Google CPG blog - News and Notes from Google"s CPG Vertical

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Mom

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Posted by guest blogger: Jeff Sauer, Director of Interactive Marketing and Partner at Three Deep Marketing

Three Deep Marketing is a Twin Cities/Minnesota based marketing technology agency which has worked with many well-known CPG brands that target moms. Today, one of their leaders provides perspective on some important mom marketing implications from the Google and BabyCenter Moms research.

1. Moms use the Internet

You already knew this. But did you know that after becoming a mom, the Internet is the only form of entertainment/communication that moms actually use MORE than they did before motherhood?
When you dig deeper into Moms activities online, it becomes quite obvious as to why Internet usage goes up while other categories go down significantly; the Internet is fast, easy and has become a ubiquitous in many of our lives. BabyCenter’s research indicates that marketers lose 3 media hours a day to new moms, with new moms consuming only 6 hours of TV, print and the Internet per day vs. 9 hours before becoming a mom. These lost hours are made up in the fastest, easiest and most readily available resource at their disposal; the Internet.

2. Coupons Create Loyalty

Coupons, coupons, coupons – as marketers, we love to hate coupons. Do we need them? Are we subsidizing purchases? Are we modifying buyer behavior? Are we creating more loyalty? Less loyalty? Marketers spend hours debating these questions and often the outcome of these discussions represents the biases of those arguing. MomDotCom research provides some clear indication that using coupons for acquisition of new customers is a tactic that should be used by CPG marketers. Research states that 7 out of 10 moms will buy a brand twice after trying it just once with an online coupon. With numbers like these, it’s easy to establish ROI for coupon based campaigns.

3. Search Loves TV

One of the biggest traps that marketers can fall into is an “either this or that” mentality. If your brand is running TV campaigns, it may be concluded that it is not necessary to run a simultaneous search campaign to pull visitors into your website. This thinking is wrong. Nearly every search campaign that I have ever launched has benefitted tremendously from television support to the tune of doubling the response of a similar keyword list without TV support. MomDotCom proves this true by confirming that 83% of Moms search for a product after being exposed to a TV ad. If you are paying money to run a TV campaign, make sure to spend a little extra on driving consumers to a landing page that provides continuity in supporting the message of your television spot.

4. Search Evolves with Mom

If Mom didn’t start off as a master in search, it doesn’t take long for her to become a master of Google. 3 of 4 Moms feel like they have gotten better at searching since becoming a Mom. Many of the general search queries that are highly competitive and expensive are being searched for by those who are probably very high up on the purchase funnel. As Mom gets closer to making a purchase decision, she is also becoming better at search. During this time she will eschew general search queries and begin to focus on what is most important to making her decision. The brands that provide her with a relevant and timely experience during her decision making process could gain her loyalty for years.

Utilizing these 4 tips will help take your Mom-centric marketing programs to the next level. Whether you are engaging in offline programs such as television, radio and print or online programs like search and social, the MomDotCom research provides a great basis for the execution and continued success of your marketing programs.

For more great insights and statistics, be sure to view the
What Every Mom Marketer Should Know research.

Sweets for My Sweet

Friday, February 12, 2010

Posted by Jenny Liu, Industry Marketing Manager, CPG

They say that people are cooking more and eating out less, a trend which may even carry over to Valentine's Day this year. So what will people be cooking up in the kitchen?

A peek at Google Insights for Search trends reveals some popular entrees, desserts and even breakfasts on the menu:

Couples are getting into the mood with fine cuts of meat like filet mignon and seafood, and experimenting with interactive recipes, like fondue. But nothing seems to beat lobster!


No Valentine's Day is complete without dessert. Chocolate cake and chocolate fondue are extremely popular, but let's not discount non-chocolate favorites like cheescake, red velvet cake and decorated V-day sugar cookies!

Perhaps because desserts take time to bake, cool and perfect, recipe searches for these dessert items started to spike several days earlier than non-dessert items.


But Valentine's Day doesn't just stop with a romantic dinner; we see evidence of couples continuing the celebration with breakfast. The most popular item on that menu is the pancake, followed by eggs and french toast. Interestingly, crepes and waffles trended neck and neck last year.

Whatever you may have on the menu, we hope it is romantically delicious!
Have a wonderful Valentine's day!