The document explores the emergence of 'Generation Mom', a demographic characterized by shared parenting values across different generations of mothers, including Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y (Millennials). It highlights that despite distinct generational characteristics, mothers prioritize community, support, and a desire for connectivity through social media, while also demonstrating a shift in consumer behavior towards brand loyalty based on recommendations and affordability. The findings underscore the importance for marketers to focus on the common values that unite mothers rather than their differences in order to establish genuine connections with this consumer group.

1. Introducing: Generation Mom

2. In today’s evolving marketing landscape, we find ourselves at a time and
place with three active generations – Baby Boomers, Generation X, and
GenerationY (i.e. Millennials) – each with distinct characteristics and
influence. Communications professionals place tremendous weight on
these generational demographics, creating lifestyle personas around each
generation in an attempt to get at the heart of the characteristics and
differences that make up these consumer groups.
The result? Complex generational personas become the foundation of
our understanding of consumer behavior.We use these personas to
inform our marketing campaigns – the overall creative strategy, specific
implementation tactics, and evaluation metrics.
To better understand the complexities of each generation, we talked
with 900+ Moms who represent all three groups (Gen X, GenY and
Boomers) to get the whole story on how age impacts their opinions and
behaviors as parents. Do Moms identify more with their generational
peers or with other Moms at the same life stage (Mom of a toddler,
Mom of a tween) as themselves?
Survey respondents, Moms with at least one child under the age of 11
years old, answered an in-depth (45 minute) questionnaire about their
attitudes towards parenting, being a Mom, their use of technology, social
media, and how they engage with brands.
Diving Into Generations: Overview of the Study
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3. Traditional Roadmap to Generations
We started the project with a clear understanding of generational identities, which included:
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1
9
6
5
-­‐
1
9
7
6
Op*mis*c,
entrepreneurial,
confident.
Digital
na*ves
–
live
online,
communicate
via
email/text
not
phone.
Terrorism,
Gulf
War,
Y2K,
9/11,
Facebook
“En$tled”
Free-­‐spirited,
experimental,
yet
also
loyal.
Vietnam,
Watergate,
Women’s
Rights,
Transistor
Radios
“Me
Genera$on”
Latch-­‐key
kids,
self-­‐reliant
–
not
into
labels.
Resist
paren*ng/family
models
of
mother’s
genera*on.
End
of
the
Cold
War,
AIDS,
Atari,
Space
ShuVle
Challenger,
War
on
Drugs
“Defiant”
B
O
O
M
E
R
S
1
9
4
6
-­‐
1
9
6
4
G
E
N
-­‐
X
E
R
S
G
E
N
-­‐
Y
E
R
S
1
9
7
7
-­‐
1
9
9
2

4. The Question: How toTarget Mom
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When marketing to Mom, we are often challenged to focus on narrow demographics – either the Moms’
demographic or the age/stage of her child. In our research results, we looked for dual patterns – 1) stark
differences between Mom generations; as well as 2) differences between ages and stages (of their children).
Our hypothesis:We thought our research would show significant and distinct differences in parenting styles
- defined by whether a Mom considered herself a Boomer, Gen Xer or GenYer – and that these
differences would impact Moms’ perceptions on a host of issues, ranging from social media usage to
consumer behavior.
Generations Ages & Stages
As we analyzed the survey data, we focused the bigger picture, including behavioral shifts.We narrowed in
on larger, transcendent themes to bridge the connection between generations, the recommendation
culture, and online connectivity movements.

5. Introducing Generation Mom
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What we learned…
Rather than identify strongly with either her generation or the ages and stages of her children, our study
showed that upon becoming a mother, Moms adopt a core group of shared values that impact her
lifestyle, behavior, the way she interacts with her peers and her purchasing decisions.We call this
Generation Mom.

6. Core ParentingValues Converge
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What links Moms of all generations centers around their parenting values and these universal truths
that embody Moms today.We asked Moms their preferences on a host of issues that relate to their
parenting values and found a convergence around four key areas:
At a time when Moms work more than ever, these core parenting values remain aspirational. In a child-
centric culture, Moms worry about kids’ happiness and tie that directly to time spent parenting.
“would rather stay at home instead of
forging ahead on their career path”
“would forgo a bigger paycheck to spend
more time with their kids”
“say contentment in kids trumps future
success”
“put parenting ahead of their marriages”

7. Moms Agree about CoreValues
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What makes a great Mom?
We wanted to understand how respondents self-identified as “Mom” – specifically what they felt makes a
“great Mom.”While a variety of definitions exist, respondents held definite ideas.We provided Moms with
over 25 choices and these three rose to the top:
I feel so guilty…
When faced with nearly 20 choices, Generation Mom’s top three responses centered around perceived
inadequacies.These core values represent archetypes so deeply embedded that nearly any brand could
successfully use them to build a conversation with their target Mom consumer.
“Setting boundaries and
keeping them.”
“Spending quality time
with my kids.”
“Raising children with
good manners.”
“…for not spending enough
time with my kids”
“…about being short-
tempered with my family”
“…because I don’t play
with my children enough”

8. Secondarily:A Crisis of Isolation
Only 19% of Moms raise their
children in the community in
which they were raised.
Less than 50% live near family
members.
Over 80% don’t feel they get
enough support from co-workers.
And when it comes to friendships…
At the same time that these core values have converged, Moms feel more isolated than every before.
Beyond the guilt and anxiety Moms experience, our survey also discovered that Moms feel isolated – due
primarily to today’s mobile society and their own attempts to achieve “Super Mom” status.What
contributes to this isolation?
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9. Our survey also looked at the sources of this isolation and we found the younger the mom, the deeper her
sense of loneliness.While Boomers share closer ties with friends, connections lessen with each subsequent
generation. In fact, 59% of Gen X Moms feel isolated at the time of their child’s birth as do 65% of Moms
from GenY.
“Generation Mom” – specifically the younger members of the demographic – finds it hard to develop a
network of friends, particularly during a period in life that is so focused on children and family.This isolation,
coupled with feelings of anxiety and guilt, drives Moms to seek alternative ways to reach out and connect
with others.
Waves of Isolation (Loneliness)
Gen Y: Far-reaching online communities
yet strong feelings of isolation
Boomers: Close-knit friendships
founded in offline-connections
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10. Age of Social Media Connectivity
And this need for Moms to find ways to
reach out and connect has given rise to the
Age of Social Media connectivity.
Generation Mom’s need to expand her
world fostered new ways to forge ties with
fellow Moms – as well as brands – using
social media tools, like blogs, online forums,
and social networks such as Facebook and
Twitter.
As a result, social media has become the
conduit between Moms and their trusted
connections and Moms and brands –
allowing her to share her experiences,
passions, and insights.
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11. Embracing Social Media Connectivity
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3 out of 5 Moms publish a blog
3 out of 5 Moms engage with each
other onTwitter
9 out of 10 Moms cite Facebook as
their “go-to” destination
Generation Mom’s rapid embrace of social media and this new age of connectivity proves dramatic.And age
proves irrelevant. No matter if she’s 22 or 52, we’ll find her online.

12. Communities of Commonality
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Over and over we see that Generation Mom finds it difficult to do what Moms did in previous generations:
make friends in the neighborhood or through family contacts. So, Generation Mom searches online for points
of connection or interest.The Internet proves particularly adept at creating “communities of commonality.”
Instead of Moms searching out other Moms who love yoga, who devour romance novels, or who have kids
who struggle with potty-training, they can easily tap into ready-made online communities.These sites forums
allow Moms to get information, feel connected, and find others who share their interests or issues.

13. 96%
trust products more after
they’ve done their own research
Online RecommendationTrust
82%
read product reviews
online before buying a
brand they haven’t
tried yet
90%
trust products more
after hearing about
them from friends
“Trust” remains a key value for Generation Mom. Members of this demographic use social media to seek out
word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted sources – recommendations which significantly impact Moms’
purchasing decisions.
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14. Untethering of Brand Loyalty
66% agree:
brands aren’t
important to me
Looking for savings,
Moms have become
open to trying new
products and brands.
Moms see generics
as a ways to spend
less while getting a
product of the same
or similar quality
Only 50% consider
themselves brand
loyalists.
Today’s extended economic crisis, coupled with the rise of personal and online recommendations, has
resulted in a major shift in purchasing behavior. Our survey showed that Generation Mom has become more
open to leaving brand preferences behind in order to save money and remain on budget. In the past, brands
could rely on generational preferences – Moms who would purchase their products because their mother
and grandmother did – but economic incentives now push Mom in new directions making her turn to
brands (or even generics) she may never before have considered for her family.
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15. The SwingVote
ü 78% of Moms say that they would gladly switch brands if offered a coupon
ü 68% pay attention to brands offering free samples
ü 65% poll their Mom friends when trying a new product
Moms now mirror independent voters
Moms will switch brands …
From a consumer perspective, Generation Mom mirrors independent voters. During recent election cycles,
independents have abandoned party loyalty and instead have maintained a “what-have-you-done-for-me-
lately” posture. Even if they lean towards one party over another, these voters appear more than willing to
cross the aisle if a particular candidate’s message resonates with them.We now see Moms doing the same
thing with brands – they’ll put aside products they used for years for two key reasons:
If friends love a
brand &
recommend it
To save money
1.
2.
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16. Honesty
!
Affordability
Transparency
Social Consciousness
Win me over . . . and over and over . . .
With Generation Moms’ move away from
brand loyalty, brand-marketers must now
realize that winning over a new customer is
not a “one and done” effort. Instead, the
challenge is ongoing – getting onto her
shopping list and then continuing to win her
over again and again.
How can brands ensure their products
remain well-positioned for Mom consumers?
Moms say the traits they most admire in
brands center around “honesty,”
“affordability” and “transparency.” On the flip
side, 55% of Moms say “lying,” (e.g., making
untrue claims), as the biggest mistake a brand
can make in communicating with her.
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Fun, style, friendliness

17. The Key to Reaching Generation: Social Media
When we realize that parenting values, connectivity needs, social media usage and consumer behavior all
transcend generations, we begin to understand that we need to rethink our previous notions of how to
reach Moms.
What’s important to Generation Mom? Her family, her passions, her relationships with those close to her.
Generation Mom feels a deep need to connect with the world around her – with fellow Moms, with brands
– and social media becomes the way in which that happens.The connections, the conversations, and the
commonality become what matters – not the platform.This inherent need to forge close ties is why social
media remains so fundamental to Marketing to Moms.
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18. Living in a Recommendation Culture
Thinking about the purchasing behaviors of Generation Mom, the focus remains on connections and
relationships. Social media enables Mom to do in-depth research to find specific answers to her pre-purchase
questions, whether seeking a local doctor who specializes in secondary infertility or looking for peer feedback
about the soaps that best sooth sensitive skin.
Social media again becomes the conduit between Moms and their trusted connections and Moms and brands.
Much like Moms want relationships with fellow Moms, they also want relationships with the brands they love –
and when they feel engaged, they become more likely to make a purchase, recommend a product to a friend,
or feel informed about brand promotions.
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19. The establishment of Generation Mom uncovers the
core values that all Moms share – what connects
them, what brings them together, their shared
aspirations, and the things they view as truly
important.
For marketers, Generation Mom underscores the
need to look deeper. While Moms still face common,
age-old challenges, such as how to soothe a crying
infant or what healthy options to feed a toddler,
Generation Mom sees these challenges through the
lens of her personal Mom identity, which centers on
her goal of being a “great Mom” and the sense of
guilt felt when she doesn’t feel like she’s being the
Mom she’s always aspired to be.
Focusing on what connects Mom, rather than what
divides her from her peers (i.e. how Boomers
compared with Gen X Moms tackle dinner) will
enable brands to connect with her on a more
authentic level.Whether a Mom is 25 or 35 or 45 –
her parenting values transcend the differences to
form the common foundation that is
Generation Mom.
Generation Mom
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Generation Mom

20. Stacy DeBroff
Founder, CEO
stacy@momcentral.com
617-244-3002
Connect With Us!
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