Giving in a digital world

Understanding how the specific consumer groups that make-up your target audiences are adopting and using digital channels is fundamental to developing successful programmes to engage with them online. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a chunky consumer research budget you may well feel that you have no way of gaining the type of detailed insights you need to support your planning.

However, if you keep a look-out then chances are you’ll find that every so often some great reports are made available completely free of charge that can give you just the type of information you need.

Admittedly, as a long-time consumer planner with a specific interest in digital marketing who heads-up a team of strategy and consumer insight specialists, I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to monitoring how different segments of the consumer market use technology – and over the years I’ve learned where to look for specific things. But it really doesn’t take that much effort to do some careful Google searches and keep your eyes open for news of reports being released – and the insight you can get as a result could really help your online planning

Case in point, just last month digital agency Razorfish and Social Network CafeMom made available a great report entitled ‘Digital Mom’, packed with information about how mothers are using the internet.

Based on a survey of 1,500 ‘digital moms’ (or mums, depending where you are), defined as women with at least one child aged under 18 in the home who are active online, the report provides a wide range of information into how they use the internet and how this usage changes as their children grow up, as well as specific profiles of their online social network use.

If mums are your target audience (or even moms), well worth a read – and a handy reminder of the quality of free consumer insight reports that can be found online if you keep your browser eyes open.