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Word-Of-Mouth Research: Moms Buzz about Brands

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New moms and pregnant women have over 109 word-of-mouth conversations per week about products, services, and brands, most of them positive and considered highly credible by other moms, according to a study and new word-of-mouth research conducted for BabyCenter.

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general, the word-of-mouth research study found:

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general

Among other word-of-mouth research findings

  • Fully 60% of conversations among the studied group carry with them a recommendation to buy, try, or consider the brands under discussion.
    • Positive brand sentiment outweighs negative by a 10-to-1 margin.
    • In shopping, retail, and apparel, 69% of the group is likely to purchase based on what they heard.
  • The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women – in various capacities (e.g., propensity to pass along info, purchase intent):
The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women

The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women

  • They are more likely to qualify as WOM influencers (60% more so than the total public, 45% more so than total women).
  • Close to 1 in 5 pregnant and new moms were identified as WOM leaders or Conversation Catalysts (based on their recommending behavior and size of social network).

Word-of-mouth research on Content, Sources of Online Conversations

Pregnant and new moms are talking about technology, financial services, healthcare, food/dining, media/entertainment, packaged goods, shopping and retail experiences, the study found:

  • Half or more of those surveyed said they had least one conversation per day about the above topics.
  • Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands:
Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands

Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands

Most discussions about brands and products occur in person; discussion content, however, is often provided by various media, especially the internet and television:

Moms have a natural desire to share ideas and information with each other. The rich content and community experience found on the internet plays a key role in driving these conversations

Moms have a natural desire to share ideas and information with each other. The rich content and community experience found on the internet plays a key role in driving these conversations

About the word-of-mouth research study: In Jan. ‘08, Keller Fay interviewed a sample of 1,721 women (18+) who were pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or have one or more children age five or under. The women, recruited through the BabyCenter 21st Century Mom Panel, BabyCenter’s website, and an external panel, completed an online survey about their face-to-face, telephone, or online conversations about brands across 14 categories during the 24 hours that immediately preceded the survey.

Interested in reaching Latina mommies? Contact Target Latino!!

Wow how true

True

Women Seek Online Communities To Validate Purchases

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If a new study is to be believed, you should be building direct relationships through search, online and mobile Web sites with women who show interest. It will become one of the most valuable marketing tools a company can have.

The joint study from iVillage and SheSpeaks highlights that interaction between women through online community Web sites, forums and message boards have a “dramatic” influence on driving product preference, loyalty, and purchase.

Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

Online coupons and customer reviews continue to influence purchases. Women are 77% more likely to look for products and 67% more likely to purchase them in a store after reading online reviews on a community forum or message board.

Women Seek Online Communities To Validate Purchases

The study reveals that while social media networks like Facebook and Twitter are valuable communications channels, with 51% of women actively following brands and retailers online, these channels are relatively less — 19% — influential in prompting purchases. Other forms of marketing that prove influential include online coupons at 68%; online product reviews by consumers, 61%; emails from companies or brands, 45%; and articles read online, 41%.

About half of the women responding to the survey spend between six and 30 minutes preparing for a shopping trip, and two-thirds spend between six and 60 minutes. They search for product information online and offline, looking for coupons in multiple channels, and reading email newsletters. Although the research channels used most vary by product category like food and beverage versus health and beauty, it is clear that brand marketers need to understand the most influential digital channels for their specific product.

“Women want advice from other shoppers, but they also want to share their experiences and look for validation before making a purchase,” says Jodi Kahn, executive vice president at iVillage. “They become much more loyal to a brand if you give themthe tools to make the correct buying decision. Coupons and programs increase brand loyalty.”

A parenting Web site, along with a beauty Web site — both from iVillage.com, scheduled to launch Thursday — will make it easier for women to search for information and product reviews.

Women typically control the purchasing decisions in the home, Kahn says. Knowing the brands that communicate with women can have a greater impact on a variety of purchase behaviors. Seventy-four percent of the women who participated in the survey said recommendations gave them a more favorable view of the product while shopping, and 70% said they were more likely to choose the brand or product over others.

Online channels influence women differently. Coupons and opinions influence women most when it comes to the purchase of food and beverage, health and beauty and household products. Online coupons at 68%, store coupons at 66%, consumer reviews on shopping sites at 61%, and online recommendations from friends at 59% are the top influencers. Sixty percent also say online coupons are more influential on their purchases now than one year ago, and 51% say consumer recommendations on Web sites are more influential.

Although 51% of women are fans or followers of grocery, health and beauty or household products brands and the stores that carry them, consumer reviews on shopping sites are a top influence for 61% of respondents. Online articles, by comparison, are a top influence with 35% of respondents saying that reading online content or articles is more influential now than one year ago. Blogs were also identified as an influence by 33% of respondents.

Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

Source: MediaPost News

First Hispanic Website for New Moms on Natural Family Care

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New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S. and First Hispanic Website for New Moms on Natural Family Care

Hyland’s, Inc., a leading provider of natural over-the-counter medicines, announced today that it has launched ComienzosSaludables.com (Comienzos Saludables), a unique social networking, education-based website for Latina mothers. Comienzos Saludables continues Hyland’s strategy to improve the availability of, and accessibility to, important healthcare resources for this growing population. The new site offers Hispanic mothers a fully bilingual Spanish/English community to assist with information on pregnancy, infant care, raising a family, healthy lifestyle, and treating your family’s health issues with natural medicines.

Hispanic Website for New Moms: New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S.

Hispanic Website for New Moms: New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S.

Comienzo Saludables marks Hyland’s latest initiative to reach out to the Hispanic consumer. Already, the company has made packaging on 22 products Spanish/English bilingual, developed a baby development calendar in Spanish and sponsored a community health worker, Promotoras, program called Salud con Hyland’s. Now, with usage of social networking sites by Hispanics up 200% in 2006 (Forrester’s Hispanic Technographics Series Research), Hyland’s delivers this new resource for Latina mothers.

“Hyland’s has a longstanding commitment to providing accessible healthcare,” said J.P. Borneman, PhD, chairman and CEO of Hyland’s, Inc. “With 25% of U.S. moms of Hispanic origin, that access, in this case, comes in the form of a website full of culturally relevant, in-language educational material for Hispanic families. Our goal is to empower pre- and post-natal Hispanic mothers with information and a community of support as they strive to give their babies the very healthiest start in life.”

Studies show that a growing number of Hispanics are online and seeking information in their own language. Specifically, according to eMarketer, 23 million U.S. Hispanics were online in 2008 and that number is expected to surpass 29 million by 2012. Also, according to AOL/Roper Public Affairs Hispanic Cyberstudy 2005, Spanish language content is important to 75% of Hispanic web users.

Comienzos Saludables brings health information and social media, in a fully bilingual format, together to address this growing demographic. With 70% of Latina mothers under the age of 30, and with an increasing number of Hispanics shown to have a natural affinity for online social networking, Hyland’s expects tremendous response from Latina mothers to its new site. Free membership to Comienzos Saludables, or Healthy Beginnings, provides access to interactive community tools, including community forums, photo galleries, blogs, personal profile pages, over 400 articles on family health and lifestyle topics, and monthly newsletters. The site is divided into the following sections: Healthy Pregnancy; Your Baby; Parent’s Corner; Home Remedies and Homeopathy; Healthy and Natural Lifestyle; and Community.

Comienzos Saludables features the latest in web 2.0 technologies and provides a secure, friendly online environment for Latinas to stay in touch with their friends and family, as well as make new connections by sharing tips, advice and experiences of motherhood with others.

When it comes to a kid's television-viewing habits, the mom's language can matter.

Kids of Spanish-speaking Hispanic moms watch less TV

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7 Comments
Read more
New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S.

A Latino company with a heart – a mother’s heart

/
1 Comment
Read more
Kids with Cancer

Hispanics Tune in and Help Raise More Than $633,000 for Kids With Cancer During 2nd Annual Promesa & Esperanza Radiothon Benefiting St. Jude

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1 Comment
Read more
Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

Hispanic Children and Obesity Risk

/
3 Comments
Read more

Visit www.comienzossaludables.com or www.hylandshealthybeginnings.com to join the new online community.

Source: Yahoo

Word-Of-Mouth Research: Moms Buzz about Brands

/in /by

New moms and pregnant women have over 109 word-of-mouth conversations per week about products, services, and brands, most of them positive and considered highly credible by other moms, according to a study and new word-of-mouth research conducted for BabyCenter.

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general, the word-of-mouth research study found:

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general

Per day, the group engages in one-third more word-of-mouth (WOM) conversation than the total public or women in general

Among other word-of-mouth research findings

  • Fully 60% of conversations among the studied group carry with them a recommendation to buy, try, or consider the brands under discussion.
    • Positive brand sentiment outweighs negative by a 10-to-1 margin.
    • In shopping, retail, and apparel, 69% of the group is likely to purchase based on what they heard.
  • The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women – in various capacities (e.g., propensity to pass along info, purchase intent):
The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women

The group has higher WOM credibility than the total public and total women

  • They are more likely to qualify as WOM influencers (60% more so than the total public, 45% more so than total women).
  • Close to 1 in 5 pregnant and new moms were identified as WOM leaders or Conversation Catalysts (based on their recommending behavior and size of social network).

Word-of-mouth research on Content, Sources of Online Conversations

Pregnant and new moms are talking about technology, financial services, healthcare, food/dining, media/entertainment, packaged goods, shopping and retail experiences, the study found:

  • Half or more of those surveyed said they had least one conversation per day about the above topics.
  • Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands:
Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands

Retailer, consumer electronic, and soft drink brands dominated the top 10 most talked about brands

Most discussions about brands and products occur in person; discussion content, however, is often provided by various media, especially the internet and television:

Moms have a natural desire to share ideas and information with each other. The rich content and community experience found on the internet plays a key role in driving these conversations

Moms have a natural desire to share ideas and information with each other. The rich content and community experience found on the internet plays a key role in driving these conversations

About the word-of-mouth research study: In Jan. ‘08, Keller Fay interviewed a sample of 1,721 women (18+) who were pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or have one or more children age five or under. The women, recruited through the BabyCenter 21st Century Mom Panel, BabyCenter’s website, and an external panel, completed an online survey about their face-to-face, telephone, or online conversations about brands across 14 categories during the 24 hours that immediately preceded the survey.

Interested in reaching Latina mommies? Contact Target Latino!!

Wow how true

True

Women Seek Online Communities To Validate Purchases

/in /by

If a new study is to be believed, you should be building direct relationships through search, online and mobile Web sites with women who show interest. It will become one of the most valuable marketing tools a company can have.

The joint study from iVillage and SheSpeaks highlights that interaction between women through online community Web sites, forums and message boards have a “dramatic” influence on driving product preference, loyalty, and purchase.

Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

Online coupons and customer reviews continue to influence purchases. Women are 77% more likely to look for products and 67% more likely to purchase them in a store after reading online reviews on a community forum or message board.

Women Seek Online Communities To Validate Purchases

The study reveals that while social media networks like Facebook and Twitter are valuable communications channels, with 51% of women actively following brands and retailers online, these channels are relatively less — 19% — influential in prompting purchases. Other forms of marketing that prove influential include online coupons at 68%; online product reviews by consumers, 61%; emails from companies or brands, 45%; and articles read online, 41%.

About half of the women responding to the survey spend between six and 30 minutes preparing for a shopping trip, and two-thirds spend between six and 60 minutes. They search for product information online and offline, looking for coupons in multiple channels, and reading email newsletters. Although the research channels used most vary by product category like food and beverage versus health and beauty, it is clear that brand marketers need to understand the most influential digital channels for their specific product.

“Women want advice from other shoppers, but they also want to share their experiences and look for validation before making a purchase,” says Jodi Kahn, executive vice president at iVillage. “They become much more loyal to a brand if you give themthe tools to make the correct buying decision. Coupons and programs increase brand loyalty.”

A parenting Web site, along with a beauty Web site — both from iVillage.com, scheduled to launch Thursday — will make it easier for women to search for information and product reviews.

Women typically control the purchasing decisions in the home, Kahn says. Knowing the brands that communicate with women can have a greater impact on a variety of purchase behaviors. Seventy-four percent of the women who participated in the survey said recommendations gave them a more favorable view of the product while shopping, and 70% said they were more likely to choose the brand or product over others.

Online channels influence women differently. Coupons and opinions influence women most when it comes to the purchase of food and beverage, health and beauty and household products. Online coupons at 68%, store coupons at 66%, consumer reviews on shopping sites at 61%, and online recommendations from friends at 59% are the top influencers. Sixty percent also say online coupons are more influential on their purchases now than one year ago, and 51% say consumer recommendations on Web sites are more influential.

Although 51% of women are fans or followers of grocery, health and beauty or household products brands and the stores that carry them, consumer reviews on shopping sites are a top influence for 61% of respondents. Online articles, by comparison, are a top influence with 35% of respondents saying that reading online content or articles is more influential now than one year ago. Blogs were also identified as an influence by 33% of respondents.

Facebook and Twitter fall to the bottom of the list. Only 19% believe that posts from friends influence them to make a purchase, and 11% cite posts from brands.

Source: MediaPost News

First Hispanic Website for New Moms on Natural Family Care

/in , /by

New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S. and First Hispanic Website for New Moms on Natural Family Care

Hyland’s, Inc., a leading provider of natural over-the-counter medicines, announced today that it has launched ComienzosSaludables.com (Comienzos Saludables), a unique social networking, education-based website for Latina mothers. Comienzos Saludables continues Hyland’s strategy to improve the availability of, and accessibility to, important healthcare resources for this growing population. The new site offers Hispanic mothers a fully bilingual Spanish/English community to assist with information on pregnancy, infant care, raising a family, healthy lifestyle, and treating your family’s health issues with natural medicines.

Hispanic Website for New Moms: New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S.

Hispanic Website for New Moms: New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S.

Comienzo Saludables marks Hyland’s latest initiative to reach out to the Hispanic consumer. Already, the company has made packaging on 22 products Spanish/English bilingual, developed a baby development calendar in Spanish and sponsored a community health worker, Promotoras, program called Salud con Hyland’s. Now, with usage of social networking sites by Hispanics up 200% in 2006 (Forrester’s Hispanic Technographics Series Research), Hyland’s delivers this new resource for Latina mothers.

“Hyland’s has a longstanding commitment to providing accessible healthcare,” said J.P. Borneman, PhD, chairman and CEO of Hyland’s, Inc. “With 25% of U.S. moms of Hispanic origin, that access, in this case, comes in the form of a website full of culturally relevant, in-language educational material for Hispanic families. Our goal is to empower pre- and post-natal Hispanic mothers with information and a community of support as they strive to give their babies the very healthiest start in life.”

Studies show that a growing number of Hispanics are online and seeking information in their own language. Specifically, according to eMarketer, 23 million U.S. Hispanics were online in 2008 and that number is expected to surpass 29 million by 2012. Also, according to AOL/Roper Public Affairs Hispanic Cyberstudy 2005, Spanish language content is important to 75% of Hispanic web users.

Comienzos Saludables brings health information and social media, in a fully bilingual format, together to address this growing demographic. With 70% of Latina mothers under the age of 30, and with an increasing number of Hispanics shown to have a natural affinity for online social networking, Hyland’s expects tremendous response from Latina mothers to its new site. Free membership to Comienzos Saludables, or Healthy Beginnings, provides access to interactive community tools, including community forums, photo galleries, blogs, personal profile pages, over 400 articles on family health and lifestyle topics, and monthly newsletters. The site is divided into the following sections: Healthy Pregnancy; Your Baby; Parent’s Corner; Home Remedies and Homeopathy; Healthy and Natural Lifestyle; and Community.

Comienzos Saludables features the latest in web 2.0 technologies and provides a secure, friendly online environment for Latinas to stay in touch with their friends and family, as well as make new connections by sharing tips, advice and experiences of motherhood with others.

When it comes to a kid's television-viewing habits, the mom's language can matter.

Kids of Spanish-speaking Hispanic moms watch less TV

/
7 Comments
Read more
New Site to Serve Community of Latina Mothers across the U.S.

A Latino company with a heart – a mother’s heart

/
1 Comment
Read more
Kids with Cancer

Hispanics Tune in and Help Raise More Than $633,000 for Kids With Cancer During 2nd Annual Promesa & Esperanza Radiothon Benefiting St. Jude

/
1 Comment
Read more
Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

Hispanic Children and Obesity Risk

/
3 Comments
Read more

Visit www.comienzossaludables.com or www.hylandshealthybeginnings.com to join the new online community.

Source: Yahoo