Antonio day gift mother san

Lifestyle Editors

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2003

Men Most Likely to Procrastinate on Making Plans for Mom's Special

Day; Younger Adults More Likely to Rely on Internet for Last Minute

Gift Buying, But Still Pick Up the Phone to Talk to Mom

With more than 75 million mothers in the U.S., it's no wonder Mother's Day is the third most popular holiday in the world, next to Christmas and Easter. But don't expect planning for Mother's Day to get as much focus as other popular holidays. A new national survey shows most Americans wait until the week of Mother's Day to figure out what to do, with many turning to the Internet to help quickly find the right gift.

The survey, conducted on behalf of SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC), reveals that half of respondents put off planning that special gift for their moms until the last week before Mother's Day. And nearly one in five Americans waits until less than two days before Mother's Day to figure out how they will show their appreciation.

When it comes to advance planning, the survey shows that women are far more likely then men to plan ahead for Mother's Day. Fewer than 40 percent of men (38 percent) make plans to do something for their mother a week or more before Mother's Day, while almost half of women (48 percent) said they usually plan a week or more in advance.

If they are down to the last few days before Mother's Day, both sons and daughters who have access to the Internet are extremely likely to go online for help with gift buying, according to the survey.

In fact, those who wait until the last minute are likely to use the Internet for the following:

-- 40 percent would order and send flowers

-- 38 percent would buy a gift or gift certificate online

-- 32 percent would send a photo, video, or e-greeting

-- 23 percent would make reservations for dinner, a movie or

other activities

Americans who live in different cities then their mothers rely on the Internet more for last minute planning. When they are down to the last few days before Mother's Day, 49 percent of respondents who live in a different town then their moms said they would go online to order and send flowers, compared to approximately one in three respondents (29 percent) who procrastinate but live in the same town. Even when they live in the same town more than one in three (35 percent) said they would turn to the Internet for help buying a gift or gift certificate.

"Americans are making the Internet an essential part of their lives, depending on its ease, convenience and speed to handle important tasks like planning for Mother's Day, even if it's at the last minute," said Deven Nongbri, SBC associate director of Internet marketing. "In fact, one of the benefits of high-speed Internet access is that you don't have to rush at the very last moment to get things done. It's as simple as a click of the mouse to order gifts or flowers, or send a personalized e-greeting."

The poll also looked at how Americans keep in touch with their moms throughout the year. Nearly 84 percent of participants prefer to hear mom's voice, and choose the telephone as their most frequent method for keeping in touch. E-mail is more popular than regular mail, though, with 15 percent choosing the Internet to chat with mom versus 12 percent who send letters. Young adults ages 18-24 are far more likely then older Americans aged 45 and older to frequently use the Internet for staying in touch, 21 percent versus 5 percent.

The survey was conducted from April 25-27, 2003 among a national random sample of 616 respondents 18 years of age and older whose mothers are still living. The sampling error associated with a random sample of 616 respondents is plus or minus four percentage points.

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is one of the world's leading data, voice and Internet services providers. Through its world-class networks, SBC companies provide a full range of voice, data, networking and e-business services, as well as directory advertising and publishing. A Fortune 30 company, America's leading provider of high- speed DSL Internet Access services, and one of the nation's leading Internet Service Providers, SBC companies currently serve 57 million access lines nationwide. In addition, SBC companies own 60 percent of America's second-largest wireless company, Cingular Wireless, which serves 22 million wireless customers. Internationally, SBC companies have telecommunications investments in 27 countries.