Mom Marketing at 35,000 Feet

It's my guess that many passengers flying for 11 hours become engaged in a state of reflection and I am no different. I am only a little half way into a long flight from Istanbul to the Big Apple, USA. Everyone around me is sleeping and it's dark but I'm determined to make my unwired time productive so my thoughts wander.

I think about the mysterious county I've just left, the Marketing to Mom Conference in Turkey, and the interesting dialogue that occurred between marketers and Muslim mothers, several of whom were bloggers. You might be surprised to learn they circled back to the same conservations we have shared on this very blog over the past couple of years. In fact, I am quietly chuckling here in seat 4A as I recall finishing the sentence of my Turkish interpreter as she translated the discussion between Elif Dogan, a popular mom blogger, and marketers in the audience.

"How do your readers know if you are sincere in recommending a product you've received for free from a company?" one brand manager asked. Another quickly follows with, "What if I send you a product and you don't like it, will you write a bad review?" And without hesitation, Elif gives the same answers that social media moms in the U.S. have given marketers for years. You see, engaging mom bloggers is new and many companies are unsure on how to work with these influential mothers to promote their products. Sound familiar?

In fact, engaging moms in most types of marketing is new and may provide an explanation as to why this conference would fly an American mom marketer halfway around the world to talk about marketing. The attendees weren't there to hear how connecting with the 20 million Turkish mothers could boost their bottom line. They were eager to hear the lessons learned by American brands.

Two dozen brands from Frito Lay to Mercedes Benz were interested in learning from our hindsights in engaging moms. They wanted to know the successes, best-in-class marketing programs and, most importantly, the mistakes made by U.S. companies.

So here at 35,000 feet, I reflect on the lessons the industry has learned in the decade since Marketing to Moms was published. At a time when marketers are looking for what's next and beyond blogging, it's probably a good time to review some of the lessons I presented in Turkey. After all, they are still valuable in the land where they originated.

Engage the right mom for your brand.

Call them mom bloggers. Call them Social Media Moms. Call them what you want but get to know them before you engage with them. Read their tweets. Follow them on Facebook and read their blogs for more than one day. It's important to work with moms who share your brand values and have common interests.

Develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

Moms want more than a generic email and press release that starts off, "I thought your audience would enjoy this information." Moms want a relationship with you. They want you to think of building their brand as well as your own. And if you don't know how to do this, just ask her. I'm sure she has several ideas on how a mutually beneficial relationship partnership can work for her and you as well.

The sphere of influence of a mother extends beyond her life stage and city limits.

Want to launch a product for newly pregnant moms? Go to new moms. Trying to build a toddler brand? Engage with moms of preschoolers. The influence of experienced moms descends to less experience moms just as much as it does laterally between moms in the same peer group. It also expands beyond geographical borders. A mom in California can be just as influential in the day care decisions of a mom in Florida as a mom in her own city as Facebook and other social media platforms create a virtual playground for moms.

Moms do more than just read blogs.

They listen to podcasts and watch videos online. They share photos and hold mixers in their homes and local communities. She's trading coupons, shopping private sales and producing online webisodes. This is where the future lies for companies looking for creative marketing programs. It's in engaging with her wherever she is and whatever she is doing.

There are probably a few lessons you would add to my list and I encourage you to leave them as a comment. Learning from each other is very valuable. In my present, reflective mental state, I'm reminded of the Dalai Lama who says, "Don't lose the lesson," and somehow I think his philosophy applies to marketing, too.

There's still another five hours of flight ahead and I'm tired. I think I'll join my fellow passengers and shut my eyes. Perhaps I'll dream of the next big thing in Mom Marketing and share it with you next month.

The Real Moms of Influence

On the long plane ride to Hong Kong last month, I pushed the SEND button and off it went my sixth book on the Mom Market. Now, before you think this is going to be a pre-published sales pitch, it's not. In fact, I am not even going to mention the title. However, I would like to share with you the main message of the book and build on its theme in this blog post.

If you've heard me speak lately or have followed my Engage:Mom posts, the message won't come as a surprise as I've been preaching it for months to both brands and bloggers. It's simple" Mom influencers, the ones who share product recommendations with other moms, persuade their peers to buy a particular brand or share samples of your products with other mothers, can be found outside of Mommy Bloggers.

There are so many incredibly influential mothers out there in the mom community who have never written, read or commented on a blog yet are engaging with large groups of mothers and talking about your products. Additionally, there are moms who blog that are doing so much more than receiving your free products and posting about it.

Marketers, public relations agencies and brands have enjoyed a time of being able to obtain quick hits of word of mom buzz online but the effectiveness of this strategy is being questioned by both brands and mothers. It's time to get creative with your marketing, reach beyond blogger reviews and develop a multi-platform marketing plan using mom influencers of all varieties.

And just to be transparent, I preach this same message to my friends who are mom bloggers. They, too, need to expand their reach to stay relevant to markers. It's time to identify the best Power Moms for your brand and allow them to deliver your product message while they are engaging with moms along their journey.

Before you head over to Google and search Mom Influencers, let me introduce you to a few mothers I consider Power Mom Mavens.

Trisha Novotry, known online as 24/7 Mom. Yes, she has a blog but ask most of her thousands of followers and they will tell you it's her live webcast that keeps them connected. You will find her at the Mom Congress each year interacting with moms, educators and legislators. She influences moms in her community as a former board member of MOPS and now as an active member in her church and children's school.

Andrea Deckard, known online as the founder of www.Savingslifestyle.com. She began in the mom market as a blogger but her influence has transcended the blogosphere. This mother of three boys not only engages moms online with money-saving techniques but also educates community members on frugal living. Her local seminars bring out 80-100 women every time she speaks. She appears on local news shows who promote her advice on their websites. Outside of empowering moms with coupon-wise advice, Andrea connects with women while she supports the athletic activities of her sons. You can also find Andrea participating in church missions and numerous women conferences.

Lisa Druxman, founder of Stroller Strides. Lisa is the perfect example of a mother who touches thousands of moms and did so long before blogging became a verb. Stroller Strides is a franchise company that promotes fitness among new moms. They have over 1,200 groups in 44 states. Lisa connects with each of these women. That's a lot of moms she's influencing. You can see her in print in Entrepreneur magazine, on television, on stage as well as in video. She's the author of numerous books on fitness and the founder of her own product line.

Pamela Nagata, coordinator for Parents Connect of San Diego. You probably have never heard of Pamela but ask any of the 4,000 mom members of Parents Connect and they know exactly who she is. Parents Connect, the largest group of moms in Southern California, is now owned by Scripts and runs Sandiegoparent.com. If I'm looking for mothers or events with promotional opportunities, she's my go-to gal.

Molly Gold, founder of Go Mom Inc. Molly has run a website since way back in the '90s when she launched her first product. She has empowered millions of mothers over the years with scheduling and organization skills as well as product ideas. Today she tweets incisively and broadcasts her message on her live show on MomTV.com and with additional webcasts on her site.

There are dads too who are making a mark through their multi-media endeavors. Dads like Jim Silver of www.timetoplaymag.com and Tim Sullivan, publisher of PTO magazine.

Technology has made it easier in many ways to for marketers to reach moms. However, just as moms are consuming multiple media and going about their offline lives, it's important for marketers to move into the next horizon of mom marketing.

Dear Mom, You Are Invited to My Cyber Event

Ask a mother with a school age child what she is doing on Saturday and it is likely to include a birthday party. Moms are forever going to parties and social events -- children's birthday parties, jewelry parties, classroom parties, Mommy and Me mixers and book clubs. These events serve as a way to socialize, get to know other moms and avoid the feeling of alienation, particularly for new mothers. Now, I am in no way suggesting that the life of a mom is just one big party. We all know it's not and many of these events are more work than play. However, life in the physical world is often imitated in the virtual world and explains the growth of CyberEvents in the Momosphere.

For marketers, these events can present great opportunities to get to know moms and, of course, to get products in front of them. So to prepare marketers for 2011 and this growing trend of CyberEvents, I've composed this tutorial: "CyberEvents 101."

Twitter Parties: Describing a Twitter party to someone who has never attended one is like trying to describe the experience of walking on the moon. Twitter Parties were invented by Amy Lupold Bair of ResourcefulMommy.com, although there are many others attempting to replicate them. Basically, a Twitter Party is a one-hour event on Twitter where all the attendees use the same (#) hashtag so they can follow along in the conversation. The organizer of the Twitter Party sets an agenda that normally includes discussion points and lots of prizes for the attendees. It's a great way to bring awareness to your brand or drive traffic to your site. The challenge for most independent party organizers is gaining attendance to their parties; that is why most marketers hire people like Resourcefulmommy (@ResourcefulMom on Twitter) to run them on their behalf. The benefit to Twitter Parties is that all the followers of all the moms in attendance will see your branded hashtag and many will peek over to see what's happening during the party.

Online Mom Socials: These are the newest CyberEvents that are attracting hundreds of moms. They were introduced by MomTV.com and are best described as a Live Twitter Party. Moms can attend via Twitter or live chat on a pre-assigned MomTV channel. The host leads the conversation, showing off products and giving away prizes all via live video. A typical online social can attract 200-2,000 mothers, depending on the party theme and prizes. The benefit to marketers? Moms can actually see your product and the host can demonstrate the features in real time. Additionally, your brand still generates branded tweets extending the reach to Twitter as well. Unlike a Twitter Party, the video is archived and lives online for moms to see well after the party is over.

Live Talks and Facebook Chats: Earlier this year, The Motherhood, introduced Live Talks for moms. They are created around a subject of interest to moms and several guest host moms lead the discussion. Similar to Twitter Parties, the moms type in their dialogue; however, the Live Talks are hosted in a closed environment on TheMotherhood.com. Facebook Chats are becoming popular as well. Again, there is typically a discussion leader, in many cases a well-known expert on a particular subject. Moms are invited to attend and the attendees post their thoughts on a dedicated thread on the brand's Facebook page. Both of these CyberEvents can attract hundreds of mothers. Attracting moms is a challenge unless you are leveraging the relationships of a peer group. Cooper and Emily are both well-known and well-liked moms, so it is easy for them to attract moms to their Live Talks on The Motherhood. For an unknown brand with few mom friends, it can be more challenging. (Think of going to a party when you don't know a soul in the room. No one likes that feeling.)

Keep in mind that a party is only as good as the hostess or host. As a marketer, this responsibility lies in your lap. Just as you would prepare for an event in the physical world, it's important to make all the appropriate plans before rushing out to invite moms to attend, including a plan for party crashers. Remember, a good party is never complete without fun, friends and lots of great dialogue. Follow these "CyberEvents 101" guidelines, and your brand or message will be the life of the party.

Dusting Off the Crystal Ball for 2011

Every January, I make predictions as to trends within the mom market and how companies might better connect with mothers in the coming year. However, what I've come to realize is that most marketing professionals are actually putting their finishing touches on their 2011 Mom Marketing plans now, making predictions for next year more timely and relevant. So why wait? Halloween is over, Christmas ads are fattening our Sunday papers already and moms are already exhibiting the behaviors I believe will drive the smartest marketing tactics for 2011.

1. Moms will hit the big screen, well the computer screen at least. Online mom broadcasting will become as popular and common as blogging. You see it with the emergence of The Pulse Network, the continued growth of MomTV and the expansion of most mom bloggers into " their blog name + tv.com". More and more moms are discovering the ease of connecting with their peers face to face via video chat, webisodes and online digital content. This means that companies will quickly follow in their desire to be a part of these digital communities. Marketers should begin to recognize that online video doesn't have to be professionally produced to be effective in capturing the attention of mothers and that enlisting moms to step in front of the camera to talk about your brand can be a great buzz builder.

2. Local will become the new global. Many of the most popular global and national mom bloggers are beginning to realize that they influence as many local moms as they do moms across the US. At the same time, they are also getting requests from local businesses to help them tap the mom market and localize social media. Moms are reacting by creating local sites that are scalable yet focus on an individual city or region. Two examples include Sarah Pinnix who gained popularity with her blog, RealLifeBlog.net and now with her local site, NC Blog Buzz Network and Andrea Deckard whose first blog, MommySnacks.net attracted brands like Pepsi and Disney and has since launched The Savings Lifestyle featuring Cincinatti.com, a local blog network. Both of these secondary sites contain local advertisement and attract moms in the local community.

3. There's a Mom-App for that. Moms love applications. Why? Because most of the apps they are downloading help them save time or money. Marketers need to recognize an application as another way to deliver relevant content to a mother and a means to continue a valuable dialogue. Remember the application doesn't necessarily need to be pushing content out but can be a branded tool that makes sense for you to sponsor.

4. Four-square for product, pricing and availability. Technology will finally catch up with moms who already tweet when they find a great price on bread at Wal-Mart or find a scarce toy on the shelf at Target during the holidays. In 2011, we will see moms covering each other's backs by sharing best price and product availability news all in one place. Currently this information is available, but scattered among niche topic blogs or Silicon Valley start-ups trying to race to market with the hottest new tool for moms. The problem with the latter lies with middle age or college men trying to imitate word of mom with databases and testosterone (no offense to anyone).

5. Companies will finally recognize Moms as business owners, inventors and professionals. I actually predicted this trend in 2010, 2009 and 2008. I actually have had it on my list since 1999. I think it's me, throwing it out there each year hoping it will be the year it finally happens. For the companies who do connect with moms as business owners, the payoff is great. This year, Kimberly Clark (through the Huggies brand) launched HuggiesMomInspired.com, a program that awards grants to worthy mom inventors. They awarded their first round of grants last month to 15 moms who have produced millions of online impressions via Facebook, Twitter, Websites and Blogs. Additionally, Kimberly Clark has won several industry awards for this innovative program. Supporting moms as business owners is a wide-open opportunity (but not for long) and allows brands to demonstrate their support of mompreneurs on a whole new platform.

It's my hope that I am sharing these insights with you soon enough to impact your 2011 marketing plans. Take a look at the programs and campaigns you conducted in 2010. Are the technologies and tactics outdated or have they passed the test of time? If it's time to try something new, you have five great ways to tap the mom market in 2011.

Looking Ahead 5 Years in the Mom Market

Last month, I took a look back on how marketing to moms has changed in the last five years. This time, I'd like to look forward and make a few predictions about the mom market. I know it's dangerous to pretend you have a crystal ball but I have a pretty good track record for spotting trends so I'm hoping that my intuition doesn't fail me this time. Regardless of the outcome, the intent is to help you apply a new lens to some of the valuable insights you obtain each week via Engage:Moms.

Blogitter: One Part Blog, One Part Twitter

A new communication platform will replace blogging. It might not be Blogitter which I only made up to make my point but it will be something. I made this prediction at dinner the other night and almost caused a popular mom blogger to choke on her food, so let me explain. I predict history to repeat itself.

Remember the late '90s when moms started web sites at a record number? The motivation was very similar to today's bloggers; socialization and the sharing of information. Fast forward a few years and mom webmasters of the '90s found that as their children got older it became difficult to keep up with the amount of content necessary to maintain their web sites. Yes, the older the child, the less time a mom has for her own activities. Ultimately, many of these moms sold their sites or simply went on to other things.

Many of today's bloggers began their blogs in order to chronicle their baby's lives or to share with friends and families. These same women no longer have babies but school-age children, and other technologies like Facebook or Foursquare offer faster ways to stay connected. Ultimately, I predict moms will move to a platform that requires less thought, offers the same opportunity to express themselves through writing yet takes half the time of maintaining a blog and all the traffic-building tasks that comes along with it.

Local will go Global

Mothers have an interest in what's happening in other places. I predict Moms around the world will connect in virtual playgrounds and socialize as much as moms in the neighborhood cul-de-sac. Their interest in comparing parenting styles and collective solutions will take moms across the pond and around the world. Language barriers will break down via technology and live streaming will allow moms to socialize face to face.

Ding-Dong! Avon is Calling on your Wireless Device

Direct sales parties will go virtual and moms will be attending everything from Tupperware parties to in-home jewelry shows online via live streaming. It's already moving in this direction with LIVE Twitter Parties that allow moms to tweet their reactions to products or socialize with other moms while watching the host demonstrate product. Don't believe me? Just ask ResourcefulMommy.com.

Family Brands are on their Way

Today, social media mom influencers "build their brand" by distributing content and building followers on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Tomorrow's moms will build their family's brand to include a varied point of view for their followers. You might ask, "What teenager wants to blog or tweet with their mother?" Answer: One that grew up watching mom attending Twitter parties and one that cashed in on the piles of toy samples that landed at their family's doorstep.

Mom Store Keepers Open their Virtual Doors

Collective purchasing and peer purchasing will become a common practice among moms. The trend has already begun with thousands of moms following the advice of coupon watchers and frugal bloggers. As more and more moms realize the economic power they possess, they will identify creative ways to flex their spending muscle with companies. Additionally, moms will flex their influence to put money in their own pockets by opening a virtually store as seen currently on Opensky.com.

To learn more about these trends and how to reach the powerful Mom Market, email maria@bsmmedia.com.

Top 8 Changes in the Mom Market over 5 Years

A great deal can be learned by looking back. Perhaps that is why a convention organizer recently asked me to include a slide in my presentation noting the greatest changes in Moms in the last five years. Of course, there are many fashionable, parenting and philosophical changes that have occurred, but I elected to focus on those that have impacted marketing.

Consider this blog post a two-part series. I’ll focus on the greatest changes I’ve seen in the past 5 years here and follow it up next month with part two- my predictions for the next 5 years.

Here are the top 8 changes I’ve seen in the mom market in the past half decade.

1) Marketing “with” Moms rather than “to” moms
I’ve written about this before. Marketers used to spend millions on a brand message, distribute it to mothers and they would repeat it on the playground or at a PTA meeting. Today, moms read, see and hear that brand message, they define it for themselves and family and repeat it to other moms as they see fit. Wal-Mart may be the place to “Save Money, Live Better” but to some moms Wal-Mart might mean, fast easy shopping and if that’s the way they feel, that may be what turns up in the blog, vlog or YouTube video. Moms have become your marketing partner, not your target market. Market WITH moms, not TO moms.

2) Motherhood as a brand
Gone are the days of the Stepford wives. Today’s moms are branding themselves- MizFitOnline, Dr.Mommy, and MilitaryMom. Moms are doing it their way and just as companies are trying to build their brands, so are the mothers they are marketing with.

3) Customization
Millennial moms have redefined Burger King’s old tagline, “Have it your way”. Today’s new mothers expect to customize products, media and even the lifestyle of motherhood. They are applying their pre-baby style to post-baby life and customizing motherhood to their daily activities, personal values, goals and philosophies and expect the products they purchase to be customizable to the motherhood they define for themselves.

4) Frugalista Mom
The economy may have forced moms to shop differently but now that she’s tasted the sweet success of saving money, she’s not going back. The Mom Frugalista is here to stay, regardless of her income level. Moms have discovered that saving money is empowering, fun and a badge of honor among her peers.

5) Emergence of the virtual playground
Moms used to trade ideas and product information on the playground down the block. Today the physical playground as a social platform for mothers has been expanded to a virtual playground. Monkey bars and slides have been replaced with blogs and tweets. Moms mingle on the virtual playground passing along tips, advice and product recommendations just as they passed along casserole recipes next to the swings on the corner lot.

6) Sphere of influence on steroids
Word of mouth marketing has been the most powerful form of marketing in the world of mothers. Take yesterday’s sphere of influence and inject it with steroids and you have Word of Mom 2010. An influencer once was the PTO President or soccer mom but today she is a Blogger, business owner, YouTuber, Turbo Tweeter and Facebook Fanatic as well as the team and homeroom mom. Engage her as your brand evangelist and you have word of mom on steroids.

7) It’s A Small World After All
Moms have gone global. Thanks to technology, moms in Europe can compare business plans with moms in the US or mothers in Australia can trade sleep tips with moms in South Africa. Mothers love nurturing relationships and this includes interacting with moms across the globe.

8) Boomers are Becoming Grandparents
They may be the youngest group of “nanas” and “grandmas” in history but the good news for marketers is that these young- at-heart boomers are purchasing the same products that they did when they were moms. Loyalty is important to mothers and the fact that this young generation of grandmothers are fully engaged in their new role means that their old favorites still make it into their shopping cart.

Maria Bailey is the CEO of BSM Media and the author of “Marketing to Moms,” “Trillion Dollar Moms,” and “Mom 3.0: Marketing with Today’s Mother by Leveraging New Media and Technology.” She is also the Host of Mom Talk Radio and Co-Founder of MomTV.com. She can be reached via Twitter @Momtalkradio and email at maria@bsmmedia.com.

Mom Bloggers, It's A Small World After All

I am sure that Walt Disney himself had no way of knowing just what a small world it would become after all, particularly in the world of moms. Today more and more brands are reaching beyond borders to connect with moms while advancements in technology have empowered mothers to socialize with moms around the globe. Both McDonalds and Walt Disney World now have global mom panelists while Huggies, Coca-Cola and Purex also engage moms across continents in marketing programs.

Although my mom marketing books are published in 12 languages, it’s only been recently that I’ve seen a dramatic increase in interest by American brands to expand their mom marketing programs overseas. The trend has taken my studies of moms from South Africa to South America, and most recently Europe. Each stop provides an unique opportunity for learning.

The highlight of my journeys occurred three weeks ago when I hosted a Mom Blogger Mixer with FattoreMama, www.fattoremama.it, the leading Italian mom portal, in Milano, Italy. Not only was it exciting to host 60 social media mom influencers but it was fulfilling to be able to share the event with over 1200 US moms who tuned in via MomTV.com. For over 2 hours, moms from both sides of the pond compared notes on social media, parenting and motherhood via live chat and online video streaming. It was social media mom networking at its best.

So what do companies who want to engage moms outside the US need to know? Here are a few considerations.

1) Moms around the world share five core values.
Regardless of where you are, marketers can connect with moms by speaking to one of five core values: 1) Child enrichment, 2) Health and Safety of her family 3) Value 4) Time management and 5) Simplying Life. Brand messages should connect the benefits or features of your product to at least one of these core values in order to create relevance and value.

2) Twitter is an American marketing tool.
You won’t find Twitter Parties in Austria, Spain, Belgium or Switzerland. There are very few moms who have adopted Twitter as part of their social media tools. Many moms outside the US, question the need for Twitter when most of their friends and followers can be found on Facebook.

3) Cultural differences contribute to style of mom bloggers.
It was only recently that Mom Bloggers in the United Kingdom decided to disclose their identity on their blogs. The “bulletin board” approach to life, as my husband calls it, is a trait that American moms seem to possess in greater quantity than mothers in France and German . Bloggers who are moms in the Netherlands focus their posts not on their role as a mother but on their life in general. Being a mom bloggers seems to be trumped by the desire to be identified as a lifestyle blogger.

4) Product Reviews are far and few between on mom blogs.
Even in countries with a proud population of mom bloggers, few moms review products. In fact, the state of the mom blogosphere in Italy reminds me of the US mom blogosphere 3-4 years ago. There is a strong and active debate among Italian mom bloggers regarding whether or not it’s right and ethical to review products. Marketers would have better luck sending product samples to traditional journalists who are mothers and female webmasters in the hopes of obtaining an online review.

5) Indoor play centers and festivals present an effective vehicle for sampling product.
Moms everywhere enjoy spending quality time with their children and in Austria, Greece and Germany, these occasions present a good opportunity for demonstrating products. Moms are open to interacting with brands related to her role as a mother whether she’s at the zoo or an indoor playground.

6) Limited Internet access has slowed growth of social media in some countries. This is particularly true in Turkey, Greece, and southern Italy, where online mom magazines are more popular than blogs. For marketers, the most effective way to connect is through these magazine message boards and forums.

7) European moms were green before green was cool.
Long before it became trendy to take along your own shopping bags to the grocery store, moms in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France were eliminating plastic waste. Green friendly products and services are a great way to connect with moms worldwide.

Moms present buying power around the globe and with the right tactics, marketers can establish a dialogue which drives brand awareness and ultimately sales.

Maria Bailey is the CEO of BSM Media and the author of “Marketing to Moms,” “Trillion Dollar Moms,” and “Mom 3.0: Marketing with Today’s Mother by Leveraging New Media and Technology.” She is also the Host of Mom Talk Radio and Co-Founder of MomTV.com. She can be reached via Twitter @Momtalkradio and email at maria@bsmmedia.com.