• by Melissa Lavigne-Delville , September 14, 2011

Gen Y moms hold a unique and powerful position in today's marketplace. As the first generation of female consumers who grew up with the Internet enter motherhood, it is more important than ever to understand what makes her "click." Today's young mom is more social, more tech savvy and more connected than ever before. And she is integral to a brand's success both on and offline. Buzz is about what's happening right now, and immediacy and access have become the new norm. Moms with young children are not only at the forefront of this frontier, but are also driving many of the latest trends in new media.

To address this, we recently conducted a proprietary study,"Digital Eve-olution," which looks at the increasingly dominant role digital technology plays in the lives of females today. The study not only provides a valuable glimpse at the latest trends but also sheds light on the future direction of this space -- with young moms leading the way.

Here are the top new rules of engagement to effectively reach Gen Y moms across today's powerful digital platforms:

The 24-hour rule: With information at our fingertips 24/7, consumers have a new definition of what is current and timely. 46% of Gen Y moms expect brands to update their profile pages on Facebook daily, compared to 37% of female consumers. Sixty-four percent of Gen Y moms also expect to hear back from brands within a 24-hour window. Marketers need to make sure that their social networking strategies reflect this sense of immediacy, as well as meet age-old expectations for great, reliable service.

Get your game on: Women, and moms in particular, increasingly lead social and casual gaming. Today, 75% of women (and 77% of moms) have at least one gaming app, compared to 67% of men. Companies like Groupon, Living Social and DailyCandy Deals have effectively tapped into this game mentality, using flash sales and daily deals to build anticipation. Whether you develop a game to build your brand, or reward patrons with virtual currency, this is an opportunity to win big with female consumers.

Rethink loyalty: Loyalty programs are losing significance among consumers as a faster pace online and offline puts a premium on living in the now. With 66% of Gen Y moms claiming that brand loyalty constitutes usage of only six months to a year, brands need to rethink what it means to have "loyal" customers and consider developing a relevancy program instead. Marketers must ask themselves whether their brands are in the right place at the right time with the right information.

Curated serendipity: Offering filtered content is an effective and necessary way to cut through the clutter. But to fully engage moms, there must be room for serendipitous discovery. 87% of women and moms agree that they would rather participate in a one-day flash sale than a weeklong sale. Brands should create the possibility for surprise. E-commerce companies, for example, should take into account the element of spontaneity that happens in offline shopping -- the moment of delight when someone discovers or stumbles across a perfect item they weren't expecting.

Keep it fresh: Products, marketing campaigns and services that are too static will feel stale. 54% of women and moms alike prefer products that are versatile to those that are classic. Messaging should be flexible in order to remain fresh and meaningful to consumers. Leave a layer of breathing room to make sure your brand can adapt and respond to the present market. The most successful campaigns will take into account what is happening "now" and weave it into their product offerings.

Intuitive tech: 66% percent of women (and moms with young children) prefer technology that is easy to use versus technology with lots of features. The quickened pace has many consumers in burnout mode. In some cases, less really is more and it might be strategic to slow things down. Marketers should make gadgets more intuitive, more fluid and more in sync with women's lives.

Expand your app-etite: 52% of Gen Y moms report downloading more apps to their mobile phones than they did last year, compared to 43% of females overall. Apps allow women to control the endless information around them and have changed the way women communicate, search and shop. Brands must think strategically about which apps will provide meaningful solutions for their customers in order to reach women in more relevant ways.