DMA and MOM365 Release 'Direct Marketing to Moms'

October 5, 2011 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Mom365 this week released a new white paper, “Direct Marketing to Moms – A joint study by Mom365 and the Direct Marketing Association” the first study of its kind on direct marketing behavior and attitudes of new mothers. The release of this study, based on a survey of over 1,700 new mothers, corresponds to an appearance this week by Mom365 as an expert at DMA2011 in Boston. The study reveals a demographic group that heavily uses direct marketing. 95 percent of respondents report seeking out direct offers online.

“Most new moms these days are millennials, who are not just Internet native, but also have been on social networks from the get-go,” said Mary Jo Romeo, president of Mom365, a division of Our365. “We wanted to see whether they relate to marketing and privacy issues differently than other groups.”

“New mothers often face tough cost, time, and even travel constraints,” says Yory Wurmser, director of marketing & media insights for DMA. “The result: the vast majority embrace marketing that offers quick, relevant offers that save them money.” 92 percent of new mothers highlight the expense of having a new family as leading them to seek more direct marketing offers.”

Although the majority of new mothers accept or even appreciate some use of personal data by marketers as a fair exchange for more relevant advertising, roughly a quarter (25 percent) feels that it crosses a line. “The message is that direct marketers have a powerful tool to aid the buying experience of consumers, but they need to be conscious of going too far for some consumers,” says Wurmser. “Adhering to best practices on data governance and opt-in rules is essential for the whole direct marketing community.”

Key Findings:

· 95 percent of new mothers seek out digital direct offers.

· New mothers are most likely to opt into product and retailer emails (83 percent of respondents), rewards programs that use email (77 percent) and daily deals, such as Groupon or Living Social (61 percent).

· 64 percent of new mothers have made a purchasing via direct marketing in the past year, with nearly a third (31 percent) making direct purchases in the past month.

· 78 percent of new mothers report special pricing and deals as an extremely important feature of direct offers.

· 84 percent of new mother use Facebook, with 72 percent ‘liking’ brands.

· Unsolicited emails were the direct marketing format that produced the most dissatisfaction, with 58 percent of new mothers “disliking it a lot.”

· Roughly 2/3 of respondents (65 percent) like or accept some use of personal information for more relevant advertising, while about a quarter (27 percent) find the use of this information “crosses a line.”

· 59 percent of new mothers wish they had more control over who contacts them.

DMA and Mom365 jointly fielded research to the Our365 MAMA SAYS PANEL, contacting 20,000 mothers of young children in August of 2011, inviting them to complete a questionnaire and offering them entry into a $750 raffle. 1,708 mothers completed the questionnaire.

The report can be accessed by clicking here.

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About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the world’s largest global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including half of the Fortune 100 companies.

In 2011, marketers — commercial and nonprofit —will spend $163 billion on direct marketing, which accounts for 52.1 percent of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures will generate approximately $1.96 trillion in incremental sales. In 2011, direct marketing accounted for 8.7 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2011, there were 1.3 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly support 7.9 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.2 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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