• MSNBC/Forbes, Friday, December 28, 2007 12 PM

According to a recent survey of 3,500 U.S. mothers by BSM Media, 65% feel that they are "under-served" by advertisers either because the executions don't resonate with them or the ads do not address them. By some estimates, moms spend $2.1 trillion a year--about 15% of the entire U.S. economy.

Magazines tend to be more effective at catching a mom's eye than newspapers. Moms read an average of 4.1 magazines a month, according to BSM. Radio works, too, because moms spend a lot of time in the car. Moms are also increasingly online--71% use the Internet to research purchases--and how-to videos hit home.

Moms on the Web want to engage in a conversation. A good deal of action happens at social networks, like Maya's Mom and Café Mom, and at mom-centric blogs like BlogHer. "We have been looking at how we can use [online] social media to improve our efforts," says Christopher Barger, director of global communications technology for General Motors. Better yet, offer an experience. That's what GM did last month when it chauffeured around 75 moms in its cars for a weekend in Newport, R.I., in conjunction with a weekly podcast called Manic Mommies (produced by two moms).

Read the whole story at MSNBC/Forbes »