Polestar Communication's latest research gives an interesting insight into a vital, influential group within the traditional Housewives and Kids audience called 'Connected Mums' - an audience with the power to build or destroy brands..." This new quantitative study into the 'Mum Mafia' across England provides a departure from reductive assumptions such as 'Yummy Mummies' and 'the Mumsnet Phenomenon'. The research sheds new light for marketers on the self-identity, attitudes and network behaviours of upmarket, Connected Mums.

1. Connected Mums Research July 2010 This presentation is the intellectual property of Polestar Communications and must not be sent on or reproduced without prior consent

2. Motherhood has changed * TNS Digital Life Survey, 2009

3. A ‘Mum Mafia’ has emerged A more connected network than ever before ..A force to be reckoned with Happier to define themselves as ‘Mums’ but not ‘Housewives’ Online & offline too

4. Mums are powerful consumers 1: A.T. Kearney Research Women are responsible for 62% of decisions behind new car purchases Responsible for 90% of food purchases Responsible for 80% of healthcare spending decisions 1 ! Women are responsible for 83% of the household spending decisions

5. Modern motherhood has its own pressures Yummy Mummy phenomenon Celebrity ‘bump watch’ glamorises & fetishises pregnancy alongside ‘ticking clock’ articles Competitive Mums 78% say one-upmanship at the school gates is “ridiculous”, but they “just can’t help themselves” 1 1: Daily Telegraph, 10 June 2010 2: Joshua G2/ Marketing Week 31% claim brands appear patronising and often perpetuate the “super mummy” myth 2

8. Broadly, Connected Mums are in work and at a senior level – but the nature of work is very varied Middle management Junior management Support N/a

9. How Connected Mums view their role Celeb mums have changed how motherhood is perceived (62%) It’s far more acceptable to define yourself as ‘a mum’ (93%) than as ‘a housewife’ (19%) But motherhood is still hard graft (94%) & less respected than ‘work’ (67%)

10. How Connected Mums view themselves as a group All agree: 89% All agree: 66% All agree: 81% All agree: 90% Mums are more connected Mums are more influential Mums are more valued as consumers

11. Where Mums connect online Social Networks: 2 key players Mums Networks: More fragmented usage Around half of those using the Mums networks claim they get something different from each site

12. Networked behaviour: varying degrees of involvement

13. Mum networks are valued.. But only up to a point Mums enjoy the reassurance that comes from connecting with other Mums But they in no way replace real life connections

15. Peers can be a source of pressure as well as support and a real-life support network comes from multiple sources

16. How Connected Mums feel motherhood has changed them

21. For more information contact: Kiran Kaur: [email_address] +44 (0)207 089 6591 Megan Butler: [email_address] +44 (0)207 089 6589