© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Perception vs. RealityExploring the Disconnect
Between Moms and
Marketers
Report Highlights
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Report Methodology
1,117 women trying to
conceive, pregnant and
moms in Canada
recruited through
BabyCenter
1:1 conversations to
uncover deeper
insights
In-depthSurvey 1:1 Interviews
Audience
measurement, national
statistics and estimates
3rd-PartySources
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Meet the moms
Lynette, Age 26
Virden
Trying to conceive
for 2 years
Jennifer, Age 32
Halifax
First-time expectant,
3rd trimester
Sara, Age 33
Brampton
First-time expectant
Chloe, Age 30
Calgary
First pregnancy,
2nd trimester
Melissa, Age 30
Cobble Hill
First-time mom,
2 ½ month old son
Jiyoung, Age 29
Toronto
First time mom,
6 ½ month old
Fatema, Age 25
Richmond Hill
New mom, 5 ½
month old son
Patricia, Age 28
Ottawa
Expecting again
after miscarriage
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
…that all moms
can relate to
Motherhood drives
major lifestyle shifts
Her time is no longer her own
9 hours of parenting time added
to her day; 12.5 fewer hours for
herselfOne thing I didn’t expect was
how much life would change
when you are pregnant. Before
it was all about career, the
house and a social life and
now it’s all about when our
baby will arrive.
– Sara
Fundamental values change
Time with family (+67%) trumps
time with friends (-58%)
Baby is precious, but pricey
$243,660 average cost of raising
a child to age 18
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016. BabyCenter Motherhood Transformations Study CA, March 2013. State of Modern Motherhood Report, 2015; MoneySense.ca, October 2012.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Motherhood presents
new surprises
Motherhood is a roller
coaster. Your hormones are
out of whack and you're
emotional and dealing with
the responsibility of caring
for your child and you're
prone to panic.
– Melissa
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
…and bad
How
exhausted
I am
How
little time
I have
46% 42%
…both good How
immediately
I fell in love
with my baby
How
rewarding
it is
59% 48%
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
How she responds to the changes
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality:
Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Positive emotions
Negative emotions
79%
66%58%
45%39% 37% 34% 30% 29% 29%
New and Expectant Moms
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Motherhood is a journey
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
TTC 1st Trimester 2nd Trimester 3rd Trimester Moms 0-12 mo Moms 2-5 yo
Q: Which of the following words do you use to describe
yourself while pregnant / in motherhood? Anxious
Overwhelmed
Informed
Confident
Prepared
Glowing
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016; Internal BabyCenter Data. comScore multi-platform report November 2015. BabyCenter UK Claims Study, August 2015. Study conducted among an independent 3rd party panel recruited.
8 in 10 moms feel it is important to be “perfect” (vs. 7 in 10 last year)
IMAGE
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Parenting continues to be
a competitive sport
I've been having a
rough go of the whole
work/life balance thing.
My house is a disaster, I
haven't been able to
find time to exercise.
– Jiyoung
71%say there is more pressure
today to have a career and
raise a family
68%feel social media contributes to the stress (vs. 43% in 2015)
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
-6%
16%23% 28%
36%
-18%
51%
17%
120%
17%
Millennial Women% change January 2015-January 2016
Instagram Snapchat LinkedIn Pinterest
I’ve made a point not to post pictures on Facebook. I don’t want
people to tell me I’ve laid him down the wrong way. – Melissa
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016. comScore Media Metrix multiplatform data, Canada, January 2015.
Is pressure driving Millennial women away from Facebook?
Total uniques
Total minutes
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
If you don’t know her …you can’t reach her
3 in 5say it is important that brands
portray them realisticallyIf I feel like if a brand
doesn’t know what it
really truly is like to be a
mom, then their product
won't work. It won't be
suited to a real life of a
mom.
– Fatemavs. 4 in 5 among women
trying to conceive
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
69%
45%
28%36%
26%
11%
38%
21%13%
54%61%
40%
Busy Emotional Anxious Confident Beautiful Fit
Q: Which of the following words do you use to
describe yourself / do advertisers portray you?
Perception vs. Reality
How she feels as new mom
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality:
Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Moms in ads are very manicured, very polished. I would love to see an ad
with a happy family and a messy house. That's real. – Fatema
New moms (0-2 y.o.)
Brand portrayal
+80%
+117%+50%
+133%
+268%
+108%
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Moms say marketers just aren’t reflecting their reality
Among new moms (0-2 y.o.):
overall gap
-75%15%agree advertisers
do portray them
realistically
60%say it’s important that
brands portray them
realistically
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
…that can make or break your brand
Motherhood means pivotal moments
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
48%
34%
29%
No longer fits mybudget
No longer fits my style
Changed my focus oningredients
Q: What were the reasons you stopped
using certain brands?8 in 10 new moms stopped
using certain brands
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Once the baby comes I want to continue
cutting down on fragrances and scents.
I just want to keep things as natural and
chemical free as possible.
– Jennifer
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
4 in 5I'm more concerned with
ingredients and additives
because it passes to him
through breastmilk.
– Melissa
new moms re-evaluate
brands and product choices
…that meet her
new needs
She seeks out new
brands
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
34% Financial Services
57% Groceries/Food/Bev
Apparel/Accessories/Shoes
Cleansers/Detergent45%
37%
26%
32%
Personal Care/Cosmetics
Consumer Electronics
Percent of moms who change criteria
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Motherhood sparks new brand choices
Q: Since becoming a mom, have you changed your
purchase criteria across these categories?
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
0
50
100
150
200Birth
Starting
solid foods
Focused on
healthy pregnancy,
eating well
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Talk Tracker February 2016. Index is calculated based on average conversations containing the term (or a variation of the term), among BabyCenter Community Birth Clubs. [Search term: Organic, Natural, Healthy. January 2013 – January 2016]
Category Spotlight
Their conversations reflect the change
“Organic” / “Natural” / “Healthy”
I feed organic to my daughter when possible but not everything she
eats is organic. It’s a tradeoff. – Jiyoung
Co
nve
rsa
tio
n In
de
x
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Motherhood triggers purchasesin the not-so-obvious categories
44%
39%
31% 29%
20%
15%
Savings plans A new car A new home Life insurance A homerenovation
Homeappliances
Q: Which of these purchases were triggered
as a result of planning to / starting a family?
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
HomeAppliances
HomeRenovation
Life Insurance New Home New Car Savings Plans
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Life stage influences when research begins
Trying to conceive
Pregnant
New moms (0-2 y.o)
In the last year when we became serious about planning [for a family], we
put our house up for sale to move closer to our family. – Patricia
Q: When did you start to research these products?
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Safety, quality, and ease of useare her top priorities
Q: Thinking of your favorite brands, how
important are the following?
94%
93%
88%
83%
80%
70%
64%
Proven to be safe
Consistent quality
Ease of use
Everyday low prices
Easy to find in store
Familiar with brand
Environmentallyconscious
% Very or somewhat important Among women trying to conceive:
+45%are more likely to say that
brands with good advertising
make it their favorite
(34% compared to 25% for total)
+18%more likely to say a brand that
provides real-time customer
service is important
(71% compared to 60% for total)
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
New moms have conflicted feelings while shopping
Q: What are some of the words that describe how you felt
during your first shopping trip for baby?
I was immediately overwhelmed. I didn't even know where to start. I
thought a crib's a crib, but no… there are 200 types. – Chloe
Excited
Overwhelmed
69%
54%
But …
Happy
Confused
48%
31%
But …
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
For many, shopping is a daunting task
It was stressful. So
many choices. I was
shopping for a travel
system and had no idea
there were so many out
there.
– Melissa
Knowledgeable
22% 19%
Confident
34% 28%
Pregnant
New moms
(0-2 y.o)
Q: During the last week, how did you
feel while shopping for baby?
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016. 21st Century Mom® Insight Series: 2015 State of Modern Motherhood Report, co-sponsored by the IAB, February 2015.
Moms crowd-source opinions to make informed decisions
Internet reviews and friends'
recommendations are most
important when selecting a
brand or a product because
it reduces the chances of
making the wrong choice.
– Jiyoung
Q: How influential are online product reviews?
(Very / Somewhat)
Pregnant 89%
New moms 92%
vs. 85% 2015
vs. 88% 2015
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Parent reviews make all the difference
Brand is less important
than great product
reviews, first from my
peers, then online users.
– Chloe
Q: How valuable are the following when
reading online reviews?
53% say they rely on
other parents on
parenting social media for
recommendations(+90% more than parents on
mainstream social)
Knowing thereview comes from
another parent 84%Seeing the
number of stars 75%Seeing the
number of reviews 71%
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016..
Trend WatchMobile + reviews = a more empowered shopper
4 in 5use their smartphone while
shopping in-store
vs. 7 in 10 in 2015
Q: How do you use your
smartphone when in-store?
34% 33%
28%
8%
49% 48%
38%
20%
Search for orread product
reviews
Search forbetter priceselsewhere
Searchfor/download
mobilecoupons
Make onlinepurchases ofproducts yousee in store
+43% +44%
+35%
+155%
2015
2016
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality:
Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Bridging the Gap
Universal Truths for Marketing to Moms
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality:
Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
8 in 10 say it’s important for a
brand to realistically reflect
parenting today
She rewards
brands that
understand her
Embrace the real
motherhood
Portray real moms [in ads], as
opposed to ones with perfect lives.
Show some of the struggles that
real moms deal with. – Fatema
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality:
Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
Switch points
happen throughout
the journey
Be there in the
brand shift moments
4 in 5 agree:
once they find a brand
or product they love,
they’ll buy it forever
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
She wants real
information –
nothing phony or
funny
Make it easy for
her to make
decisions
Q: What can brands and
manufacturers do to help you feel
more ready?
54%
41%
39%
Give me a check-listof what I will need inthe first year / during
each stage
Show me how to usethe product/demo
Tailor educationalinformation/
messages based onmy pregnancy orstage of my child
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs.
Reality: Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016.
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
Source: BabyCenter 21st Century Mom® Insights Series, “Perception vs. Reality:
Exploring the Disconnect Between Moms and Marketers”, April 2016..
Her voice makes
all the difference
Embrace and
amplify her influence
58%bring it up in conversations
When moms feel good
about a brand:
1 in 3will post a positive review online
© BabyCenter, LLC. Confidential. All rights reserved.
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