Diner Demographics: Mother Lode

‘Ask Mom’ is an increasingly popular fast-food chain marketing strategy as chain restaurants turn to mothers for marketing data.

By Scott Hume, Executive Managing Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 7/15/2007

Mothers never have been unimportant customers for restaurants, but lately, communicating with them has been more important—especially to quick-service chains—than ever. Several chains have programs intended to discover what it is moms want to know as well as to eat.

Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s in May 2006 launched its Global Moms Panel, mothers from a variety of countries and backgrounds who serve as a continuing focus group for the chain. Last month, McDonald’s formed the Moms’ Quality Correspondents, six U.S. women who will be given behind-the-scenes access to information about McDonald’s, its food and its processes. The correspondents blog their discoveries at www.McDonaldsmom.com.

KFC has its own group of women—the Moms Matter! Advisory Board—who meet and hold conference calls to help the Louisville, Ky.-based chain understand family-meal planning and mothers’ nutrition-information needs. Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s last year surveyed 500 mothers about their nutrition concerns and challenges. As a result, it partnered with the American Dietetic Association (ADA) to create a Web site—www.Mom-RD.com—that provides moms’ questions with nutrition information and answers from ADA-certified nutritionists.

Tough Times

The amount of often-conflicting information on many issues— not just food—makes it a particularly stressful time to be a parent. Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Yankelovich’s MONITOR research finds that 13% of mothers with children age 18 or younger strongly agree and 53% agree with the statement, "Lately, I find I’m looking for ways of getting control over my life."

Nearly three-quarters agree or strongly agree that they wish there were more healthful snack choices for their children. But when it comes to what moms themselves eat, 45% say they eat what they like without regard to nutritional value, while 47% say they try to eat "what’s good for me even if I have to sacrifice a little taste."

However, chains also should know that mothers are fairly cynical about marketing. Yankelovich finds that 59% of moms agree or strongly agree that "businesses care more about selling me products and services that already exist rather than coming up with something that really fits my lifestyle."