Digi-moms open up new windows for brands

The rise in the number of tech-savvy mothers in India has given advertisers a new platform to promote their brands on the internet.

A survey by Microsoft Advertising and Starcom MediaVest on online lives of mothers across Asia — covering China, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea — reported that Indian mothers spend 56 per cent of their total time on the internet, either for work or study.

“By successfully engaging these digi-moms through the right medium and at the right time, brands can create highly influential online brand ambassadors,” says Neville Taraporewalla, director, Microsoft Advertising. While family remains the most important aspect of the lives of new-age moms, 90 per cent mothers across Asia use the internet to connect with family and friends. Despite this, social networking sites are yet to attract Indian mothers. Indian mothers, according to the survey, were among the lowest users of social networking with just about 58 per cent maintaining a profile compared to 82 per cent in Singapore, 77 per cent in Hong Kong and 62 per cent in China and Korea.

The survey, which was conducted across eight markets with 3,000 mothers, found that 50 per cent Indian mothers who surf made a purchase online in the last 30 days. In comparison, a whopping 94 per cent mothers in China made an online purchase in the last 12 months. However, Indian mothers are fast catching up.

Typically, Gen X mothers, aged between 20 and 49 years, participate in online activities that are connected to their child, with online interests evolving as the children grow older. The results from India show that 44 per cent expectant mothers cannot stay away from the internet, while 50 per cent mothers with children under three years read customer reviews online.