New Word of Mouth Research Finds Moms Buzzing About Brands

    SAN FRANCISCO, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New research released
 today by BabyCenter(R), the largest online resource for expectant and new
 parents around the world, and industry-leading market research company, the
 Keller Fay Group, reveals that today's pregnant women and new moms engage
 in one-third more word of mouth conversations per day than the total public
 or women and almost two-thirds of these conversations include brand
 recommendations. This group has an average of 109 word of mouth
 conversations per week about products, services and brands, most of which
 are positive and considered highly credible by other moms.
 
     The BabyCenter/Keller-Fay Word of Mouth Marketing Study, conducted in
 the first quarter of 2008, shows that 60 percent of conversations among
 this group carry with them a recommendation to buy, try or consider the
 brands under discussion and positive brand sentiment outweighs negative by
 a 10:1 margin. The credibility of word of mouth measured higher for
 pregnant and new moms than for the total U.S. public or women in every
 category measured. Among the mom segment, word of mouth about shopping,
 retail and apparel is highly impactful, with 69 percent likely to purchase
 based on what was heard.
 
     The study showed that moms have much more on their minds than toys and
 car seats. Half or more of all moms surveyed report having at least one
 conversation per day about technology, financial services, health care,
 food/dining, media/entertainment, packaged goods, shopping and retail
 experiences. In fact, eight of the top ten most talked about brands listed
 in the study are retailer, consumer electronic or soft drink brands. On
 average, pregnant and new moms engage in seven conversations per week about
 technology and eight conversations per week about both beverages and
 shopping-related topics. Within these conversations they mention five
 technology brands, six beverage brands and eight retailer brands on
 average.
 
     The majority of discussions about brands and products occur in person,
 but much of this talk is stimulated and informed by content moms have been
 exposed to through media channels such as the Internet and TV. Among
 pregnant and new moms, the Internet is the #1 driver of word of mouth,
 beating out all other forms of media, including TV, magazines and outdoor.
 
     "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," said Tina Sharkey,
 chairman and global president, BabyCenter, LLC. "For marketers, having the
 validated insight that the Internet is the leading media driver of word of
 mouth for moms can help them shape their media and marketing budgets, plans
 and ultimately creative execution and messaging."
 
     The study also found that pregnant and new moms are more likely to
 qualify as word of mouth influencers. Close to 1 in 5 pregnant and new moms
 were identified as word of mouth leaders or Conversation Catalysts(TM),
 based on their recommending behavior and size of social network. This
 number is 60 percent higher than the total public and 45 percent higher
 total women.
 
     "Moms and moms-to-be are tremendously engaged in word of mouth, not
 only about products relating to their children but across all product
 categories," said Ed Keller, CEO, the Keller Fay Group and co-author of The
 Influentials. "If you want to reach a group of highly engaged consumers who
 are actively engaged in word of mouth to learn and share consumer
 experiences, this is a 'must reach' group of consumers."
 
     Study Methodology
 
     The Keller Fay Group interviewed a sample of 1,721 pregnant women and
 new mothers in January 2008. Respondents completed an online survey probing
 specific details about their conversations about brands, across 14
 categories, during the 24 hours that immediately preceded the survey.
 Respondents were asked to report on any form of conversation, whether it
 occurred face to face, over the phone, or through the Internet. Respondents
 were recruited via a combination of the BabyCenter 21st Century Mom
 Panel(TM), BabyCenter's website, and an external panel. Qualified
 respondents were women age 18 and older who are either pregnant, and/or
 have a child or children five years and under, and/or are trying to get
 pregnant. Comparisons to the total public and total women are drawn from
 TalkTrack(R), Keller Fay's ongoing study of the nation's word of mouth
 conversations.
 
     About BabyCenter(R)
 
     BabyCenter, LLC operates http://www.babycenter.com, the largest online
 resource for expectant and new parents around the world, and has nurtured
 more than 100 million parents since its launch in 1997. The BabyCenter(R)
 international sites attract over 6 million visitors a month and provide a
 trusted online destination for parents in Australia, Austria, Canada,
 China, Germany, India, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
 BabyCenter is available in seven languages, including a newly launched
 Arabic site, a Spanish language site for the U.S. Hispanic audience which
 is also available via mobile phone. In the United States, BabyCenter
 reaches over 78 percent of new and expectant moms online with its content,
 community, and commerce and has garnered numerous prestigious awards,
 including six Webby Awards. In March 2008, BabyCenter captured the #7 spot
 on Advertising Age's "Digital A-List." BabyCenter has also been a featured
 expert on NBC's "Today" show and ABC's Good Morning America. The editors at
 BabyCenter have also authored two books, The BabyCenter(R) Essential Guide
 to Pregnancy and Birth and The BabyCenter(R) Essential Guide to Your Baby's
 First Year. BabyCenter, LLC is based in San Francisco, California, and is a
 member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.
 
     About the Keller Fay Group
 
     The Keller Fay Group (http://www.kellerfay.com) is the first
 full-service market research company focused exclusively on word of mouth
 (WOM) marketing, using a full suite of best-in-class research techniques.
 The company measures word of mouth trends and campaign effectiveness; tests
 concepts, ads and messages to maximize their WOM potential; and offers a
 complete array of custom research and advisory services related to WOM. Its
 award winning TalkTrack(R) service is the first continuous study of
 consumer word of mouth, both offline and online.
 
 
 

SOURCE BabyCenter