While seeking out healthier meal options for their family, a new survey, conducted by Fleishman-Hillard and TheMotherhood.com, shows that moms are placing a higher priority on the opinions of bloggers and peers than that of experts like doctors and dietitians.
"Moms are turning to their peers online and off for information about food — from general to more specific information about genetically modified organisms, pesticides and other food safety topics," said Kristie Sigler, SVP at Fleishman-Hillard, in a statement.
The study, Cart to Kitchen 2013: Slicing Into Moms' Food Decisions, also found that only one-fourth of moms don't use any media technology, whether internet related or TV programs, in the kitchen while cooking. Of the three-fourths of moms who use such media while cooking, AllRecipes.com (25 percent), Pinterest (19 percent) and FoodNetwork.com (15 percent) ranked highest. Moms also rely upon food-based TV programs and the online counterparts of food magazines.
"We found it interesting that more than three-quarters of moms are watching food programs on TV and reading food media websites, and nearly three-quarters have signed up for food brand emails, considering these are not all 'foodie' moms, but everyday meal-preparing moms," said Cooper Munroe, co-founder of TheMotherhood.com.
Other findings from the survey of more than 1,000 moms:
- The list of desired 2013 food-purchase changes starts with a drive to buy healthier food. More than half started that behavior in 2012 by reducing purchases of snacks, sugar, processed foods, soda and carbohydrates. Forty-nine percent want to buy less processed food in 2013, particularly moms younger than 30;
- Half of moms are reading more food labels now than they have before. Goals in reading labels include consuming less high fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial dyes and gluten;
- Forty-one percent are looking to be more organized in how they shop, 67 percent want to improve weekly meal planning, 51 percent want to make meals ahead and freeze them, and 33 percent are seeking fewer grocery store trips.
"We know that, overwhelmingly, moms don't think major brands are relating to them and their unique needs," said Liz Hawks, founding co-chair of Fleishman-Hillard's marketing-to-moms team. "Brands can bridge the gap by starting with facts, moving to insights and ending with ideas that will drive moms' food purchases, even in the face of so much change."