Recommendations from Other Moms and Blogs Are Mom's Most Trusted 'What to Buy' Sources; Brand Web Sites Edge-out Brand's Facebook Page and Twitter Stream as Mom-trusted Resource

BOSTON, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A mom's own circle of friends is her most trusted source of information when considering purchases for her family and herself, according to results of The Shopping Mom's Mindset, a new study released today by The 360PR MomSquad® and conducted by 360 Public Relations and Cool Mom Picks.  At the same time, the study found that a brand's web site still trumps its Facebook page and Twitter stream as a mom-trusted resource, though moms continue to increase their use of Facebook and other social media. 

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Seventy-seven percent of moms cited recommendations from friends and family as their most trusted source on brands, followed by blogs and third-party web sites (54%) and moms' social media circles (44%).  As their online savvy grows, moms are effectively differentiating between what they read on web sites and social networks, with more moms ranking a brand's web site (32%) as a trusted resource than a brand's Facebook page (10%) or Twitter stream (4.4%).

"Brands need to be more focused than ever on what fuels word-of-mouth and how they can be part of mom's conversation," said Laura Tomasetti, who leads The 360PR MomSquad®.  "That starts with her interaction with other moms online and off and the media she uses, particularly online.  There are ample opportunities for brands to be trusted resources and communicate with moms along the pathway to purchase."

Value Still a Pervasive Theme; Deal Sites Up, QR Codes Slower to Catch On

When getting ready to make a purchase, moms ranked value at the top, as "very important" or "important."  That was true whether moms are shopping for their families or themselves.  Deal sites and blogs were big winners with moms.  Three-quarters of moms (75%) said they increased their usage of deal sites in the past year.  Conversely, QR codes have been slower to catch on with moms, though 16% of moms surveyed said they had increased their use of QR codes in the past year.

"Moms today pride themselves on being savvy shoppers," said 360PR's Tomasetti.  "While moms are price-sensitive, value doesn't have to be just about price – it can translate to how relevant a brand is in mom's everyday life.  That has important implications for how brands communicate with moms, including message, frequency and how and where brands interact with moms."

360PR MomSquad®: The Shopping Mom's Mindset Study Highlights

Moms Value Brands' Values

58.5% of moms surveyed said they would be more likely to support brands that donate a percentage of profits to charity; 34% said it depends on the charity.  Many more moms (70%) said they have liked a brand on Facebook to support a cause in the past year, and an overwhelming majority (93%) said a brand's values are important to them.

Buying Organic and Made in the USA

When asked about buying organic foods, nearly 90% said they purchase organic at least sometimes, with 29% saying they buy organic "whenever possible," and another 38% saying they buy organic "with certain foods."  Half of moms surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for a product if it is organic (50%) or made in the U.S. (48%).

Smart Moms, Smart Phones

Ninety-five percent of all moms surveyed own a smart phone, with moms of younger children (0-7) more likely to own an iPhone (57% compared to 49% of moms with children 8+).  With all those smart phones in their pocketbooks, nearly three-quarters of moms said they increased their usage of mobile apps (72%) in the past year.  Also up with moms were usage of web sites (67%), Facebook (59%) and blogs (57%).  Forty-four percent of moms surveyed said they spend 1-2 hours a day with social media, and a third (33%) reported spending more than two hours a day using Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media.

The 360PR™ survey was conducted online in December 2011, yielding 962 responses from Cool Mom Picks' proprietary subscriber database. Respondents included moms living in the U.S., with 92% between the ages of 26-45.  Seventy-two percent of the moms surveyed work full- or part-time, while 28% are stay-at-home parents or in a career transition.

The 360PR MomSquad® is a national network of influencer-moms who imbue 360PR client campaigns with the latest insights to reaching and engaging today's parents.  The 360PR MomSquad® is a service of 360 Public Relations, a premier consumer-focused, multi-media agency, recognized as Boutique Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report in 2011 and a 2012 PRWeek Agency of the Year finalist.  Learn more at www.360PR.com.

The shopping and trend blog Cool Mom Picks is one of the most influential blogs for parents on the web. Called "the online arbiter of cool for the swingset crowd" by Parents Magazine, Cool Mom Picks has been cited as a favorite parenting blog by Real Simple, inStyle, and the Telegraph UK. Publishers Kristen Chase and Liz Gumbinner can often be seen doling out wisdom and wit about parenting on NBC's Today Show, The Early Show on CBS, and in newspapers and magazines around the country.

SOURCE 360PR MomSquad