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Millennial Moms: The Most Connected & Technology Dependent Population

Marketing Conversation

By Liza Peiffer

On November 3, 2009

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The guinea pigs of youth raised on technology are now becoming parents. Millennials,born between 1977 and 1996, have now become an extremely influential force on the Internet–especially those as new moms.

The New York-based marketing agency Mr Youth published the whitepaper "Millennial Moms 101" that highlights the hidden, yet significant similarities between the new-Mom and college student demographics in terms of technological dependency and marketing. Before reading, I was not as skeptical as I was curious to see how this agency connected such seemingly different publics.

"Millennial Moms 101" breaks down the ways modern moms mirror college students into 4 points:

They're Multi-Tech Multi-Taskers- New technology is adopted and valued as a means to streamline busy lives, enabling them to do more
They Build Communitiesto Ease Transition- The anxiety of entering a new life stage is offset by participating in online communities that provide support and information
They Crowdsource Decisions- Peers are sought out for advice over expert sources and celebrity endorsements
They're Mastersofthe Overshare – The curtains are peeled back as the lines between public and private life are blurred

"They Crowd-source Decisions" is the easiest similarity to recognize, as well as the most noteworthy when it comes to the given demographics' use of technology. Mommy Bloggers have a major presence online. The Internet is a place for mothers to discuss everyday obstacles, share stories and get advice on new products that make their lives easier.

I can't help but think of my own mom. Although she is not considered a Millennial, her motherly qualities surely translate to moms of all ages. My mom is probably the last person you would describe as ‘technology-savvy,' but she certainly does "crowd-sources decisions." She always consults her girl friends for advice while sharing with them the details of her life (and my life, and my brother's life, and my dad's life, and even my dog's life). So I can completely understand the power of the Mommy Blogger. My mom would be a blogging machine.

Mr Youth cites, "According to a BabyCenter survey, more than 4 in 10 (44%) use social media for word-of-mouth recommendations on brands and 73% feel they find trustworthy information about products and services through online communities."

Similarly, college students are constantly connected through social media and their outside social lives. They are always seeking the best, cheapest, quickest, most convenient products. I know from experience that college-age adults trust each others' advice when it comes to buying or trying new things.

It is obvious, then, that both moms and college students are the perfect targets for online marketing. If you do it right, your message will catch like wildfire. But what about dad's? There are definitely Daddy Bloggers, so why aren't there noticeable parallels in marketing to Mommy and Daddy bloggers?

I think this comes down to gender. According to Mr Youth, "Similar to college students, moms view technology as a way to seamlessly integrate all areas of their lives. And as they often still maintain heavy responsibilities at home in addition to work, moms adopt technology that allows them to manage home life more efficiently." In contrast, Dads have the reputation of wanting the newest, most expensive technology—practical or not.

This study might suggest some truth in this stereotype. However, I do believe that now more than ever moms and dads alike are trying to be most efficient with money and technology. The male ‘keeping up with the Joneses' attitude is probably becoming something of the past, but it still is a contributor to why social media marketing works better on their female counterparts. We tend to think that men shy away from consulting friends for every life decision and that they would rather go out and buy the newest techie-toy to be the first to show it off.

Mr Youth has exposed a secret that is crucial to those companies with a target audience of moms. "Brands that plan to market to Millennial Moms in the coming years will need to quickly get up to speed and stay in the loop on the latest trends, technologies and communication patterns to stay connected to their consumers."

So look out…finding your own mom on Facebook may not be so weird after all!