Zeno Group Blog

Last week I received a Facebook friend request from one of my mother’s best friends. That same week, another friend called me to say that her father had just created a profile and was spending significant hours networking on the site. What do they have in common? Both are over the age of 50. It’s no secret that online activity by those over the age of 50 continues to grow at a rapid pace. Consider that 16.5 million adults ages 55 and older engage in social networking, according to comScore. In fact, the fastest growing market segment on Facebook is now women over 55, which experienced more than 175% growth and totals nearly 7 million. But it’s not just Facebook. Baby boomers are actively engaged in news sites, updating their LinkedIn profiles (just ask my mother, 69!), banking, shopping and even job hunting.

So imagine my surprise when a major business news outlet last week categorized online activity by various age groups and made a blanket statement that people in their 50’s and 60’s go online to check the weather. What?! This shocked me – and my 50+-something [Facebook] friends. This kind of generalization doesn’t reflect what’s really going on. A new report by the Pew Research Center paints a very different picture. According to the study, 69% of baby boomers ages 55-63 are now getting their news online. Seventy percent are buying a product online. Nearly 50% are online banking, and forty-eight percent are conducting job-related research. Media – and marketers – who buy into the notion that Baby Boomers haven’t embraced the Internet for more than just the weather need to wake up – or risk missing out on opportunities to target this very powerful demographic.

I just returned from the Marketing to Moms conference and I have to say, it truly has never been a better or more exciting time for marketers to be reaching moms. Why? Well, for one, mom’s powerful. Consider the fact that mom controls 80% of all household spending. She spends $1.7 trillion every year, including an average of $13K on her baby during the first year alone. But today, it’s not enough to simply know that mom is out there spending money. With so many different types of moms out there, it’s more important than ever that we as marketers understand how to effectively engage her in relevant and meaningful ways. In other words, welcome to the new age of “mom.”

Who is she?

She’s a fan of reality TV, and she’s active on the message boards. She doesn’t watch TV. She’s playing games online. She can’t wait for her triplets to arrive. She’s stressed about the arrival of her second baby. She’s all about “me” time. She only buys organic. She eats out four times a week. She’s working full-time. She’s staying at home.

One theme that was woven throughout every piece of this 2-day conference was centered around the idea that all moms aren’t created equal. Whether you’re talking to a “Gen Y Mom”, or a “Second Time Mom,” today’s moms are multi-dimensional people (yes, not just a “mom” but a real person) who constantly influence the decisions of those around her. Did you know that the biggest concern of the Gen Y moms is time? Or that sixty-two percent of second-time moms use social networking sites? This is important because it reinforces the fact that we must speak to these moms differently. Whether it’s a different message, or a new communications channel, campaigns must be targeted to be effective.

Another key differentiator among today’s mom is how quickly she moves into different roles. Eighty-six percent of women see motherhood and womanhood as something very different. Marketers need to think about mom as a 360 and respect her different hats. In other words, “Don’t go all mom, all the time.”

Not surprisingly, moms are online. Technology has liberated moms from feeling ‘alone’ and has empowered them to trust their instincts and seek information from experts as well as other parents. Consider the fact that moms are going on social networking sites more than any other demographic. They are pushing out information as quickly as they are absorbing it. Among pregnant and new moms, the internet is the #1 driver of word-of-mouth. And half of all moms say blogs influence their purchasing decision.

At the end of the day, the message moms are sending us is that they are people too, with different habits, needs and wants. And like anything, it’s critical to research and understand the moms you are talking to so you can reach them effectively.

After all, they’re the ones holding the purse strings.

Last week I attended the Windflower Ball, an annual event hosted by First Candle to raise money for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). I was invited to the event by Alison Rhodes, also known as “The Safety Mom.” After experiencing the death of her child to SIDS, Alison became committed to saving children’s lives and is now a national voice for child safety.

On any given day, you’ll see “The Safety Mom” giving tips on national and local media outlets, showing millions of viewers (millions of MOMS) the latest and greatest products on the market to help keep kids safe. Of course, we’ve gotten Alison on the Evenflo bandwagon.

Today, those of us who work with children’s products understand the influence of moms, especially those vocal mommy bloggers. Alison is a great example of a mom who took this one step further and turned herself into a successful brand by following her passion.

This week I’m heading out to a large conference all about marketing to moms and I look forward to sharing my insights. Stay tuned.

Every day, more and more seniors jump on the digital media bandwagon. Six months ago, I experienced this firsthand when a friend of mine forwarded me a Linkedin invitation she had just received…from my retired 67-year-old mother!

The lesson here: social networking is not just for the young. The reality is that there are 78 million boomers – roughly three times more than there are teenagers and 20-somethings – and most are regular Internet users. In fact, the number of Internet users who are older than 55 is roughly the same as those who are aged 18 to 34, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.

A few of the latest senior-friendly sites include the MySpace-inspired Eons.com, an online community for boomers born between 1946 and 1964 which describes its members as those who are “lovin’ life on the flip side.” Even seniors looking to jump back into the dating pool have their own Match.com with SeniorFriendFinder.com, where more than 450,000 members can network, photo-share flirt, chat, even blog about the news of the day – 24/7.

Social networking is a critical component in every public relations plan. Seniors are online and active, and marketers who ignore them do so at their own peril.

Just ask my mom.