Asian moms spend an average of 34.7 hours per week on media-related activities and 53 percent of this time is spent on the Internet. To search for information and complete purchases, mothers are making a move from traditional media to digital media. With 84 percent of mothers stating that the Internet is now part of their lives, and 64 percent planning to use it more often, this target group presents vast opportunities for online advertisers

1. www.advertising.microsoft.com/asia
Microsoft Advertising worked with Starcom MediaVest Group on a study to
understand the role of digital media in the lives of Asian mothers and to
determine which channels wielded the most influence on their online purchase
decision-making paths.
The findings are based on results from online self-
completion questionnaires, where respondents were
recruited from online panels and digital media properties
of Microsoft Advertising. Fieldwork was also conducted
with a total of 2,835 samples across eight Asian countries
including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. Respondents were
mothers aged 20-49 years, which were divided into
sub-groups based on the ages of their children.
The
The Internet is Key to a Digital Mom’s Life
Asian moms spend an average of 34.7 hours per
week on media-related activities and 53 percent of this
time is spent on the Internet. To search for information
and complete purchases, mothers are making a move
from traditional media to digital media. With 84
percent of mothers stating that the Internet is now
part of their lives, and 64 percent planning to use it
more often, this target group presents vast
opportunities for online advertisers.
The Internet is Her Lifeline to Being
a Better Mom
The Internet dominates an Asian mom’s product
information sourcing for her child and family as well as
for herself. In Asian households, 86 percent of digital
moms are the sole decision makers on baby/child care
product purchases. The study indicates that when
searching information on child-related matters, the top
sources Asian moms use are search engines, portals,
websites for moms and parenting, and shopping sites.
The Internet is their functional resource, with 78 percent
of Asian moms surveyed stating that the Internet helps
them make better decisions, and 77 percent stating that
it simplifies their lives.
These sources do not change significantly when she is no
longer in “mom-mode” and seeks information for herself,
with 91 percent of moms being the sole decision makers
on their personal purchases.
DIGITAL MOM: Uncovering the
Online Lives of Asian Moms
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53% of Asian moms’ media time spent on Internet
2.7 hours
Magazines
3.0 hours
Newspapers
3.1 hours
Radio
7.6 hours
Television
8.5 hours
Internet (for work/study)
9.8 hours
Internet (for personal use)

2. www.advertising.microsoft.com/asia
The Mom Stages Influence Her
Information Needs
The online search and purchasing behaviors of mothers
differs based on the ages of the womens’ children, from
birth to more than six years. As a result, there are four
main stages Asian mothers experience: Mom-to-be, Baby
Mom, Toddler Mom, and Experienced Mom.
Across the different stages, advertisers need to
understand the differences in the online behaviors of
Asian moms in order to plan campaigns that will be
highly visible during their time spent online.
Mom-to-be
• Spends the most time with media, with an average of
38 hours per week, of which almost 20 hours are spent
on the Internet.
• Information sourcing relates directly to anticipation
of her baby’s arrival. Online mom support networks and
destinations are still not established.
Baby Mom
• Shares experiences with her online mom
support network.
• After the opinions of family and friends, online
customer reviews and parenting sites become the most
influential deciding factors in purchases for her child.
• The focus moves to personal development, with the
Internet providing the flexibility to stay up-to-date with
news and to search for personal development products
related to fashion and beauty.
Toddler Mom
• Dependence on networks to make decisions decreases
gradually, with reduced need to search.
• Shift in online activities to regain “me-time”.
Information interests expands beyond her child and
basic information to shopping guides, music, and
digital products.
Experienced Mom
• The older the child of an Experienced Mom, the less
likely she is to seek out and contribute to online
mom conversations.
• Information search is focused on health, education,
and news.
• Top sources of influence in purchase decision making
for her child and family are online customer reviews,
price comparison sites, and friends and family.
2
Mom stages
Mom-to-be
“I need to
know
everything,
yet I don’t
know what I
don’t know.”
Toddler Mom
(3-5)
“I know most,
and I want
to keep
up-to-date.”
Experienced
Mom (6+)
“My focus is
now more on
family and
education.”
Baby Mom
(birth-2)
“I need
authoritative
advice.”

3. www.advertising.microsoft.com/asia
The Digital Engagements of Asian Moms
Differ by Market
The social and Internet context differs across Asian
countries. The amount of time spent by Asian Moms on
the Internet for work, study, or personal reasons varies
by country. The prevalent culture of the country can
have differing impacts on what moms search for when
in “mom-mode” and when in “me-mode”, and whether
they work outside of their homes.
Children’s education features predominantly across all
cultures as a search priority and information sourced
from the Internet.
For online advertisers, understanding search behaviors
by country can assist in tailoring messages towards
moms in different markets, as moms living in different
countries are motivated by the cultures and social
settings of those countries.
Many Differences across Asia yet Key
Commonalities
Though the motivations of Asian moms to use the
Internet for gathering child-related information can
differ by country, there are four key behaviors that
prevail in all Asia moms.
Moms Love to Talk – Join Her Conversations
When a product or service satisfies Asian moms, they
share the experiences, with 80 percent of Asian moms
believing that good brands are worth talking about. The
word of mouth of an Asian mom is effective online and
offline, with 59 percent of Asian moms persuading their
friends and families to buy what they buy.
As a brand, it is imperative to monitor where Asian
moms are voicing their opinions, whether it be social
networking sites or blogs. More importantly, what are
they saying about your brand and how much of what
they say can you influence through online advertising?
Moms Trust Other Moms – Be Part of Her Community
Asian moms rely heavily on the advice from their
networks, which differ across countries due to cultural
reasons. For example, in China, the online mom
community is often more credible than friends and
family. The one-child policy makes it difficult for moms
to find other moms, within their circle of family and
friends, who are experiencing the same challenges and
have similar needs.
South Korean moms prefer women with the same
backgrounds as them to be a part of their mom
network. As a hierarchical society, this ensures that the
decisions they make for their children are typical of the
class of society to which they belong.
For Indian moms, the mom network consists of moms
she knows online or offline as it helps her relate to them
and to take their recommendations seriously. As online
advertisers, it is important to understand the basis on
which moms develop trust for each other and within
their network.
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Social and Internet context differs by market
Percentage of Non-Working Moms
69.4 35.6 25.3 25.2 21.8 17.7 5.958.6
Avg Internet hours per week for personal use
Avg Internet hours per week for work/study use
JP
1.7
7.3
KR
5.1
6.5
TW
9.7
13.4
IN
8.5
6.7
HK
9.7
11.3
SG
10.3
11.0
MY
11.1
11.3
CN
11.0
11.7

4. www.advertising.microsoft.com/asia
Mom Radar is Always On – Know Her Way ‘In’
Digital moms are on ongoing quests to discover more
about their children and through the process, more
about their identities as mothers. When communicating
online to moms, remember that it is not about products
and services, rather it is always about mothers
themselves. Focusing on the mothers themselves
creates pull demands for products and services.
Moms are e-Shopaholics – Test, Learn, Grow
The study indicates that over the last 12 months, 67
percent of Asian moms have purchased online for their
children, and 69 percent intend to purchase online in
the next 12 months. When shopping for her child, the
Asian mom purchases a whole range of products from
educational needs, baby food, baby hygiene, clothes, to
toys and entertainment such as DVDs and video games.
However, online shopping is not limited to their children
alone, with 81 percent of Asian moms having purchased
online for themselves over the last 12 months, and 73
percent planning to make a purchase in the next 12
months. Moms usually test online shopping by buying
items for themselves, and where satisfied, they will take
the next step of buying for their children.
The on-demand nature of the Internet is rapidly
growing an e-commerce culture among Asian mothers,
motivating 70 percent of digital moms to prefer online
shopping. Mothers view online shopping as a hassle-
free alternative to traditional shopping environments,
which are not conducive or convenient for moms and
their children.
In Conclusion
With the Internet rapidly replacing traditional media as
a decisive information source and way to connect with
social groups, understanding the Asian digital mom
market and their online behaviors presents vast
opportunities for online advertisers to connect with
women and penetrate the market effectively.
For more information on the global study, visit
http://advertising.microsoft.com/asia, or email
Heidi Lau, Head of Research, Greater Asia Pacific,
Microsoft Advertising, heidilau@microsoft.com.
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