MEDIA RELEASE               

Distribution 27 October 2010

Opportunity or threat?

How a brand can win or lose female customers on reaching motherhood

It’s widely accepted that motherhood triggers profound changes in a woman’s life. Changes to her professional life occur as she navigates the myriad choices of maternity leave, returning to the workforce either part time or full time, or staying at home to raise her family. Changes to her personal life are inevitable as demands on her time impact her ability to socialise or dedicate time to her own needs.

But, what changes take place in a woman’s purchase habits when she becomes a mother? Insights released today from the latest research report from Kidspot.com.au (Australia’s leading parenting website) reveal which categories receive a complete overhaul on the shopping list of new mothers around Australia.

Based on a quantitative study of 2,165 mums conducted between August and September this year, across www.kidspot.com.au and www.birth.com.au plus Facebook, the study set out to help marketers successfully connect with this coveted demographic. For astute marketers, this life stage provides an opening to get onto her shopping list. For others, it will be a time where once-popular brands are replaced with those who engage with her as she undergoes a fundamental life transformation.

Becoming a mother opens up a whole new friendship base to women. She begins to gravitate to women with children, over those without. Mothers with children similar in age to her own instantly offer a greater connection than old acquaintances. 80% of respondents in the survey felt that their friendship circle had changed since becoming a mum, with 54% reporting that it had changed ‘a lot’ or ‘significantly’. This is important for marketers to fully appreciate, as this new-found peer group quickly becomes her most valuable source of information when making purchase decisions, as illustrated in the chart below.

Chart 1 – Mum’s source of information for purchase decisions

A woman’s priorities shift on becoming a mum and her daily focus moves from her own needs to meeting those of her family. Time spent on her own pursuits is quickly replaced with kids activities, feeding and clothing her children and maintaining a household. With only so much time in a day, ‘me time’ usually spent exercising, watching TV or reading magazines, enjoying personal hobbies or socialising with friends is sacrificed. This is fundamentally important to marketers as it greatly impacts a woman’s media consumption habits, which in turn affects the influence that media channels have on her purchase decisions.

Chart 2 – Influence on a mum’s purchase decisions

With family now the new priority in her life, she re-evaluates the criteria that previously determined her brands of choice.  Factors such as safety, environmental impact, health, nutrition and price suddenly seem so much more important when shopping with a family’s needs in mind.  Personal shopping criteria changes too. A woman’s choice of clothing brands prior to motherhood is dictated by design, colour and ability to self express, on becoming a mum this is replaced by the need for comfort, ease of cleaning and a greater focus on affordability.

Chart 3 – Change in purchase criteria since becoming a mum

Not surprisingly, the 5 categories that feature at the top of her changing purchase criteria also make the top 5 categories of brands she changes after having children (albeit it in a different order). She enters unfamiliar territory and everything is up for review. It’s a time where she looks to other mums for advice and recommendations and is open to trying new brands off the back of a review she has read online. This is a crucial point for marketers, where consumer engagement is key. Brand affinity comes from a connection marketers make with consumers that goes beyond straight media. This in turn drives word of mouth referrals which, in a new mum’s world, have the greatest influence on which brand they ultimately choose over another. For marketers it can be the difference between being part of a mum’s consideration set, or not.

Chart 4 – Change in brands purchased since becoming a mum

“Motherhood triggers profound changes in a woman. Mums become less dependent on traditional media and brand advertising to inform purchase decisions," said Katie May, CEO of Kidspot and author of the Connecting with Australian Mums 2010.11 study. "Marketers can steal share by being in tune with a mum’s key influencers and the measurable shift in her purchase criteria upon becoming a mum. Understanding the transformation that occurs is crucial to anyone marketing to women 25-54 years given the majority go through it."

ENDS

For further information or to arrange an interview with Katie May, Kidspot CEO please contact:

Natalie Mactier

Kidspot.com.au Pty Ltd

T. 1300 724 575

D. +61 3 9697 0855

F. +61 3 8640 0647

nmactier@kidspot.com.au

Further charts available upon request:

1.Change in friendship circle

2.Change in time spent on daily activities

3.Change in purchase criteria on becoming a mother for own clothing and apparel

About the Survey:

This Kidspot research report explores mothers in Australia today – her reasons for becoming a mum, her approach to pregnancy and parenting, the transformation that occurs upon becoming a mum and finally her purchasing habits and what most influences them.  This study is based on a quantitative study of 2,165 mums conducted between August 17th, 2010 and September 8th, 2010 using online survey software across www.kidspot.com.au and www.birth.com.au. In addition, the survey invitation was posted on three Facebook pages accessing an additional sample of mums and an email invite to ensure broad representation of mums across Australia. The online study was augmented with a series of focus groups and interviews which took place the week of September 13th, 2010.

About Kidspot.com.au

Kidspot is the leading parenting website in Australia and New Zealand. Around 1million Australian mums rely on the comprehensive directory, parenting information & advice, family friendly recipes and kid’s activities each month.

About Birth.com.au

Birth is the most reliable source of Australian “expert” information on conception, pregnancy & birth. A 10 year labour of love by the authors of Birth the book of the same name, the site attracts almost 200,000 unique browsers per month. Birth’s engaged users are active in the Birthtalk forums and established pregnancy community.