Study: Not All Digital Moms Are Created Equal

NEW YORK, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Digitally connected moms can be divided into five types, each with different spheres of influencers, motivations, and preferences when connecting and sharing with others via social networks, according to a study released today by MWW Group (www.mww.com), one of the top ten global independent public relations firms. The study is based on a survey conducted by MWW Insights in March, which surveyed more than 1,000 moms from a variety of ages and sociodemographic backgrounds on their use and interaction with social and digital media. See "Influencing Digital Moms" infographic here.

The five types of digital moms are:

Mobilizers: These moms are the youngest segment (average age is 33) and the most hyper-connected, driven by the desire to connect with friends and pop culture. They are the segment most easily influenced by celebrities and prefer mobile devices as their primary tool for staying connected and on top of trends.

Urban Originals: This is the smallest, yet the most influential segment of Digital Moms. With an average age of 35, living in mostly urban areas, this segment of moms view themselves as influencers and frequently share opinions and interact on social media. Ninety percent (90%) of content generated by moms is created by this segment, and they are ahead of the digital curve.  One hundred percent (100%) post product reviews and 85% tweet regularly. This segment of digital moms are the biggest influencers to other moms when it comes to social media trends and parenting.

Practical Adopters: This segment is composed mostly of working moms, with an average age of 45. These moms use digital technology to harmonize their professional and personal lives and manage their families. These moms are too busy to be on the cutting edge of trends and are more likely to be second generation adopters of social media. They look to "Urban Originals" and "Mobilizers" to learn about new trends.

Casual Connectors: With an average age of 47, and the lowest average income, this segment's main motivation for using digital technology is to connect with their close circle of family and friends, particularly their children, and they are influenced most by these groups. They prefer simple technology and have the lowest percentage of smartphone adoption.

Wallflowers: Just as the name suggests, this segment of digital moms – average age is 34 – prefer to browse and consume content rather than create it themselves. More than half are full-time homemakers, and they are visual and entertainment-focused. These moms are highly interested in tablets, more for the ease of use than the mobility, and want to read what others have shared, which attracts them to platforms like Pinterest. They are most likely to be influenced by posts and conversations among "Mobilizers."

"As we know, moms are not one monolithic audience, but this study revealed the core behavioral archetypes where moms fall – providing brands with insights on how to create relevance and engage these moms," said Doug O'Reilly, vice president of MWW Insights. "These moms are uniquely influenced – and hold influence – over others, including celebrities, friends, families, and other networks. By understanding how different segments of moms share and receive information, we can design programs that are microtargeted and unique to the kinds of moms brands want to reach."

MWW Insights is the firm's research and analytics practice, helping clients create meaningful interactions with key stakeholders that help their brand to matter more and be relevant in the ever-evolving digital space.  Most recently, MWW Insights launched NetRelevance™, a proprietary analytics tool which uncovers the fundamental drivers of relevance for a brand. MWW's first-ever Relevance Report will be released in the coming weeks.

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation's top mid-sized public relations firms and one of the ten largest independent global agencies. The company is industry-recognized for its work in consumer lifestyle marketing, digital marketing and social media, corporate communications, public affairs and government relations, consumer technology, healthcare and visual branding.

Through its "Network PR" approach, MWW Group helps its clients re-architect the conversation surrounding their brands to increase trust and relevance and drive action among key stakeholders.  Among its numerous awards for client work, the agency has been recognized as 2011 "Midsize Agency of the Year" and 2010 "Strategic PR Agency of the Year" by the Holmes Report and has received accolades from PR News for "Team of the Year," "Digital Firm of the Year" and "Top Places to Work in PR."

To learn more about MWW Group, visit www.mww.com, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE MWW Group