TORONTO, ON–(Marketwired – May 05, 2016) – As marketers at consumer brands activate campaigns to celebrate mothers this weekend, some brands may need to work harder than others to get mommies talking about their product, according to new data from Keller Fay Group, an Engagement Labs (TSX VENTURE: EL) company, and creator of TalkTrack®, the leading measurement source of word of mouth (WOM) conversation. A five-year analysis of young mothers between the ages of 18-34, found there is a significant shift in what consumer brands this demographic is talking about and where those conversations are taking place.

Within the last five years, the conversations among younger moms have become less about brands that relate to their children and more about companies and categories that highlight the other hats that moms today often wear, including that of a wife, working professional, fashionista, consumer, blogger, etc.

Today’s generation of parents is digitally savvy. In fact, face-to-face conversations among moms 18-34 have declined somewhat in recent years. In 2008, 75 percent of brand conversations among younger moms took place face-to-face. In 2015, that number was down to 70 percent. However, face-to-face has remained steady among non-moms over the same timeframe, down only one percent, from 74 percent to 73 percent. This doesn’t mean that moms aren’t talking; in fact, they are moving conversations online. Online conversations have more than doubled since 2008, from six percent to 14 percent. The growth has been much slower among women without children, from seven percent to 12 percent.

Figure 1 – Change in Category WOM Among Young Moms Since 2010

© 2016 Keller Fay Group, Source: TalkTrack® January – December, 2010 & 2015

It’s not just about where conversations are taking place, what moms are talking about has drastically changed too. Since 2010, discussions around technology brands have increased 25 percent versus an increase of only nine percent among all women. At the same time, talk about children’s products among younger moms has decreased two percent.

“When looking at data from 2010, this demographic of moms is talking significantly more about categories such as personal care & beauty, travel, household products, retail and food & dining. This is demonstrating the shift in where and how moms are getting their information,” said Ed Keller, President at Engagement Labs and CEO at Keller Fay Group. “These moms are approaching parenting differently based on the online resources they have at their disposal. The boom of mommy blogs and online communities for moms are helping to facilitate this.”

Technology and mobile is an important aspect within the lives of moms, allowing them to feel more connected. This propensity towards tech and mobile reflects the brands this generation of moms is talking about. In 2010, Pampers and Huggies were the 10th and 11th most talked about brands among 18-34 year old moms. By 2015, Pampers had dropped to 45th and Huggies landed at 23rd, while technology companies made up 40 percent of the 10 most talked about brands.

Most Talked About Brands Among Moms (18-34)

© 2016 Keller Fay Group, Source: TalkTrack® January – December, 2010 & 2015

“Millennial moms’ aren’t talking less. They are just talking about different things — including personal care & beauty, travel, household products, retail and food & dining — on different, digital channels,” said Ed Keller, President at Engagement Labs and CEO at Keller Fay Group. “These moms are approaching parenting differently based on the resources they have within the online world and are using online channels to balance parenthood with personal interests. Additionally, the boom of mommy blogs and online communities for moms are helping to facilitate this.”

According to Engagement Labs, moms are having more varied conversations. The figure below demonstrates four distinct themes these moms are having online conversations about. As expected, they are seeking and sharing parenting content and they follow digital content experts in parenting for information and advice. Millennial moms seek peer advice and support, which is evident in the popularity of mommy bloggers.

Figure 2 – Millennial Moms’ Social Conversation Patterns

Source: Based on Engagement Labs eListen U.S. data — Nov. 2015 – Apr. 2016

The words surrounding each theme are those words that appear most frequently in discussions within the different topics. For example, surrounding the parenting circle we see words like help, feeling, and look — demonstrating needs for which these moms are asking for advice.

Keller concluded, “Looking at both online and offline activities we see shifts in what this new generation of parents is talking about. However, when comparing the online and offline conversations of this segment, similarities are evident. It is within these insights that brands can truly understand their consumers and develop marketing and advertising strategies to directly and effectively reach them. For marketers to do that, they must find a way to blend their traditional and digital efforts to remain a topic of conversation with consumers to ultimately help drive business results.”

About Engagement Labs

Engagement Labs offers intelligent data, analytics and insights for marketers and organizations to track, measure and benchmark the conversations happening around their brand or industry, both online and offline. These conversations are proven to drive critical business outcomes, including sales, while Engagement Labs’ tools provide the data and actionable insight to help guide business decisions and power marketing effectiveness.

eValue™ Analytics is the global benchmarking tool for social media scoring. eValue’s proprietary data technology offers real-time analysis to measure a brand’s social media performance. TalkTrack®, from the Keller Fay Group, an Engagement Labs company, is the only data system to measures the totality of word of mouth — both online and offline. Engagement Labs maintains offices in Canada, Toronto, ON and Montreal, QC, the U.S., New Brunswick, NJ, and the UK, London. To learn more visit www.engagementlabs.com / www.kellerfay.com.

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