State of the American Mom

The Marketing to Mom Coalition, of which I am a Founding Member, today released the results of the State of American Moms. It's a wonderful report focused on everything from technology to shopping behaviors of mothers. The full report is available from the Marketing to Moms Coalition, www.marketingtomomcoalition.org.

I am excited to share a few of the highlights with you:

STATE OF AMERICAN MOM REPORT RELEASED TODAY

Survey Shows More Moms are Stressed Out in 2008, Cites Top Issues of Concern

October 9, 2008, Chicago, Ill. -- Stress levels were brewing among moms across the country well before the recent financial crisis began, and the current economic environment isn’t helping matters. According to the recent State of the American Mom Report from the Marketing to Moms Coalition, nearly all moms (90%) saw the economy getting weaker even before the collapse on Wall Street. According to the nationwide survey of 1,033 mothers, more moms (40%) feel stressed about their current family life, than feel good about the way things are (33%).

Among many findings, the report shows an increase in moms admitting to be stressed, particularly full-time working mothers and those with lower incomes. Also, stress appears to be on the rise for divorced moms (47%).

“There’s no question that moms continue to have a growing list of concerns in this country,” said Michal Clements, founding member of the Marketing to Mom Coalition and partner of Incite to Action, the research firm that fielded the study. “The State of the American Mom Report shows that moms are feeling more overwhelmed, more concerned about their children versus themselves. Moms are continuing to try to find ways to streamline and simplify their lives – now more than ever.”

Stress Varies by Season

Overall, moms say the holidays are the most stressful time of year (40%), followed by summer when children aren’t in school (32%), back-to-school time (25%) and the end of the school year (6%). However, there were some interesting differences:

· Self-employed moms (43%) and moms with more children at home think summer is the busiest time of year for them, as they juggle working and childcare on top of children’s summertime activities.

· African American moms also say that summer is most stressful (34%) followed by back to school time (33%), and the holidays (28%).

What Moms Do to Save Time and Money

The majority of moms (75%) say they have been using leftovers more this year in an effort to save money, especially Caucasian moms (78%) and Hispanic moms (74%). Conversely, one in three African American moms (31%) either doesn’t use left overs or uses them less now than in the past.

Many moms are trying to find ways to do more one-stop shopping to save time and money. Sixty three percent of moms try to one-stop shop, especially those moms with children age two and under (69%). Other top ways moms try to save time and cut costs include making meals at home (63%), shopping/paying bills online (55%), enlisting children to help in household chores (46%), and shopping in bulk (45%).

What Matters Most to Moms

When asked to what are the most important issues on moms’ minds in 2008, collectively the respondents provided this ranking:

1. Relationship/communication with their child
2. Quality of education for their children
3. Safety in the world for their children
4. Drug use among their children’s peer group
5. Cyber/Online safety for their children

Listen Up, Girlfriends

In spite of all stress, more moms are becoming experts in the art of parenting – or so they think. When compared to 2007 data, more moms in 2008 identify themselves as an ”opinion leaders” and say they are likely to share information among their friends and family. This may be correlated to the boom in mommy blogs and web sites over the past year.

The State of the American Report surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,033 mothers with at least one child aged under age 18 in the household. Data was analyzed by working status, household income, ethnicity as well as number of children living at home. To see the executive summary of the study and to purchase the full report, visit www.marketingtomomscoalition.org. _

About The Marketing to Moms Coalition

The Marketing to Moms Coalition is the only industry group dedicated to furthering an understanding of America’s most powerful consumers. A not-for-profit organization, the group’s goal is to share knowledge and insights about moms to help marketers create programs that engage and empower this driving force of the American economy. More information about the coalition can be found at www.marketingtomomscoalition.org.