Connected Mums Research

July 2010

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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: kirank@polestarcommunications.com

+44 (0)207 089 6591

Megan Butler: meganb@polestarcommunications.com

+44 (0)207 089 6589