The rise of the mobile mum

One in five mums confess that they are ‘addicted’ to their smartphone.

Research released today by the world’s number one pregnancy and parenting destination BabyCentre reveals that tech savvy mums are leading the trend for smartphone adoption in the UK with half of all mums now owning a smartphone – compared to 27 per cent of UK adults[i] – and 59 per cent of these mums regarding it as their ‘do-it-all’ device to help with everything from babysitting to organising family life.Apple’s iPhone emerges as the most popular brand, favoured by one in three smartphone users, closely followed by BlackBerry handsets. And when asked about the use of these devices, 46 per cent of those mums claimed to ‘love’ their smartphone and one in five confess they are ‘addicted’ to it.

BabyCentre’s Mobile Mum Report, which polled 1,200 women before and after they had a child, showed that motherhood is a trigger for smartphone adoption with over a third of respondents (36 per cent) saying they purchased a smartphone as a result of becoming a mum. For women with children, the camera and video capabilities of a phone replace text messaging and voice calling as the most important features.

Advertisers wishing to reach mums

The Mobile Mum research, part of the BabyCentre 21st Century Mum Insights Series, demonstrates the importance of mobile marketing for advertisers wishing to reach mums. Over a third (38 per cent) of the mums surveyed said they had taken action after seeing an advert on their smartphone. Of these, over half (55 per cent) said they had researched products in more detail later, 49 per cent said they had clicked on an advert to find out more and 43 per cent said they had talked to someone else about mobile advertising they’d seen.

Mike Fogarty, SVP Global Publisher of BabyCentre has urged advertisers to adapt their marketing strategy accordingly, He said:

“Our research shows that mums are leading the way when it come to smartphone adoption in the UK and respond well to mobile marketing. Half of mums now own a smartphone and mobile phone usage increases by 28% amongst mothers so in this day and age no marketing strategy designed to reach mums is complete without mobile advertising. The smartphone has become the modern mum’s virtual helping hand and constant companion.”

This willingness to adopt smartphone technology is also changing the way many mums approach parenting. Nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of smartphone applications are downloaded specifically for children and nearly half (47 per cent) of the mums surveyed let their children play with their phone to keep them occupied. And while 59 per cent of smartphone owners regard as their ‘do-it-all’ device, allowing them to plan, capture and share their family life more easily, over a quarter of the mums surveyed (28 per cent) admitted that their smartphone occasionally comes between them and their family.

Most important smartphone features