smartphone for shopping? How often and in what way?

Marketers: How are you using smartphones, if at all, to entice moms to shop for your brand?

Now, it seems, we need help — in the form of a maternity concierge.

A new Bravo show, Pregnant in Heels, follows one such professional as she helps busy New York City moms plan for the coming of their first child.

The extreme personality of all reality show “stars” aside, is it really possible that some of these women can be so in the dark about what is involved in caring for a child — surprise, you do have to feed and clean up after them! — and need to hire a very expensive consultant to lead them?

Or is this the natural course of things, as we now live far from our families and spend so much of our time focused on work?

What do you think: Are baby planners the way of the future? Have you ever used one?  And what does our “need” for them say about our society?

This has been our experience with Child’s Play Party!, our program for providing moms around the country with a chance to try out products for no charge. We work with moms to host these “brand immersion” events in their own homes, and to invite other mom guests. We then send plenty of samples for each participant, information about the products, party theme ideas–even suggestions for decorations and snacks–plus a recommended schedule for party activities. When possible, we like to include coupons and a gift for guests to take home. Most of the moms we work with are active in social media — the majority are bloggers — which means that if they enjoy the party (and we do take pains to assure that it’s enjoyable!) they will likely comment on it in social media.

The idea is to spark grassroots buzz, and we’ve seen plenty! Our fall 2010 program for Fuzzoodles, called the Fuzzoodles Fiesta, was a blast, with moms sharing their excitement on their blogs, Facebook and twitter. Starting in two weeks,  moms will host events to launch the new Gogo’s toys.

If you’re a mom who would like to be considered for future parties, feel free to go here for more information and an application. And if you’re a brand that wants to provide moms with a hands-on experience with your product to spark both buzz and purchase, please contact Julie Livingston at (212) 488-2060 x 12 or jl@childsplaypr.com.