Category Archive for "Marketing To Moms"

It’s Back to School season for moms, and perhaps as a marketer you have overlooked the opportunity to tap into mom’s wallet because you don’t sell school supplies or computers. Don’t make this mistake. The start of the school year means much more to mothers than packing lunches and backpacks. It’s recognized as New Year’s Day on a mom’s calendar.

It’s the time of year when she sets her calendar of activities for the next 10 months and begins anew in areas of fitness, meal planning and organization. It’s even the time of the year that she considers employment options. In order to help you avoid missing this buying season, I’ve put together a short list of product categories and industries that should be talking to moms as she prepares for the back-to-school season.

Weight loss and fitness: For moms of preschoolers, it’s an idea that’s been on the “to-do” list for four to five years: Lose the baby weight and get in shape. She now has new time in her schedule for that gym membership or diet plan. As her child gains some independence, she is likely to turn toward regaining some of her own identity. Now is the perfect time to encourage her to set a fitness goal for the Fall.

Meal planning solutions: The first school bell rings, and suddenly the calendar is clogged with after-school practices and carpooling. Sixty-seven percent of moms do not know what they are cooking for dinner at 4 p.m. Now is the perfect time to remind mom that your brand offers quick, tasty and healthy meal options for her on-the-go family.

Activities for the little ones: Marketers often forget that most moms of school-age children have a preschooler or baby at home. As she’s thinking of her older child’s success in school, she’s also focused on preparing younger siblings for their future school days. This means there’s an opportunity for app makers, preschool activity centers and even on-the-go snack foods to market to moms during back-to-school season.

Organizational products: As with the Jan. 1 New Years’s Day, moms will use this time to get organized for the year. They organize their home in preparation for the holidays. They organize bedrooms while changing out seasonal clothing. Now is a great time for organizational brands to offer Moms a hand with all her tossing and packing needs.

Holiday: Our research shows that 75% of moms begin picking up holiday gifts in September. Whether it’s toys that they fear will sell out later or summer sale items for teacher gifts, they are open to holiday shopping during back-to-school season.

Allergies, Cold and Fever Brands: Let’s face it, you put 30 new students together in a room and suddenly there is an outbreak of allergies, colds and flu. Like clockwork, two weeks after school begins, moms will be running to the drugstore for Claritin or Children’s Advil. Help mom prepare for that, “Mom I don’t feel well” moment by reminding her to stock up while boosting your bottom line.

When we talk about marketing to moms, the newborn and baby market are usually the focus, and with good reason. The global baby care market is expected to increase its total sales to $66 billion by 2017. Numbers I’ve seen vary from $7,000 to $12,000 that parents spend on products in baby’s first year. However, there’s another segment of the mom market that deserves attention, and pops up on the radar during the May and June high school graduation season – the college mom.

Loosely interpreting numbers, there are 3.1 million U.S. high school seniors graduating over the next few weeks. More than 60% of these graduates – 1.86 million sons and daughters – will move on to a college or university for the first time for a summer semester or in autumn. What does this mean for their parents? As the graduation caps fly in the air, moms start spending on necessities their college-bound students will need to survive without them! Starting now through the college move-in, marketers have an opportunity to tap into the college mom market as they purchase everything from dorm necessities to moving services. Our recent survey results show:

•    Almost 83% of moms say they feel stressed about the college move

•    After shelling out money for graduation gifts and parties, moms spend an average of an additional $900 on necessities for dorms, apartments or student housing and another $500 – $600 in related moving costs

•     The spending (and stressing) starts when the acceptance letter arrives (40%), at high school graduation (27%) and over the summer (30%).

•    79% of moms report that their students are a car ride away, and 31% say they will visit campus two or three times. Almost 22% report that they intend to visit over six times during the academic year.

•    Almost 22% of moms surveyed say they will spend a whopping $400 or more on transportation costs for each trip to campus.

•    50% of moms say they will make from three to six shopping trips to purchase items for their students.

•    Over 52% of moms point to carrying and moving large boxes as the one task they would gladly turn over to someone else.

As the mother of three college-aged young adults, I’ve seen firsthand the opportunities for companies to connect with moms like myself who have new needs and unique services. This summer, I discovered Campus Bellhops. The company appeals to parents who want to skip the backbreaking, time-consuming task of moving their students (and their stuff) into dorms, apartments or student housing. Two Campus Bellhops moved my daughter’s boxes, clothes and even the fridge, out of her dorm last week. While I was impressed with the service and speed of the move by two students (under one hour to pack the car), I was more impressed with the idea behind this service: offering a solution for busy parents for what is one of the most dreaded tasks we face in our lives – moving.

The other company I’ve found that appeals directly to college moms (and dads) is Redship. Although care packages are certainly not a new service, Redship delivers care packages, with plenty of choices like a healthy food package, which offers the comforts and memories of home. Like my fellow College Moms, I am open to discovering new brands as we enter a new phase of motherhood. Now it’s up to brands to connect with me while I’m searching for solutions.  Here’s a ideas on how to find me:

•   Join me on Facebook at Moms with College Kids

•   Meet me at college orientations

•   Share coupons, ideas and deals with moms who have coeds at the same college – they will share them with me

•   Make sure to find the moms on the “(Insert college name) Moms” Facebook page. I belong to West Point Moms, Clemson Parent and Missouri Moms.

May is the month for Moms.  Between Mother’s Day and National Mom’s Nite Out, www.momsniteout.com, there’s a lot of celebrating around motherhood. As marketers join in the celebration to connect with moms, I thought it would fun to take a look at some of the brands that are executing interesting marketing campaigns around mothers and where the opportunities are for companies who still want to jump into May with moms.

First, let’s take a look at brands that are celebrating moms in May:

• Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration has built a reputation among social media influencers as the “must-attend” conference and media event. For the past five years, Disney Parks and Resorts has entertained, educated and engaged bloggers, vloggers, podcasters and Facebookers and their families. They showcase not only all their magical world has to offer, but social media moms enjoy top-notch speakers during three days of learning. Past keynoters have been supermodel Kathy Ireland and Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop. This year the invitation-only event takes place over Mother’s Day weekend. The conference works because it provides a bigger purpose for the mom attendees; it’s more than a tour of company headquarters or a photo opportunity with a hired celebrity spokesperson. It allows the moms to learn, network with peers and create memories with her family all in one weekend.
• Are you friends with your mom on Facebook? Do you have “Gems of Wisdom” from your mom that stick with you? These are the questions that Zales, the Diamond Store, is asking mothers this month in a clever campaign celebrating moms and Mother’s Day. At the core of the campaign are the “Friend Your Mom, Join the Movement” and “Gems of Wisdom” themes that encourage moms to friend their own mothers on Facebook and share personal gems of wisdom.  They are delivering their messages through videos posted on their Facebook fan page and on YouTube. The YouTube videos, posted late last week, are already receiving more than 4,000 daily views. The campaign works on many levels: it features popular mom bloggers delivering the messages through video, and the comments on both “Friend Your Mom” and Gems of Wisdom” are evoking emotional and heartfelt responses from moms, about moms. Mom marketers have been slow to adopt video, which is a mistake.  According to our research, 90% of moms have watched a video online in the last seven days, a number that is twice as many as those who have read a blog in the same time period.  Millennial moms, and an increasing number of mothers from across generational lines, are visual consumers and video is the way to connect with them.

Is it too late to engage with moms for Mother’s Day 2013? No. Certainly the Zales and Disney campaigns were planned well in advance. However, with Mother’s Day only two weeks away, there’s still time to celebrate motherhood and connect your brand with moms in May.

• National Mom’s Nite Out on May 9 will draw millions of moms – online and offline – across the U.S. to celebrate a night out before the actual May 12 holiday. Get your brand in front of these moms through digital socials such as an online video event or Twitter party.
• Pinterest is the place to reach millions of moms who value “rich” social media. Pin your products on boards that let mom look at (and forward) ideas for herself and the other moms in her life. In a recent shopping survey, we found that a source of frustration for a majority of moms is the hard-to-buy-for female relative (ahem … mother-in-law). Moms also buy gifts for their own moms, aunties and friends. One mom on my team says she forwarded several pins to her husband when he asked for Mother’s Day gift ideas, which leads me to this last-minute idea for Mother’s Day.
• A Mother’s Day Pinterest promotion that lets moms pin their wish list is a quick and inexpensive way to get your product and brand in front of this highly visual group of women. Post boards with your own products and post other ideas as well. Moms love to share, and they love it when you share, too. From relaxing spa and manicure images to recipes and decoration ideas for Mother’s Day brunch, start pinning now.

Remember, for this Mother’s Day and throughout the year, upload videos! As I mentioned earlier, not enough brands are using video to reach moms, and now is the time to use what moms are looking for in their busy lives. As summer approaches, think of ways to engage with moms as they plan summer break activities: camps, day trips and family vacations, to name a few.

This week, I’m heading to New York to take part in the State of the American Mom Power Breakfast. You might be thinking, “OK, Maria. There are dozens of these power breakfasts every day.” However, this event is unique for its focus on moms, the latest research on moms spending habits, the release of valuable research and the group behind it all. As a founding member of the coalition, I’m offering a sneak peek at bits of the research and information about how you can access these industry resources at a terrific price – free!

A highlight of the breakfast is the release of the State of the American Mom Report offered by the Marketing to Moms Coalition. As the industry’s only not-for-profit group dedicated to studying the purchasing patterns of American mothers, the Marketing to Moms Coalition fields independent research to capture an unbiased view of spending habits.

The 2013 State of the American Mom Report reveals opinions about topics important to moms (and for the first time, dads), including the economy and family finances, media habits and technology. Overall, 1,248 moms responded (households with children under age 18). Of these, 61% of the survey respondents are working mothers, and one in three are the sole or primary earner in the household. Glimpses of the report reveal:

Economy and Purchases

• While 42% of moms are less optimistic about the economy, they are getting hopeful. Large purchases are still rare, though, with the majority surveyed indicating a spending freeze on major spending categories like vacations (47%), electronics (61%) and home goods (83%).

• Smaller purchases like clothing are sacrificed most often; 55% of moms and 53% of dads indicate that they skimp on their own clothing buys.
• What makes moms choose a name brand over a store brand? The majority (61%) is based on sales, followed by 54% who use coupons for a particular brand and 39% of moms who base name brand purchases on family preferences.

Mobile Technology and Social Media

• This survey shows a big jump in smartphone ownership with almost 60% of moms now owning one compared to 44% in 2011.
• How are moms using their phones? The top uses include playing games (64%), looking up store hours and locations (58%) and finding nearby restaurants (50%).
• Children start playing on laptops or desktops in the 3- to 6-year-old age range, according to 43% of moms; 25% of moms say cell phone/tablet use starts in the same age range.
• At 54%, more higher income moms agree that time on mobile devices cuts into family time.
• Millennial (54%) and Gen X (47%) moms are most likely to be on Facebook twice daily. Facebook is the most popular social media site; however, YouTube shows the biggest jump in usage – 22% more than 2011.
• Why do moms “like” a brand? 53% say an offer or coupon and 40% say brand preference causes the click on the “like” button. Half of parents shared a comment on a brand’s Facebook fan page.
• Millennial and Gen X moms are more likely to embrace new sites like Pinterest and Instagram. Almost three-quarters of moms use Pinterest for recipes, inspiration and decorating ideas.

This is simply a sneak peek at the State of the American Mom Report. More detailed information is available by contacting fellow coalition member Michal Clements at Michal@itoaction.com for full report information. Take advantage of the excellent resources offered by the Marketing to Moms Coalition, including latest trends, reports and updates in the marketing to moms industry. Follow on:

Website: http://marketingtomoms.org

LinkedIn: Marketing to Moms Coalition

Facebook: Coalition Fan Page

At least once a year, my mailbox is flooded with social media moms asking the same question- “How do I get invited on brand-sponsored trips?” Of course, the question isn’t worded exactly like this by every single mom, but this is essentially the question.

Most of the emails actually present the question surrounded by a great deal of frustration, disappointment and, sometimes, anger. At this point, most of you reading this might think I’m going to speak about Disney and the fact that the invitations to their coveted Social Media Mom Celebration went out this week. I am not. This blog post is not about “How to get invited to Walt Disney World”; rather it’s an open answer to the most popular email question I’ve received since Al Gore invented the Internet.

Since Engage:Moms is read by a mixed audience of bloggers and marketers, I will attempt to address brand=sponsored trips from two sides — the blogger who wants the invite and the brand inviting the blogger. Let’s start with the blogger who is eagerly awaiting an invitation to her favorite brand. What can this blogger do to get the brand’s attention? Well, start the conversation. You have to get the attention of the brand. There are an estimated 33 million bloggers in the blogosphere and another 89% of the population on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. This means that there are a lot of influencers out there, and you must find a way to rise above the crowd.

One thing I’ve seen bloggers do is to set up a brand-specific blog. I’ll use myself as an example here. If you read my tweets or follow me on Facebook, you would know I love popcorn. I mean, I really, really love popcorn almost to the point of obsession. (If you are a brand with popcorn and intend to send me a sample, make sure you read my social media posts because I’m very particular about my flavor!) If I were going to use this brand-specific blog approach to get Orville Redenbacher’s attention, maybe I’d begin a blog called Orvillemom.com or something similar. All the content would be related to popcorn and I’d link to it off my main blog.

Many of the moms who do this take it one step further and post every single press release that the brand issues as a way to show their dedication to the brand. Honestly, it’s obvious to the reader and the brand that there’s another agenda to all this effort. It’s most likely going to fail in every way. Your readers are going to move to a less commercial blog, and the brand is going to question your sincerity.

The more effective way to get the attention of a brand would be to sincerely post, tweet or write on Facebook about their product and then let them know you’ve done it. For instance, I recently had great service from Stubhub, so I posted about it and then sent them a link with a note that I would love to work with them if the opportunity ever presented itself.  It was honest, sincere and probably unexpected from the prospective of the brand manager. Bloggers must also remember that the purpose of most brand-sponsored trips is to familiarize bloggers with a brand or product.

If you are blogging every single day about the brand, the brand may see it and decide that you don’t need to be educated on their product. This is another reason developing a brand-specific blog may backfire on the blogger. The outcome to this approach normally ends in frustration and anger by the blogger. I saw a mom recently post that she was tired of giving her favorite brand free advertising with no return from the brand. In all likelihood, the brand never asked her to create a brand-specific blog and never asked her to post anything she had on it.

You can’t blame a brand for not returning the love, if they don’t know that the love exists. Lastly, don’t take it personally if you don’t get that invitation to the dream event. Remember that brands have goals and strategies based on demographic and elements. You may not fit their target based on geography, age of child, age of mother, buying habits or even longevity in social media.

So how should brands decide who gets invited to their events? Well, let’s start with the how-not-to-do-it. Don’t go to Google analytics or Klout and determine your invite list on misleading numbers. These numbers do not project influence. Trusting these online scores will take you down the road of inviting high-ranking bloggers who may have little or no passion for your brand. #Fail.

The better approach is to listen to online conversations. Search for your product or brand name on Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. Determine who is writing about “popcorn” and follow the conversation. Don’t forget to search your inbox for those bloggers who have reached out to you in the past and expressed their interest.   Learn something about all these people by reading their blogs.

Engage them in a dialogue online before you invite them to speak offline. You might also ask him/her if there are other bloggers they would recommend for your opportunity. It’s a lot like dating. Most importantly, go into the relationship with a plan. If you invite the blogger on a trip to your headquarters, what do you want to obtain from the relationship? Lay out expectations before you ask the blogger to pack their bags, find a babysitter and travel across the country to hear your product pitch.

Summertime and conference season is approaching.  Invitations for brand sponsored events will begin to be formulated and bloggers will eagerly sit by their email boxes waiting for them to arrive. Now is the time to get to know each other so let the conversations begin!

I have no trouble deciding the topic of this month’s Engage:Moms newsletter post. I had to go no farther than my own Facebook page to find a stream of conversation burning up the MomBlogosphere. Here’s the background. A PR company has decided to sell a document titled “2012 Mommy Blogger Contact Guide.” I am purposely not going to publish the link to their site in order to avoid sending traffic to their site. You’ll understand why in a minute. The firm’s name is Bulldog Reporter. I am telling you this because I want marketing professionals to be fully educated when they receive BUY NOW! emails. The 2012 Mommy Blogger Contact Guide promises this:

“If you want to secure top-notch placement in some of the most highly visited mommy blogs—you’ll want Bulldog Reporter’s latest media relations weapon” and goes on to say that it’s “100% verified and accurate listings assure you’ll be contacting the right bloggers and staff—at the right email address, Twitter feed and/or phone number.”

What it doesn’t tell you but many angry mom bloggers will be happy to share is that the information is not only inaccurate but it was lifted from third-party websites. The bloggers have no relationship with Bulldog Reporter, nor did they approve the sale of their personal phone numbers, old addresses or even their ex-husbands’ emails. And oh, yeah, they will not be happy or thrilled to work with you if you purchase the list and contact them.

The list was brought to my attention by a mom blogger who notified me that my own personal information was in the document. Being curious, I opened the hijacked copy of the guide to see exactly what’s listed. Congratulations to me. I made the list of influential bloggers. There I am in good company with others like Gabrielle Blair, Audrey McClelland and Dooce – even Tori Spelling with her 818 Los Angeles phone number – a truly influential group of women who all own a blog. Notice I never called them a “mommy blogger” because as we all know, that’s a bad word in the momblogosphere, a small detail that Mr. Bulldog forgot at the start. But I digress; back to the content of the 2012 MommyBlogger Contact Guide.

There we are all listed – 300+ of us moms with social media influence. One problem aside from all the wrong numbers and addresses – there’s a column that ranks the level of influence of each mother. With no explanation of what denotes influence, each mother is rated none, low, med, or high. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how influence was calculated. I was ranked “low.” I guess having 11 million followers online and off only qualifies for the low category. I didn’t feel bad because I wasn’t alone. I was in very good company with moms who I turn to almost every day to spread the word about brands; moms I believe are the best in category of influencers. Moms who by my criteria of reach, social media engagement, offline involvements and passion to share, rank quite high in the world of mom influencers.

And so this week, the momblogosphere is abuzz about the titled 2012 Mommy Blogger Contact Guide. Is it ethical for Bulldog to sell the personal information of mom bloggers? Probably. Retailers with loyalty programs sell our personal information every day. However, most would like to believe that developing a relationship with a blogger is somewhat deeper than sending you a coupon because you bought Dove soap last week at CVS. Do mom bloggers want companies to show up on their doorstep without notice? Do they want you to call them on the phone? Probably not, judging by the many angry posts on the Bulldog Facebook page and most likely why they have decided during my writing of this, to pull the addresses out of the directory. But should mom bloggers expect companies to reach out to them unexpectedly? Definitely, they are running a business and that’s what happens when you hang a shingle out with your name on it.

The take-away from this post is simple. Buyer beware! Nothing is as good as it appears. The best way to connect with mom bloggers is still the old-fashioned way: read their blog, get to know them and start a relevant, one-on-one dialogue. It’s that simple, and that didn’t cost you $200.

At deadline for this post, I did receive an email from Bulldog Reporter explaining how they calculate influence. According to the email, “We define an influencer as a person who, through writing and being read, affects the opinions of peers within a community around a certain topic.”

It appears that I won’t have to do too much thinking about my topic for next month’s post either. I’ll be writing, “What Makes a Mom Influential” because my two decades of studying moms has proven to me that you don’t have to be a blogger to be influential in the moms world. See you next month.

It’s 2013 and as the number on your calendar changes so should some of your mom marketing strategies.  I’ve assembled 13 do’s and don’ts that you may want to pay attention to as you enter the new year.

1. Do create a strategy for Pinterest.
   Looking for  Millennial moms? This is the virtual playground where  Millennial moms are swapping ideas for centerpieces to strollers. And it’s just not “pinning” your products. It’s about having a visual conservation with your potential customers. Check out Premama, a prenatal vitamin company who engages expectant moms on Pinterest by sharing ideas for baby showers.
2. Do make sure you are watching new social media platform apps like SnapChat.
   Younger moms tend to be more visual, and want to have conversations with more than words. SnapChat lets you converse only with videos and photos.
3. Don’t forget video in your marketing plan.
   You hear me talk about video whenever I talk about what’s next in connecting with moms. Well, the next is here! For the same reason that Pinterest and SnapChat are important video leads the way to connecting with  Millennial moms.
4. Don’t assume that the same mom bloggers you worked with in 2012 will fit your brand in 2013.
   Mom changes as the age of her child changes. Her interests, style and focus grow along with her the evolution of parenthood.
5. Do evaluate the blogger conferences you are sponsoring.
   There was a day when the most influential bloggers could be found gathering at BlogHer and other larger conferences. Today, it seems that these conferences serve more to educate beginners on social media.  Before getting involved in a conference, make sure to clearly define your goal in attending or sponsoring the event.
6. Don’t forget to look at a mom’s offline influence as well as her online influence.
   You’ve heard me say this before, only one-third of all moms reads blogs, so it’s important to go beyond mom bloggers for true influence.
7. Don’t forget to give moms a way to share your information, discounts and product samples with other moms.
8. Don’t send mom bloggers press releases and ask them to “share” the information with their readers.
   The more experienced mom marketers are saying, “Duh,” but believe me, I am still getting at least a dozen “Dear Mom Blogger, I thought your audience would find the attached information useful/helpful/interesting.” WRONG!! Just don’t do this anymore.
9. Don’t forget that mom’s who are writing blogs are running businesses, so many, if not most, will expect to be paid in 2013. 
10. Don’t just do a blog tour with your product; consider a Vlog tour with video reviews.
    Groups like MomTV.com have mom bloggers willing to do video reviews with your products. This gives your brand content on YouTube and other video-based platforms.
11. Do consider in-home events for your brand as a way to have moms experience your products with friends and family.
    Whether it’s a House Party or MommyParties.com, the Tupperware-like party is a good way to get your product into the hands of moms.
12. Don’t forget to evaluate what you did in 2012.
    Too often brands throw money at moms and forget to look at measurement.
13. Do set goals that help you obtain success in the Mom market.
    Before you dive into the mom market, make sure you know what defines success for you and your brand.

If you think this blog post is about delivering your marketing messages to moms while she’s running errands and carpooling to children, you might be surprised. It is about a mom running and about marketing to moms but the mom is me, and the run is my weekly long training run. It’s that time of the year again when I ramp up my miles in preparation for a winter marathon. I take advantage of this time alone and often reflect on life. Since marketing to moms is such a big part of my everyday activities, it was the subject matter of my 13 miles last Saturday. When you have that much time to think, your minds drifts in all sorts of directions. Sometimes the thoughts are connected but most of the time, it’s one steady stream of consciousness. So here’s a glimpse into the mind of a mom marketer on the run. Literally.

* 2012 has been a year of evolution for bloggers.  More and more of the moms who started blogging 3-5 years ago are changing their blogs to reflect new interests and writing styles.  For instance, Carol Cain, known as NYCityMama, is now building her brand as GirlGoneTravel.com, and Kim Coleman, who grew her audience with Mom In the City, is now a foodie blogger at Foodie City Mom. I hope that brands will take the time to actually read the blogs of the moms they email and pitch because, if not, they are using a list that may have gone stale.

* Pinterest is the new Twitter. Moms are still using Twitter but for converting images and links into sales, we are seeing more response on Pinterest.  Moms are finding many different ways to use Pinterest to help them make decisions.  Every new recipe I cooked for Thanksgiving came off of Pinterest.  As I am doing my holiday shopping, I am visiting the Pinterest boards of my children to see what’s on their wish lists and when I am looking for cute new outfits that will push me out of my comfort zone, I go to Pinterest.  As marketers, we’ll find new ways to leverage this social media platform in 2013.

* Video. Vloggers. Video.  2013 might finally be the year that brands and PR agencies finally recognize the value of video.  YouTube is the second-largest search engine and Millennial moms, in particular, love videos.  We continue to see the growth of personal YouTube channels and videos posted on other social network platforms. However, brands and PR firms have been slow to engage with mom vloggers and digital broadcasters.  MomTV.com,www.momtv.com, has seen a 200% growth in just 3 short months since it’s relaunch and popular mom bloggers Jessica McFadden, Leslie Gail of Reinventing Motherhood and Charlene DeLoach of Charlene Chronicles are are now producing and streaming live shows online.

Tumblr is going to be the new marketing tool for early 2013.  There’s still a lot of growing that Pinterest has to do but Tumblr is right on its heels.  In fact, I wonder if the next generation of mom bloggers, the youngest Millennials, will be using Tumblr to satisfy their desire to blog in this more visual and versatility landscape. It’s visual and you can easily add special effects like music and GIF files.

Home invasions of mom marketing will continue to grow.  We call them MommyParties, www.mommyparties.com; others call them in home parties.  By any name, brands and agencies are engaging moms with their products in kitchens, living rooms and backyards, and it’s working.  Moms love the product samples; enjoy socializing with other mothers and touting her relationship with big brands online after the party.  With the right mom influencers, these in-home events can create as many impressions as a blog post.  Check out some of the Facebook conversations online: http://www.facebook.com/MommyParties

It’s time to write a book on Millennial moms. It’s the buzz word and marketers are trying to understand this newest generation of moms.  But, wait, wouldn’t it be better for me to educate marketers in the same form of media they are consuming?  This means if I want to educate marketers on what makes the Millennial mom tick, I need to do a live broadcast, create a Tumblr blog or create a webisode series.  Definitely.  There are so many interesting nuances about Millennials, from their flair for exotic flavors to the desire to stand out among others.  Perhaps that will be my next Engage:Moms blog post but for now, it’s time for a water break.