• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 2, 2008

While the daily drill of motherhood is the same no matter how old you are, Moxie Interactive is finding that when it comes to getting the help she needs, Gen Y moms are a little different.

These moms, born after 1978, are as committed to finding products they trust as other generations, says Joanna Sammartino, Moxie Interactive's New York managing director. "But perhaps since they don't have as extensive a network of friends with kids as older women do, they put a lot more stock in what their peers say about other brands. They'll respond to a recommendation from another parent much more favorably than a straightforward ad," she says.

When using such popular parenting sites as BabyCenter or BabyZone, for example, Gen Y moms are much more apt to use the community features--posting comments and questions to other moms, and using different tools found on the navigations bars--whereas older moms are more likely to zoom right toward the commerce section.

For marketers, she says, that means it's important to invest in the "softer sell" and focus on getting their brand names mentioned on blogs, social-networking sites, or by building useful tools. "Anything that builds brand awareness, relevancy and word-of-mouth is very important. Millennials, especially, are relying on this social currency."

Obviously, these moms are most at ease with the latest and greatest technology, from iPhones to laptops. The Millennial mom integrates technology seamlessly into her life; she blogs, sends text messages and IMs, and has the Internet in the palm of her hand, Moxie's executives have observed.

Gen X Moms, on the other hand, born between 1965 and 1977, are much more overtly focused on keeping all aspects of their lives in balance. While they're as PDA-proficient as Gen Y moms, they're less likely to spend hours evaluating new products and services, and tend to buy whatever is most convenient.

Moxie, an interactive ad agency that works for such clients as Nestle, Coca-Cola and Maybelline, says that while Boomer moms tend to be less tech-proficient, they are willing to spend a surprising amount of time comparing prices, products and services--perhaps because they are more likely to have older kids who require less hands-on care.

But for all mothers-about 80.5 million of them--"trust and recommendations from other parents matter more than anything."

Finally, Sammartino says, marketers may be missing mom-centric opportunities because they're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Marketers should be targeting moms at different places throughout the day," she says, "finding her in her natural environment," in stores, gas stations, and even playing games.

Moxie has found that plenty of moms are de-stressing with electronic games. "And they regard something like a marketer putting a brand name on checkers, for example, as a non-intrusive, non-marketing way to reach them."