• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 11, 2011

While marketers know that moms are the gatekeepers to everything from cell phone plans to family vacations, many are still baffled about how best to deliver their brand's message. The problem, says child researcher Donna Sabino, is that many companies have become lost in the swirl of changing technology and have lost sight of the only two things moms really care about these days: Utility and value. Marketing Daily asked Sabino, SVP, Kids & Family Insights, Ipsos OTX MediaCT, to tell us more:

Q: What are some of the big misunderstandings marketers have about mothers of kids 12 and under?

A: While they're certainly aware of how important new technology is, many aren't fully aware of how much impact it has on parenting styles, and how families are connecting. The way moms spend their typical day is infused with so much access to information. And we were surprised, in our research, to find how quickly moms adapted this new technology to suit their needs.

Q: How so?

A: Take cell phones. It isn't that younger kids are saying, 'Mom, can I have a cell phone?' It's moms saying 'I want him to have a cell phone for me. I want to reach him when I need to, and this way, I can give him more freedom and let him go a little farther.'"

Q: Your research shows that kids between the ages of 6 and 12 use technology about 5.3 hours per day. Some experts say this contributes to age compression, or KGOY -- kids getting older younger. Do you agree?

A: People do say that, and there's lots of debate. To me, the question is almost a little pejorative, as if we are saying technology is somehow messing up child development. But maybe our paradigm of what childhood is needs to change. So kids go online at age 5 -- even if you think that is a bad thing, it is their world. How can we turn it into a positive learning tool? We need to teach them how powerful it is, and teach parents how to keep them safe.

Q: Do you think parents are doing that?

A: Yes. We are seeing that parents are more involved. For instance, we found that a surprising number of kids 12 and under have Facebook accounts, even though they are not supposed to. And it's not that they are setting up Facebook accounts behind their parents' back, they're doing it with parents. And parents are saying, "Fine, but I have to be your friend, so I can monitor what is going on." There is much more self-evaluating of appropriate content.

Q: In other words, moms are trusting the technology/parenting experts less? Does that have implications for marketers?

A: Yes. They are a little more skeptical of marketing messages. They are checking a claim like, 'We're better' or 'We're cheaper' more thoroughly. They read product reviews.

Q: Many companies are trying to reach her through mostly digital avenues. Is that smart?

A: I think the answer is to be everywhere she is, and recognize that even with her fragmented attention, she is also watching TV and reading magazines, just as she is on social networking sites and taking in word-of-mouth from bloggers.

Q: Do you think today's moms are more pragmatic?

A: Well, she's practical. Marketers need to understand what is really going on in her life today, and her needs. How can you help save her time? Save her money? Make her family safer or better? She needs to see the utility and the immediate relevance to her life.

Q: Are there brands that you think do this well?

A: Apple's an easy example, because it makes providing content for her kids so easy. But look at Mr. Clean: It's an old brand, but Procter & Gamble breathed new life into it with the Magic Eraser. Cell phone providers may be the best example of all, though. Smartphones are revolutionary. She is sitting in the car waiting for the kid to finish soccer practice, and she is paying bills, catching up on email and checking in with family.