Welcome, summer. For moms, this can be the worst of times. But this year, when the days have blurred together and the 9 a.m. toast to the first day of a new school year remains far in the future, some distraction will arrive, thanks to Mila Kunis.

There is something about Memorial Day that evokes all sensory emotions - the taste of barbecue right off the grill, the feel of new clothes from great sales, and the emotions of commemorating those who served. It is the complete build-up to the excitement of summer.

A 2015 market research industry paper reports a 52% increase in online communities, a tool that smart marketers will leverage when engaging with moms. Traditional research tools that my team uses every day, such as focus groups and surveys, have value and will continue to play a role in keeping a finger on the pulse of opinions and trends. However, the increase in online communities resonates with the hottest consumer segment today - millennial moms.

Marketers tend to focus much attention on various cohorts - Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials being the primary groups on everyone's radar today. Yet, another important element of deeply understanding your target consumer is an understanding of their life-stage.

A year ago, inMarket reported that 38% of Millennial moms -- about 3.4 million of the approximately 9 million Millennial moms -- are taking advantage of location-based marketing while they are shopping. These Millennial moms are always on the go, with their smartphones in one hand and balancing a baby on a hip. I recently spoke with Andrea McFarling, director of marketing at Adlucent, a digital advertising and intelligence agency which focuses on paid search, including mobile and location-based marketing, for retailers.

The indispensable phones ... what would moms do without them? LOL! Studies have shown moms would rather give up sex than give up their smartphones, illustrating how important these devices have become to them.