Mike Gatti, Executive Director for RAMA, suggests that "... retailers who aren't engaging customers through social media could be missing the boat... the web provides efficient, convenient ways for brands to stay in front of their most loyal shoppers and attract new ones."  

On a scale of one to five, when asked what types of promotions most influence their purchases, product samples in the store, product samples delivered to home, loyalty cards, and special displays rank as moms' favorites, says the report.

32.9% of Moms prefer department stores and 23.2% head to specialty apparel stores when shopping for clothes for themselves. Shopping for their children's clothes, 30.7% say they head to discount stores, 19.6% say department stores and 17.5% prefer specialty apparel stores. 45% of Moms also most prefer discounters the most for their children's toys and for their own personal health and beauty products.

When it comes to the traditional media preferences, the Food Network and the Discovery Channel are the top cable TV picks, People and Cosmopolitan are the most-preferred magazines, and the daily local and weekly community newspapers are at the top of the list of most-read.

Phil Rist, Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, BIGresearch, observes that "...moms like to talk... whether they're having coffee with a friend or updating their Facebook status, these women are eager and willing to share shopping experiences... "

93.6% mothers regularly or occasionally seek the advice of others before buying a service or product, according to the survey. Additionally, 97.2% said they give advice to others about those products or services they purchased. 
In strong support of that conclusion, a recent report by Lucid Marketing and Lisafinn entitled "Marketing to Moms on Facebook," finds that social media such as Facebook are occupying an increasingly large share of marketers' attention because of the potential to reach a wide audience through friend-to-friend referrals that inspire trust.

Facebook says the study, is especially attractive to marketers trying to connect with moms, because moms' limited time and fragmented attention make it crucial to market to them in ways that fit into their lifestyles and habits.

More than eight in 10 moms who use Facebook log on daily, and three in 10 log on five or more times a day. More than four in 10 log on from their cell phone/iPhone/Blackberry device at least some of the time.

Moms' top reason for using Facebook is keeping in touch with friends and family (96%). About a quarter use the site to keep in touch with professional contacts (23%) or play games/participate in quizzes (26%). 59.9% feel neutral about the ads they see onFacebook, and only 5% strongly dislike or are offended by them. While they don't mind ads, many feel there are better ways for marketers to capture their attention while they're on Facebook.

Moms are surprisingly willing to interact with marketers on Facebook, and their open-ended feedback reveals a high level of sophistication and marketing savvy.

Though individual comments don't constitute a comprehensive study, they are valuable in considering the marketing message. When asked what advertisers on Facebook should do that they aren't currently doing, moms say:

• "Provide exclusive offers (i.e., printable coupons, etc.). Exclusive offers would entice me to respond to the message (not just read/glance at [it]), and I might look them up on Facebook and become a fan."
• "[Be] more interactive. Starbucks is a good example - they just had a Facebook campaign where you could send a coupon for a free Starbucks ice cream to a friend on Facebook."
• "Offer samples."
• "Certificates or coupons for freebies or special discount offers. I always print those and use them."
• "Coupons/discounts for family places [such as] restaurants or coupons for grocery stores."
• "[Be] a little more targeted with online store specials."
• "Just talk to us. Direct us to Twitter or a blog where we can talk back. It's too complicated to carry on a conversation on Facebook. Make it easy for us."
• "I'd like to be able to comment on something they post without being alerted every time someone else makes a post. Sometimes that becomes distracting."
• "Provide something that would actually help me, not just market their product."
• "I like being a fan and following the products/companies that I choose to follow. It makes me feel like I can make the choice of what advertisements I am willing to pay attention to. Advertisers need to move toward fan pages and away from the sidebar ads. Running the occasional contest is always fun!"

BIGresearch's Simultaneous Media Usage Survey was compiled for the Retail Advertising & Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation. The survey polled 4,206 moms and 22,624 adults 18+. "Moms" are defined as women with children at home who are younger than age 18.

To read more about the RAMA research, please go here, or please visit Lucid Marketing here for additional details about moms and Facebook.