Quality time with Mom top list of Mother's Day gifts: Mindshare Study

Almost 25 percent of adults would take their moms on a weekend trip for Mother’s Day, the most favored gift among a wide range of choices, according to a new Mindshare survey.

 

After the weekend trip, a spa day (18 percent), a piece of fine jewelry (18 percent), a night out with Dad (12 percent) and a new summer wardrobe (10 percent) were the top responses.

 

But the survey—in which respondents were asked to make their choices based on the assumption that cost was not a factor—also  revealed that technical gadgets like smartphones, e-readers and Internet enabled TVs were at the bottom of the list of preferred gifts for Moms.

 

“These responses solidify a theme that is continuously emerging from our research—the desire for the ‘human touch’ trumps the desire for an iTouch,” said Mark Potts, Managing Director, Mindshare North America.  “As we continuously monitor the consumer pulse, we have noted that real people—rather than anonymous reviews and reviewers—hold unique influence and sway over purchasing decisions.”

 

The study was part of Mindshare North America’s “Culture Vulture” series of reports, is the latest in a group of surveys indicating the desire for the “Human Touch” is outpacing that of the latest tech gadgets.

 

In fact, technology-oriented gifts ranked behind almost all other responses with eight percent choosing “A fully loaded new tablet or e-reader with her favorite books,” six percent picking “an Internet-enabled television with the latest technology” and only five percent selecting “the latest smartphone available.”

 

Culture Vulture is Mindshare’s cultural trends program that sets out to identify macro and micro trends that impact the marketing and communications strategies of the agency’s clients.  The need for the “Human Touch” has repeatedly materialized in surveys as a driver of, and prerequisite for, consumer purchases.

 

In a March survey, nearly three quarters of adults (74 percent) agreed with the statement that “in today’s hi-tech world it is better to spend quality time with family and friends.”  Respondents also indicated their desire for purchasing guidance from friends and sales people.  More than half of all adults (55 percent) indicated they would “prefer to talk to a customer service or sales representative when interacting with a company or brand.”  In addition, more than half (52 percent) of all female shoppers 18-29 said they consult with a shopping partner before making a purchase.

 

Potts noted, “In the seemingly endless sea of product and service reviews offered to consumers via social media and other online sources, consumers always hone back to the opinions of those they most trust.”

 

This survey was conducted online and fielded on April 26-27, among a sample of 1,052 nationally representative adults 18 years of age or older.