The “mom market” spends $1.6 trillion per year — much of it driven by word of mouth and personal recommendations — and 85% of moms define their role in the home as either the CEO or CFO, according to BSM Media.
While the auto industry has traditionally focused its marketing on men (minivans excepted), the growing influence of moms on automotive purchase decisions, as well as their online presence, forces marketers to get a better handle on how moms spread the word on their preferred brands, makes and models.
Research indicates moms look to one another for ideas, advice and approval. They are a unique customer segment with specific vehicle needs and recommendations.
Vehicle needs include kid space, design, reputation, durability and ease of getting in and out while doing many things at once. Although automobile marketers have placed greater emphasis on moms today than ever before, their ability to tap into the car-related buzz that they create in a meaningful way has been limited, says BuzzMetrics.
BuzzMetrics, an online consumer measurement firm, has done a mom marketing analysis based on information garnered on Internet blogs and message boards.
The research indicates moms are among the most active people online, discussing every aspect of their lives, and reviewing and recommending hundreds of different products.
The “Moms & Cars” report includes these findings:
- Auto-brand conversation among moms ranks third; greater than for cereal brands but below that of baby food and retail shopping venues.
- Moms' SUV attitudes are evenly split positively and negatively. Those who are negative often talk about gas mileage. Those who are positive often cite convenience or appearance as support for their opinions. The SUV category as a whole is second only to minivans in terms of buzz levels.
- Buzz around fuel efficiency has soared. Twenty-two percent of SUV discussion still indicates future or recent purchases (down from 25% in 2004). Although fuel-economy discussion has boomed, alternative technology (i.e. hybrid powertrains) buzz remains relatively flat.
