A look into the gaming industry and some mega-mom stats
As the youngest generation, Gen Z is all the rage at the moment, but as marketers, we cannot forget the person who holds the most purchasing power within a household - Mom, Mum, Ma or whatever you prefer to call her.
Whether you are aware of it or not, Mum’s have a prominent effect on decisions in the household. Over 50% of all women online are moms (Punchbowl, 2013), making them a highly valuable audience and a key opportunity for brands, especially with anything in relation to their little ones.
Did you know there are over 85 million mothers in the U.S and they rely heavily on their smartphones? If you think teenagers were glued to their phones, consider the amount of photos Mom’s post of their kids and loved ones while staying connected with family and friends through social media. They are constantly browsing online, and attempting to stay sane by indulging in some self-care Sunday pinning as they browse sites like Pinterest for unique birthday party ideas.
But what can we learn when it comes to mothers as consumers?
It’s time to dig into the gaming industry.
Yes, believe it or not, mothers are hardcore gamers. Research by Activision Blizzard Media studied the attitudes and behaviours of mom gamers and aimed to answer questions around their shopping habits. It shows that gamer moms account for the majority of mums with over two-thirds of moms gaming on PC, console, and mobile! Gah - isn’t research surprising sometimes?!
What else did they find?
So what does this prove?
These women believe entertainment and content consumption, at large, has a positive influence on their everyday lives and they are more engaged with brands and social media.
How does this help us as marketers?
An educated approach to design in terms of creating valuable - sharable content and online experiences. Not only are mothers engaging with content, but they are also keen shoppers who love discovering new things and are receptive to highly relevant ads with 39% of gamer moms likely to share their experience with friends. Why should we care? This builds on the ideas of how one customer can lead to many. Think about it, one positive experience from one single mom can be shared on social media with hundreds of other moms and friends to read.
While the gaming industry might not be relevant to your brand, moms certainly might be. Shockingly, 75% of moms think online marketers don’t understand what it’s like to be a mom, showing that moms feel misunderstood by brands. So to all the mothers out there - we’re listening!
How can we improve on this? Brands should pay close attention to these mega consumers, ensuring brand messaging is researched, reliable, and trustworthy.
Find out how agencies can help in-house teams figure this out.
Mothers are social creatures and trust the opinion of their peers or relevant influencers.
and there are plenty of mommy bloggers out there churning out content, product hauls, and reviews - leaving their mark.
Have you considered the process of sharing the shopping experience with your brand? Is it easy? Your shopping experience should be easily relayed to friends and family, this is why the option to leave reviews and share purchases on social are key for mamas to share and spread the word
Many moms still shop in stores but a big chunk of their researching time is spent online.
Interestingly, research by Multiple Agency (2018) found that UK moms search endlessly online but don’t necessarily purchase online - why is that? Apart from the fact that supermarkets are a young mother’s best friend, mums often use sites dedicated to parenting advice to find answers and these sites aren’t usually brands but more community-based platforms with blogs and reviews - without a direct purchase option.
What can we learn from this?
Brands that are marketing to moms should consider where mothers are active the most, find ways to provide the information they seek and a quick purchase process. Whether this means getting on board with these platforms or providing content to serve as a valuable resource to mothers during the researching process - it’s clear there is space to bridge the gap here.
Mamas aren’t always the hot topic of discussion, but today we gave them the limelight because they have tremendous buying power when it comes to online purchases and shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to targeting. If you are struggling to connect with your audience online (mamas or not) and you need some advice on how to best go about it for your business, feel free to drop us a line and we’d be happy to offer some expert guidance.
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, (2014)
www.activisionblizzardmedia.com
www.punchbowl.com
www.multiplyagency.com
References: