DecisionStep » moms

ShopTogether Goes Live with Mattel

decisionstep — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:41 +0000

We’re really excited today to announce that our real-time social shopping technology called ShopTogether is now live on Mattel’s new e-commerce site, www.ShopMattel.com. As a blue-chip consumer brand loved by a huge swath of consumers – moms, dads, grandparents, uncles, aunts, kids — this announcement represents high profile validation of our technology, and underscores the product’s applicability for gift-giving just in time for the holidays. You can imagine a situation where an uncle in LA wants to get his nephew in Pittsburgh a new Hot Wheels® toy, but has no idea what his nephew likes. With ShopTogether, he can go online with his sister and pick out the perfect one. Here is a video to showcase:

ShopTogether also lets visitors to ShopMattel.com view the most popular items on their site in real time. The hottest items appear in a dynamic display with products moving in and out as the crowd’s favorites change. It serves as a great merchandising tool for Mattel, and a fun way of getting new gift ideas for the consumer. You can view the application on Mattel’s site here.

Also, check out this article about the announcement from Reuters. Stay tuned to our blog for more news.

Moms and Real-Time Social Shopping

decisionstep — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:43:58 +0000

The importance of moms in the purchase process is paramount. While juggling child-rearing responsibilities with careers, hobbies and interpersonal relationships, many moms also are the decision-makers on everything from their children’s school clothes to the home electronics. In addition to these roles, many moms have become the household trailblazers in the technology arena. Mommy bloggers are just one example.

Now, it appears moms are becoming leaders in social networking as well. A recent study from RAMA (Retail Advertising and Marketing Association) and BIGResearch shows two important findings as they relate to moms and social shopping: 1) Moms are more likely (than the general adult population) to use social networking sites like Twitter, MySpace and Facebook and 2) Almost all mothers (93.6 percent) seek advice from others when making a final decision, and even more (97.2 percent) provide advice to others on products and services.

These two findings are strong evidence to support a social shopping strategy for online businesses that target moms. Sites that make getting advice quicker and easier, while leveraging the major social networks, are sure to win over even the most difficult-to-please moms.