• by Lolita Carrico , March 9, 2012

Apple announced its newest iPad yesterday, an improved tablet that boasts a slew of enhanced features. Among the heaviest tablet users, moms are already planning to hand down their original iPad or iPad2 to the kids and upgrade to the new model for themselves on March 16. In an online survey we conducted of 1,500 moms, 47% said they'd be in line to pick up the newest tablet for $499 despite tough financial times.

Some other findings from our survey:

Tablet as her primary screen: like her smartphone, the tablet is emerging as mom's most-used device. She can check email, catch up on news, blog, check-in on social networks, shop, take and edit photos and videos and get almost everything accomplished on her tablet. Thirty-one percent of moms with tablets said they now use their PC fewer than two hours per week, yet log more than 10 hours per week on their tablets.

Multiple-tablet household: mom doesn't want to share her tablet with the kids! Rather than selling or trading in her older model, moms prefer to hand down to the kids so there's no more fighting for tablet-time.

Shop, shop, shop! A whopping 97% of the moms we surveyed said they have made a purchase using their tablet in the last month. Moms love custom shopping apps, with Gilt and Zappos ranking as their favorites.

For marketers, moms on tablets present a huge opportunity. Through a variety of channels – custom apps, social networks, media and more, marketers can see measurable results. A recent eMarketer study found that purchase intent was 59% higher after consumers viewed an interactive ad on a tablet vs. the same print ad in a magazine.

Tips for engaging moms on her tablet:

• Create a useful, custom app: More than 64% of moms surveyed had more than 20 apps on their tablets which they used regularly for shopping, organization / productivity, gaming and cooking. There’s no such thing as too many apps for mom -- she’s willing to download those that have great features and make her life easier. Free apps are preferred, but she’s willing to spend up to $3 for some types such as cooking and gaming apps or educational options for the kids.
• Create engaging, interactive ads: Leverage the interactivity and high-quality screens on tablets to make your offers stand out. The eMarketer study found that interactive ads and offers with video, additional product information, photo galleries and 360-degree views of products boosted engagement and purchase intent. Get creative!