Performics and ROI Research recently teamed up to survey 1,000 moms in order to deepen their understanding of their online research and purchase behavior. The survey’s findings make quite a case for dealers interested in reaching moms to streamline media buys into two primary channels—TV and online.
Media consumption
Three quarters of all the survey respondents say they spend at least one hour per day using the Internet and watching TV. Seventy-six percent spend one hour or more per day using the Internet; 36 percent report using the Internet for three hours per day. Plus, these habits are deeply engrained into their routines. Ninety-five percent of moms surveyed indicate they have used the Internet for more than five years and 97 percent go online once a day or more. Among stay-at-home moms, 95 percent report using the Internet for more than seven years.
Conversely, only 10 percent report spending at least one hour per day reading newspapers and a modest seven percent report reading magazines for at least an hour per day. Radio fares slightly better but still only commands the attention of 28 percent of moms for at least an hour per day. Clearly, although moms can access more media than ever before, they continue to grow more focused. As these consumption statistics prove, dealers looking to connect with moms can reach most of them by focusing on TV and the Web.
Pushing the message
Most traditional marketing channels push one-way messages out to consumers requiring a great deal of strategic targeting and coordinated media buys. Television ads have long been the centerpiece of automotive ad campaigns for national brands and dealers; it builds brand awareness and motivates consumers to search for more information through other channels.
Among moms surveyed, 64 percent say they use search engines to learn more about a product or service after seeing an ad. Coincidentally, 64 percent also report they use search engines to find where to purchase products offline. So the offline-to-online connection continues to gain momentum with moms, who turn to search engines to learn more about or actually purchase a product or service.
Pulling them in online
Moms indicate that search engines are one of their most commonly used online tools. Just how much do moms report using search? Eighty-six percent of moms report feeling that search engines are the best way to find information.
While 89 percent of respondents report always starting with the same search engine, a significant number, 40 percent, say they would try a different search engine if their first search proves unsuccessful. Moms displayed characteristics of advanced Internet users as well; 57 percent, for example, report using a browser toolbar to search. Most don’t even have to physically navigate to a search engine. They keep the search box close by and this may very well be a testament to the amount of searches they conduct.
Perhaps most notable among the findings is the likelihood of moms to search for information before making online or offline purchases. Seventy percent report using search engines to gather information before making any online purchase. Regarding offline purchases, 57 percent of respondents report using search engines before making any
offline purchase.
We know the likelihood of conducting research prior to making a purchase increases in step with a consumer’s consideration for that particular product. Consumers aren’t likely to conduct a lot of research prior to picking up their favorite band’s new CD or a snack at the convenience store, but as purchase price and perceived risk climb (think auto), so too does the consumer’s desire to research that purchase to ensure they make the right choice.
Dealers weighing their local media mix should think long and hard about the 2009 allocation and ask themselves a couple of tough questions. Are my media buys providing us with the most “bang for our advertising buck”? Which messages thrive on TV and online, and which specialty messages require the integration of complementary channels?
In this day and age, Mom knows best and she tells us she just doesn’t pick up the paper much any more.
Craig Greenfield is director of local marketing solutions for Performics, the performance marketing division of VivaKi. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .