Reviews and other online information wield considerable influence over American mothers when they’re shopping for consumer electronics like laptops and digital cameras, a new study shows.
Sixty-four percent of moms have read online information posted about consumer electronics products and retailers, according to the study, released by the Consumer Electronics Association. Among those moms, nearly two in three bought an electronic device as a result, and about half recommended friends or family make a purchase. By comparison, 43 percent of all online adults have recommended that someone they know buy a consumer electronics product after reading about it online.
“As the main purchase decision-makers in the home, women with children represent a crucial demographic for marketers,” said Ben Arnold, senior research analyst at the Consumer Electronics Association. “To make more informed decisions, many moms turn to social media sites, including blogs, message boards and product fan pages, to research products and get firsthand product reviews and recommendations.”
Online conversations also can steer moms away from tech products. Fifty-one percent of moms who’ve read information about tech products online have decided against a purchase based on that information, according to the study. Nearly four in 10 moms recommended others not buy a tech product based on what they learned online.
U.S. moms spend an average of $822 on consumer electronics each year and account for more than half of their household’s total tech spending, the Consumer Electronics Association said.
“Online moms are a particularly important consumer segment, as they are both active on social media sites, and possess substantial buying power and influence,” Arnold said. “As social media continues to evolve, it is essential for companies to embrace brand evangelists to further extend the reach of their marketing initiatives.”
Other finding of the study:
• Half of moms who post information online about consumer electronics are early adopters of technology, and one in three has a household income of at least $75,000.
• One in three moms has posted reviews, opinions or experiences about electronics products and retailers in the past 12 months, compared with one in four women online.
Findings of the Consumer Electronics Association study mirror results of a recent survey conducted for Child’s Play Communications by The NPD Group Inc. The survey found that 79 percent of mothers in the United States with children under age 18 are active in social media, and that purchasing decisions by nearly one-fourth of “social media moms” are affected by social networking sites or blogs.