TOKYO: New research from McCann Erickson Japan shows that the nation's mothers are heavy users of social media - but are unlikely to share personal information on the networks.
According to the agency's latest Real Mothers survey, social networking usage stands at 76% among mothers compared to 71% of all Japanese adults.
But such sites are seen primarily as information resources. Only 38% of respondents who use social networks actively post information on them.
The most popular sites include Benesse Women's Park, Kakaku.com and @Cosme, which provide word-of-mouth and Q&A information are used by some 60% of the mothers surveyed.
"When social media usage among mothers of different countries were compared, it was revealed that Japanese mothers were distinct for being less active in terms of transmitting information, which stood in contrast to their high usage of the media," the report added.
"The highest usage, as both receivers and transmitters of information, were seen among Chinese mothers."
Elsewhere, McCann Erickson found the typical mother with children aged under 12 years old cites brand loyalty above price as their primary shopping motivator.
The report also shows that Japanese mothers like having products and services recommended, using different sources dependent on the product category.
For confectionery, information from TV and in-store was considered most useful, while for cosmetics, online and email sources were most often used.
Twitter usage among Japanese mothers is also low at 10%, compared to an overall Japanese adult average of 18%.
According to the agency's latest Real Mothers survey, social networking usage stands at 76% among mothers compared to 71% of all Japanese adults.
But such sites are seen primarily as information resources. Only 38% of respondents who use social networks actively post information on them.
The most popular sites include Benesse Women's Park, Kakaku.com and @Cosme, which provide word-of-mouth and Q&A information are used by some 60% of the mothers surveyed.
"When social media usage among mothers of different countries were compared, it was revealed that Japanese mothers were distinct for being less active in terms of transmitting information, which stood in contrast to their high usage of the media," the report added.
"The highest usage, as both receivers and transmitters of information, were seen among Chinese mothers."
Elsewhere, McCann Erickson found the typical mother with children aged under 12 years old cites brand loyalty above price as their primary shopping motivator.
The report also shows that Japanese mothers like having products and services recommended, using different sources dependent on the product category.
For confectionery, information from TV and in-store was considered most useful, while for cosmetics, online and email sources were most often used.
Twitter usage among Japanese mothers is also low at 10%, compared to an overall Japanese adult average of 18%.
Data sourced from McCann World Group; additional content by Warc staff
