Some call it the happiest place on earth; I call it the richest data mine on Earth, particularly when it comes to marketing to moms. I am poolside at Walt Disney World where there is more validation of mom trends, insights and research than one could find in a week of focus groups. Yes, it’s Saturday afternoon and some might say that I should take the day off but when I'm at Disney, I'm the happiest person on Earth for reasons beyond the thrill of Space Mountain or the excitement of meeting Buzz Lightyear. I am immersed in the greatest cross section of moms in the world and there's no shortage of things to learn. Maybe this is why my kids hate to wait in lines with me at Disney- I strategically position myself so we are sandwiched between moms in line. This way, if I can't get one engaged in a conversation, I can turn behind me and hopefully engage another. The questions are endless and I've been known to get an entire personal history along with buying behaviors, ages of children and online engagement habits in the time it takes to get on Peter Pan. The longer the line the better! No FASTPASS for this hardy researcher!

Today I've already observed a dozen things. First and foremost, I realized sitting here that I definitely do not fit into any mainstream mom segment. It didn't take long to realize that I was the only mom joyfully reading Brandweek, DM News and an old article on Brand Influencers. I can honestly say I'm a one-of-a-kind mom. After all I'm the only mom on Earth who takes such joy in writing about Mom Marketing. I only point out my self observation because it a confirmation to my loyal readers that I WILL NEVER base my mom insights on my own behaviors.

My next observation- 60 percent of moms want healthy food choices for their children according to the BSM Media Obesity Report. They may answer such on a poll but by the number of ice cream sundaes and buckets of French fries passing my chair, they aren't buying them. Disney actually does an amazing job offering healthy fare, and it’s in fact a company wide initiative, but apparently even Mickey can't talk a kid into the carrots and celery.

My next observation-Friendly competition is alive and well among moms. I've heard no fewer that 6 conversations on doing Disney right and "little known secrets" that only the lucky mom disclosing them knows. By the way, two out of six moms dished out inaccurate information in an attempt to look more knowledgeable than the others about shuffling kids through the park. Finally, word of mouth is by far the most effective means of marketing to moms. Today the Maria Bailey question of the day was, "how did you plan your trip to Disney?". Overwhelmingly, they garnered their recommendations and tips from another mom. It might have been a classmate’s mom, The Disney Moms Panel or a blog post but it still was another mom.

My legs are turning red and my sunscreen needs to be reapplied and my daughters are approaching my chair. It’s time for me to put away the Blackberry, grab my towel and get back to being a mom.

Excerpt from Maria Bailey's upcoming new book, "Mom 3.0"

In over a decade of formally studying moms, I have never seen as much of a frenzy surrounding one type of marketing initiative as I’ve seen with mom bloggers. In the recent history of marketing to moms there have been certain initiatives that gather attention of media, marketers and the consumer. Few will forget the popularity of affiliate marketing in the hay day of the Internet. It was a popular way for companies to form an alliance with mom webmasters that included a revenue stream for the mom and access to the mom’s peers. Freebie offers and online coupons soon followed giving moms access to special discounts they could electronically share with their friends. Chat rooms and message boards created forums for dialogues between, moms, brands and experts. Technology evolved and then podcasting became a popular way to connect with moms. Attention turned to consumer generated content as word of mouth marketing formalized itself into a national association and Time put YOU on the cover in 2006 as Person of the Year. Through all these stages of marketing to moms the media has never focused so much on the involvement and engagement of companies and moms as it has on Mommy Bloggers. Companies have never scrambled so quickly to understand mom bloggers. I’ve watched media buyers, public relations and advertising managers blindly spend unallocated budgets on mommy blogger programs with little regard for reach, impressions or other measurements. Adding to the rush to play are the accidental business women formerly known as mom bloggers. Mothers who simply started a blog to chronicle their journey as a mother or to find like-minded women with children are suddenly receiving hundreds of product samples, special event invitations and free merchandise in their in-boxes. In fact, the present activity in the mom blogosphere makes this chapter the most exciting to write yet the most difficult. My fear is that the mom blogosphere is changing and evolving so quickly that what I write today will not be relevant six months or a year from now. However I remind myself that there is a great of knowledge in understanding the evolution of a media as well as knowing how to execute successful campaigns with it. As I write this book, blogging is the most explosive marketing initiative in the marketplace today; however I feel it is only halfway to maturity. I believe the progression of mom blogging as it approaches maturity will affect not only how marketers of the future will deliver their messages but also what consumers expect from companies when they deliver that message to their peers. The days of free word of mouth marketing might be coming to an end. Only time will tell.

Mom Marketing Clearinghouse: Opportunities and Partnerships

BSM Media is immersed in the Mom Market- globally and locally. Along the way, we find unique and creative opportunities for companies to reach moms. We bring you this Mom Marketing Clearinghouse as a service to make reaching moms easier and more cost effective. For information on these initatives, feel free to contact the group directly or email Amy Shiman at AShiman@bsmmedia.com

M OM FUNDRAISER EVENT
Moms Group hosting fundraiser for breast cancer research looking for corporate sponsors and donations of raffle prizes. Varying levels of sponsor packages available as well as sampling opportunity. Event will draw between 300-500 moms in NY/NJ area. Act fast as event is in early May. Contact Amy Platt at amy@liparentsource.com for more details.

CHRISTIAN-HOMESCHOOLING MOMS
Major Christian-oriented brand looking for cross promotion partner for product launch in June. For more information, contact Holly Edger at Hedger@bsmmedia.com

ONLINE VIDEO DESTINATION FOR MOMS
Newbaby.com: Throughout the month of May, NewBaby.com will be featuring products in our giveaway promotion and sweepstakes. For the opportunity to showcase your product and receive promotional space on Newbaby.com, contact Natalie at NZupo@bsmmedia.com.

EDUCATION MINDED MOMS
Yahoo Group with 2,000+ members willing to post product reviews and appropriate website links. To be considered, companies/websites must offer educational content or tools free of charge. For more information, contact Lori Seaborg at loriseaborg@gmail.com.

MOM BLOGGERS
Mom Bloggers: Mom bloggers seeking sponsorships to attend BlogHer Conference July 2008. This is your opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with mom bloggers. Sponsorships vary from $500 to $2000. On site promotion and inclusion in future blogs. For more information contact Natalie at NZupo@bsmmedia.com

LONG ISLAND MOMS
Long Island company looking for products, coupons, magazines and samples to be included in 10,000+ goodie bags distributed in OB/GYN offices. For more information, contact Amy Platt at amy@liparentsource.com.