Dentsu Inc. Establishes "Mama Lab" in China to Support Corporate Marketing Activities from a Mother's Perspective ~ Chinese mothers of infants and toddlers are like "directors" aiming for perfect parenting ~

Effective July 1, Dentsu Inc. will establish "Mama Lab" in China, a team supporting corporate marketing activities from a mother's perspective.

Established at Dentsu Inc. headquarters in March 2009, Mama Lab provides corporate marketing support services from a mother's perspective, leveraging Dentsu Inc.'s unique consumer research data and methodologies. This time, planners from Dentsu Group companies based in China have been networked, enabling the utilization of Mama Lab's expertise across the local group companies.

The initiative will forecast environmental changes affecting mothers with children in elementary school or younger and their families in China, supporting marketing activities aimed at developing the next-generation family market.

Mama Lab's services span the entire spectrum of advertising communication, including consulting based on "mothers' true feelings" and family insights, development of products and brands for mothers and families, development of sales channels and media, campaign proposals and implementation, and publication of reports and books. While previously providing these services domestically mainly to companies in sectors such as "Food," "Cosmetics & Toiletries," "Home Appliances & AV Equipment," "Information & Communications," "Automobiles & Related Products," "Distribution & Retail," and "Education, Healthcare & Services," the high demand for support targeting the next-generation family market from both existing and new clients led to the decision to expand the Mama Lab network into China.

Going forward, the Dentsu Group aims to provide customized services tailored to the needs of Japanese, foreign, and local companies doing business in China, while also striving to become the market leader in research on China's next-generation family market.

In preparation for establishing Mama Lab China, a survey on childcare practices among mothers of infants and toddlers in China was conducted in March 2014 across six regions: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Chengdu, and Wuhan. Key findings from this survey are outlined below, with a particularly noteworthy result being that "Chinese mothers of infants and toddlers are becoming 'directors' who aim for perfect parenting and take charge of childcare." The survey revealed that grandparents are the primary force in the childcare setting, while mothers focus their efforts on gathering information and selecting products for their precious children.

Key Findings Revealed by This Survey

1. Grandparents are the primary force in childcare

・Over half (54.3%) of mothers with infants and toddlers (hereafter "mothers") receive help from grandparents in childcare (Chart 1). Furthermore, 72.4% of mothers consciously desire parental assistance, stating they "want to borrow their parents' strength and seek their cooperation" in raising children (Chart 2).

2. Moms enjoy childcare while aiming for perfect parenting

・Moms "feel proud of their child's growth" (85.8%), "sincerely find childcare enjoyable" (80.3%), and "think their child is irresistibly adorable" (71.3%) (Figure 3). While enjoying childcare, 82.5% of moms believe "childcare is something you absolutely cannot cut corners on" and strive for perfection in everything (Figure 4).

3. Moms act as directors in gathering information and selecting products

・Regarding information gathering and product selection, compared to before having children, mothers have become more particular about product choices: "I gather information more frequently" (81.1%) (Figure 5), "My selection criteria for various products have become stricter" (85.4%), "I've become more particular about high-quality products" (78.3%), and "I've started paying attention to a product's place of origin and materials" (81.2%) (Figure 6).

・For childcare products like diapers and formula, 53.0% of moms decide the brand and product themselves, exceeding half. While consulting with family, 36.0% decide brands and products primarily based on their own opinion (Figure 7). Even though grandparents' support is indispensable in childcare, moms often make the actual product choices. Thus, moms function as directors in childcare.

4. "Gao Da Shang" (High-End, High-Quality, High-Status) Consumption Increases After Childbirth

・"Gao Da Shang" is a Chinese internet buzzword. It stands for "high-end (advanced/luxurious), grand (impressive), and high-class (high-level)." While it refers to products offering a higher quality of life, mothers, triggered by childbirth, are purchasing items beyond childcare-related products—such as "air purifiers" (96.1%) and "washer-dryer combos" (73.7%)—to provide a better childcare environment (Figure 8).

The overview of the Mama Lab survey is as follows.
■ Survey on Childcare Practices Among Mothers of Infants and Toddlers in China ・Survey Participants: Mothers aged 20-34 with children under 3 years old
・Sample Size: 1,025
・Survey Areas: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Chengdu, Wuhan
・Survey Period: March 3 to March 18, 2014
・Survey Method: Online survey

[Reference Materials]

■Figure 1: Degree of Involvement in Childcare

Over half (54.3%) of mothers receive childcare assistance from grandparents.

*Percentages (%) are rounded to the nearest tenth, so the total may not always add up to 100%. the total may not always equal 100%. The same applies below.

 

■Chart 2: Mothers' Childcare Attitudes

72.4% of moms feel "I want to rely on my parents' help with childcare and seek their cooperation."

※Excerpt from related items in lifestyle awareness section

 

■Chart 3: Mothers' Child-Rearing Attitudes

Moms "feel proud of their child's growth" (85.8%), "sincerely believe childcare is enjoyable" (80.3%), and "think their child is irresistibly adorable" (71.3%).

*Excerpt from related items in lifestyle awareness survey ※Only scores for "Strongly Agree" and "Agree" from the 5-point scale are shown

 

■Figure 4: Mothers' Child-Rearing Attitudes

82.5% of moms believe "child-rearing is something you absolutely must not cut corners on."

※Excerpts from related lifestyle awareness items

 

■Figure 5: Changes in Information Gathering Activities

81.1% of moms report "gathering information more frequently" compared to before their child was born.

*Excerpt from related lifestyle awareness items

 

■Figure 6: Changes in Purchasing Behavior

Having a child led to: "Becoming more stringent in selecting various products" (85.4%), "Developing a preference for higher-quality products" (78.3%), and "Paying more attention to product origin and materials" (81.2%).

*Excerpt from related items in lifestyle awareness survey ※Only scores for "Strongly Agree" and "Agree" from the 5-point scale are shown

 

■Chart 7: Decision-Makers for Diapers and Milk

For childcare products like diapers and milk, 53.0% of moms decide the brand and product themselves without consulting any family member—over half. 36.0% consult family but base their decision on their own opinion.

■Figure 8: Products Purchased After Having Children

Moms purchased items like "air purifiers" (96.1%) and "washer-dryer combos" (73.7%) following childbirth.

Dentsu Inc. News Release
http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2014/0627-003755.html