Online Video Getting There, Finally

Let's face it, the postage stamp sized, grainy video that passed for "rich media" in the past left much to desired. However the technology is finally catching up with the market. Online video is becoming more prevalent and represents a great opportunity for marketers. Business 2.0 had a great article on this very issue. Check it out here.

Balancing Act

Working moms continue to have a tough time trying to juggle work and family. According to ClubMom's® 2 nd Annual Voice of Mom Poll, sixty-six percent of these moms find this balancing act to be difficult. The poll also reveals that working moms feel guiltier about missed time with family than missed time away from work. Only nine percent complain of missed job opportunities or promotions because of obligations at home and only six percent are jealous of the careers of their childless friends. Of all moms, working and stay-at-home, only eight percent would work full time if money were no object. Working moms think they are doing a better job as an employee than as a mom. Sixty percent give themselves and “A” on their job as an employee and only forty-five percent say their job as a mom deserves an “A.” Despite the difficulties they face, most working moms feel their kids aren't paying the price. Fifty-seven percent of working moms say that children of working moms do just as well as children of stay-at-home moms.

WonderGroup's Perspective
Working moms have a tough gig. It's natural for them to feel stressed out and have a sense of guilt. It's nice to see that they are placing greater importance on family time than their jobs. Finding more family time will always be a priority for working moms, and no matter how much more time they do find, it will never be enough. The prevalence of flex time, telecommuting and on-site daycares will continue to grow as employers seek to keep talented working moms in the workforce. There is also a definite opportunity for success for companies that can offer products and services that simplify the duties of working moms and give them more time to spend with their families.

Coffee Talk

According to Connecticut Post , coffee shops grew 11% nationwide last year. Teens looking for a jolt of caffeine and a place to socialize are fueling a surprisingly big part of this growth. Lattés, cappuccinos and mochas are being downed by customers that are younger than ever. Plus, for those who haven't yet acquired a taste for coffee drinks, many coffee shops offer a caffeine fix in the form of energy drinks like Red Bull®, Monster® and Full Throttle®. There's no doubt, many teens really like the taste of these drinks, and many use the caffeine to help them stay awake and study or to get a kind of legal buzz, but the big draw is the atmosphere. Old-school, dingy coffee shops have been replaced by chic coffeehouses with funky furniture and hip music, for a comfortable, welcoming place where teens can hang out and socialize.

WonderGroup's Perspective

There are so many flavors of coffee drinks, including ones that taste like anything but coffee, so it's no wonder teens have taken a liking to them. Add into the mix an ever-increasing disposable income to spend on these often high-priced drinks, and you've got a nice combination for any coffee shop operator with a good location and the ability to construct an atmosphere with the right vibe. Teens are too young to get into bars, so coffeehouses give them a place away from mom and dad's house to hang out, socialize and meet people. Here they substitute coffee and caffeine for alcohol, but much like bars for twenty-somethings, it's the social atmosphere that drives the popularity. Building an atmosphere where teens feel comfortable and welcome to stay and hang out for a while has translated into nice sales for coffeehouses. This is something other establishments, like restaurants and videogame, music and electronic stores, can learn from coffeehouses.

Teens Conquer New Language

Leetspeek is like all other forms of Internet slang – users rarely obey rules of grammar and mistakes often go uncorrected. However, according to Microsoft®, there are several distinct characteristics that set leetspeek apart. For instance, numbers are often used as letters, non-numeric characters can replace letters they resemble and letters can be substituted for other letters that sound alike. With leetspeek, non-alphanumeric characters can also be used to form letters, and teens often use the suffix “0rz” with words for emphasis or to make them plural.

WonderGroup® takes pride in being the youth and family expert. This means putting a lot of effort into keeping on top of the latest ways kids, tweens and teens communicate. We know that if we are going to help our clients effectively communicate with these different age groups, we must first understand how they communicate with each other.