News
STUDY: RECIPES ARE KEY TO MARKETING FOODS & BEVERAGES TO MOM ONLINE
MSLGROUP Americas has partnered with the Hartman Group on a reseach study, Clicks & Cravings: Social Media & Mom
SEATTLE, WA, 14 August 2012 - American moms are hungrier than
ever for digital and online recipes, according to a recent study
called Clicks & Cravings:
Social Media & Mom. For example, 59 percent of online
moms said they had searched for recipes or food preparation tips on
the web or via social media while preparing a meal in the last
thirty days.
For food and beverage brands, that translates to major product
awareness and trial opportunities, especially since moms are some
of the most engaged users of social media. On average, moms - not
just active users - spend an average of 18.4 hours per month social
networking online, according to the study.
The proprietary study was jointly developed and conducted by
consumer research firm The Hartman Group and MSLGROUP Americas. It
is the second wave of the broader, landmark study, Clicks &
Cravings: The Impact of Social Technology on Food Culture.
Meals and Deals
Moms continue to be most responsible for their family's shopping
(87 percent) and cooking (84 percent).
"Moms are motivated by meeting family needs, and social media is
serving as a way for moms to crowdsource that vital information,"
said Steve Bryant, Director of Food & Beverage, MSLGROUP
Americas.
Moms once paged through food and women's magazines as their top
sources for food information. Now, moms favor online sources.
Almost half are more engaged online and one-third of moms are
equally engaged online and in print.
Brand managers take note: Moms are more willing to communicate
with brands via Facebook than women with no children (35 percent
vs. 27 percent). Millennial Moms are even more game (44
percent).
"Why this openness? The number-one reason a mom will 'like' a food
or beverage page on Facebook is to receive discounts or coupons,"
explained Bryant. "Don't misinterpret all of those 'likes' as love.
You have to work for the love, and recipes emerged as the way
brands can boost the intimacy-factor in social media engagement
with consumers.
"Moms also said they want authenticity and transparency from
brands. Deals won't do that for a brand," Bryant added.
The opportunity for recipes appears ripe. A recently
released NPD recipe usage report, Recipes Are Cooking, found recipe
use once a week or more increased from 37 percent of households in
2005 to 42 percent in 2011.
"Developing and promoting on-trend recipes for our clients through
our Culinary and Nutrition Center is in fact one of the ways we've
helped food & beverage brands succeed in the digital
environment."
Ratings and Reviews
Like many American consumers, moms prefer to "crowdsource" food
info and recipes rather than rely on their own moms. During the
pre- and post-shop experience, they read and contribute to online
review resources regularly: 42 percent read reviews from other
users on sites such as Amazon and Yelp and 23 percent contribute
reviews themselves.
"With 29 million moms visiting social network sites monthly, their
ratings and reviews can really boost or bust a product's
reputation," advised Caryn Carmer, Deputy Director of Food &
Beverage, MSLGROUP Americas. "This elevates the importance of
listening and quickly responding in social media channels."
"We also saw that strongly positive or negative impressions are
the ones that most likely prompt review writing, meaning that food
and beverage marketers should aim beyond steady satisfaction to
deliver more 'wow' experiences that excite reviewers."
The full study also covers other aspects of moms' evolving food
culture, including:
• Media and online activities
• Social networking and social media
activity
• Food/beverage attitudes, preferences,
behaviors and knowledge
• Online and mobile technology usage and
knowledge
• Use of mobile and socially-enabled shopping
for food and beverages
# # #
About the Report
"Clicks & Cravings: Social Media & Mom" is an in-depth
qualitative and quantitative study fielded December 2011 in the
U.S. marketplace. Qualitative ethnographies were fielded in 2 major
U.S. markets and more than 1,600 U.S. adult consumers, including
over 400 females with kids younger than 13, participated in the
online survey. In addition to providing insights into social media
use among moms, the report provides strategic recommendations on
how companies can leverage social media to build meaningful and
profitable relationships with female consumers who have
children.
About MSLGROUP Americas: Food &
Beverage
A category leader, the Food & Beverage team of MSLGROUP Americas is devoted to creating economic value for the nation's food and beverage industry. It houses MSLGROUP America's Culinary & Nutrition Center and operates offices throughout the Americas representing leading food and beverage brands.