The Intelligence Group's trend analyst explores the growing influence of Generation X and Y moms and offers some key market insight for putting your brand on their shopping lists.

With so many entertainment brands and marketers going after the Gen X and Gen Y demo, it's surprising how many of them overlook the segment of  Xers and Ys who have entered (or who are entering) parenthood. I'm not a parent myself, but over the past several months I've learned a great deal about what it's like to be one in today's world. In preparation for our forthcoming Mom Intelligence Report, My colleagues and I have been talking to modern moms across the country (via focus groups, one-on-one interviews, on-line panels and surveys) to better understand their attitudes, behaviors and the overall themes and trends affecting them.

Moms, empowered interested and united
This year alone, X & Y moms will spend an estimated 1.7 trillion dollars on consumer and personal care products, according to the Marketing X Factor. What's more, if they like an experience that a brand or service provides, moms are more likely than non-moms to spread the word, and therefore serve as built-in brand ambassadors. Now more than ever, brands have an opportunity to fill this niche and to become a trusted authority and welcome service provider. Here are some tips and statistics to get you up to speed on the business of momdom:

According to our research, the internet ranked as the highest technology product moms would not want to live without. In large, moms are turning to the web for advice and education. We live in a crowded marketplace, and savvy moms rely on word-of-mouth (friends), well respected mommy blogs and websites for much of their decision making information.

• Plugged in moms are looking to technology to make their lives better and more exciting. Because they can do so much online (shop, bank, research child-rearing practices, keep in touch with friends and families, et cetera) they look for services and brands that will enhance the experience and make their offline lives richer and easier. This means marketers should look for opportunities to deliver their family-friendly entertainment messages through sites that cater to the mom's convenience.
• Moms are also looking for online communities to forge relationships and trade tips with other moms. As such, savvy marketers should identify some of the more popular online mommy destinations and focus on fostering community through promotions, events and online initiatives that serve as forums for moms to connect for advice and support. Popular online forums for moms include Mommy Trackd, MomsRising and CafeMom.  

Parental guidance
Since having children, most of the mothers we spoke have less time for scheduled entertainment, such as traditional TV programming and movies, then they did pre-child. However, because they have control over it, their internet usage has increased or stayed the same. The internet is a place where moms can go, on their own time, to find the entertainment companionship and the answers they want, when they want it. As such, brands will need think smarter and work harder to engage this audience, both on and offline.

This doesn't mean that they don't want to be entertained; it just means that they have less time to be. In order to capture this preoccupied audience, marketers should make more reviews, previews and viewing options available over the internet, whether it means simultaneously releasing family-friendly movies both off and online (for download), providing more multi-platform content (so that moms can consume it on the go) or forging strategic relationships with kid's membership clubs (such as Citibabes and Kidville) and/or family friendly heath clubs (such as Boca Raton's Fit For Mom and Seattle's Urban Monkeys) to provide entertainment content at their facilities.

Moms control the purse strings
Most moms feel that they are the CFO of their household spending, with 80 percent of them making the major household purchasing decisions.

• Since entertainment and activity choices are included in the major household decision category, smart marketers should consider comfort components and incentives for moms to pick their product or service over another. Enabling mothers to bring their babies and small children into the movie theater without worrying about disturbing the peace wins big points with families. Screening programs like Sunshine Cinema's Rattle and Reel series provide practical and comfortable matted viewing areas (complete with toys), and provide marketers with the perfect platforms to offer sample products and services. There are also a variety of wildly popular child-friendly music festivals for marketers to get involved with, such as Kidsapalooza and Baby Loves Disco. 

Modern moms possess a wealth of perspective and knowledge concerning today's entertainment marketplace. The insights above are just the tip of the iceberg, but the good news is that moms have a lot to say and want to be heard. Wise marketers should listen up.

For more information on the Mom Intelligence Report and other IG services, check out our website; and for a more consistent dose of IG insights, you can subscribe to our free daily e-letter.

Rebecca Mc Quigg is a trends and lifestyle executive at The Intelligence Group, a trend forecasting, market research and consulting firm under the Creative Artists Agency umbrella. Read full bio.