Focus on the message

About.com conducted a Consumer Product Goods (CPG) study in March to see how people are shopping for CPG products, specifically grocery products, household products, personal care products and pet products, what attributes they look for, and which advertisements they find most compelling.

In grocery products, 92 percent of respondents indicated that healthy ingredients matter most this year, compared to 2009. However, price still shows the largest increase in importance with 73 percent (up from 58 percent last year). Additionally, when it comes to buying groceries, price and brand matter more to moms. Nearly 50 percent participants who are moms said they would purchase in bulk in order to get the quality products they want at the price they can afford. Moms are more likely to purchase groceries in bulk when items go on sale and purchase frozen, pre-pared meals for convenience. Women without kids are more likely to purchase organic/natural products. In addition, moms are more receptive to grocery advertisements with coupons and printable recipes/shopping lists; while women without kids are more receptive to ads with product information and free samples, indicating that they haven't developed as strong of a brand preference.

Key takeaways include: There are significant differences in purchase behavior among moms vs. women: Price and brand matter more to moms for grocery purchases, they are more focused on saving time and money, are more likely to purchase groceries in bulk when items go on sale and purchase frozen, pre-pared meals for convenience. Women without kids are more likely to purchase organic/natural products. Healthy ingredients and taste are the strongest factors in grocery purchase decision, but price has seen the greatest increase in importance from last year. Nearly one-third of respondents plan to purchase more generics this year. Organics and fresh ingredients are more important purchase decision factors, reflecting consumers' focus on health and taste. Another finding is that nearly half of consumers will purchase in bulk to get the quality products they want at the price they can afford.

Moms are more receptive to grocery ads with coupons and printable recipes/shopping lists, while women without kids are more receptive to ads with product information and free samples, indicating that they haven't developed as strong of a brand preference. And when it comes to groceries this year, consumers plan on spending more time looking for ads that offer coupons. Since price is a big factor in this category, consumers are willing to buy more generic as long as it tastes good and is healthy; as a result brand preference can suffer. Consumers are more aware of high quality generics and store brands. Therefore, advertisers need to build brand loyalty by conveying the superior quality of their products while at the same time offering consumers a way to save money. Some 30 percent of respondents look for ads with products on sale or with coupons. The most popular grocery ads are those with printable coupons or product information (i.e. ingredients). Women without children are more likely to respond to ads that offer samples of products or product information, while Moms are more likely to respond to ads that offer printable coupons or recipes/tips.