Commentary

Her New Tablet

by Maryanne Conlin , December 19, 2012

Unless you’ve disconnected yourself from society recently, you’ve heard that the hot gift this year is a tablet computer. The choices are many. And, it seems most everyone is going to buy one … or two or more. Projections for tablet purchase have been revised and revised again. By January, over 25% of U.S. households will have a tablet … at least. And that number is only going up. Fast.

So, now that we have established that it’s very likely that mom is going to find a tablet computer in her stocking this year, let’s get on the ball and figure out how, how much, and where she is going to use it. Studies of tablet usage are necessarily hindered by the fact that tablet penetration is moving so quickly, but let’s give it a shot anyway, based on what data does exist.

First, we all know by now that classifying tablets as “mobile” devices was a mistake all along. Tablets aren’t going anywhere except from room to room with the number one place to use it -- the couch! And, we know for sure Mom is going to be multi-tasking with her tablet. With 41% of tablet time spent in front of the TV, that’s a lot of consumers tuning out commercials in favor of surfing with their device. Tablet penetration may have a much greater impact on your broadcast advertising campaign than your digital one.

It seems likely that mom is going to play games on her tablet. Women make up just about half of the PC and console gamers. Gaming is already one of the most popular activities on smartphones -- often when waiting for soccer practice to be over but, overall, gaming is more popular on tablets than smartphones.

Mom is going to read on her tablet. After all, this is what people do most on their tablets, after checking email. The proliferation on 7-inch tablets this season is going to assure that more and more moms will reluctantly trade in electronic ease of access for the smell of a freshly bound book.

And Mom will be cooking with her tablet, using the web’s endless collection of recipes to explore new ideas for meals, to try her hand at an exotic menu or just to figure out what to do -- quickly -- with the contents of her refrigerator.

What tasks Mom ultimately uses her tablet(s) for and where and how is going to impact marketing budgets in ways we haven’t even considered yet. But it will change where and how we push information out to her about products … and a lot sooner than we think.

moms, tablet

3 comments about "Her New Tablet ".

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Kate Baumgart Hogenson from Loyalty Landscape, December 19, 2012 at 10:48 a.m.
There is one other HUGE role for tablets for both Moms and Dads -- using it to entertain small children, especially age 4-9. Look at parents with their children in the car, on the plane, any waiting room, restaurants, and even shopping carts -- the child is the one who has been given the parent's tablet with admonitions to "be very careful with Mommy's iPad....." Yes, there are still GameBoys but increasingly, there are tablets in those adorable small hands.
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Maryanne Conlin from RedRopes Digital/4GreenPs, December 19, 2012 at 11:39 a.m.

I totally agree, Kate. This speaks to mobile advertising to children as they play these games and to mom as she fires them up. It also, perhaps opens up additional licensing opportunities for toy manufacturers...all as we grapple with what type of advertising and how much is appropriate to push out to children.

Ondine Bult from BestBuzz.Bz, December 19, 2012 at 3:38 p.m.

Completely agree with the post. Just last week when using my laptop I actually felt the need to have a tablet instead. It felt strange not being able to download an app for what I wanted to do. Probably not helped by the fact we are giving away an iPadmini at work right now! http://bit.ly/iPadmini3