Comments on: And Now For This Commercial Break

By: robin marty

robin marty — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:09:20 +0000

There were non-mommy bloggers, and they were feeling a little — awkward, to say the least. Luckily, the 6 level progressive party and massages from Macy’s seemed to assuage that a bit, I hear…

By: Amelia

Amelia — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:40:31 +0000

I think women are powerful marketing wise, and I appreciate that we’re getting attention. I do hope that viral marketing is helping companies think more about the choices that they make (see the Baby Camp backlash that J&J got). I also think one of the best parts of the whole mommy blogger movement is the focus on mom owned and indepedant businesses. Many of them would not have been able to succeed pre-Internet/blogosphere.
And about the Sesame Street thing. To heck with what my kid would have thought, I’m just a fan of Grover and I’m sorry I missed it, for me.

By: Ann

Ann — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:12:36 +0000

I have bought a few things because they were mentioned (positively) on other blogs, so I can definitely understand where the marketers are coming from. There’s something about buying things for my daughter that makes me more cautious and more likely to take into account recommendations from someone who’s been there. In fact, to Becky’s point, this is probably the fourth place I’ve read about the Sesame Street videos at Blogher, and I haven’t even been seeking out Blogher posts. Still, I think I would find it disconcerting to be at Blogher and to feel like I’m being targeted so specifically based on my parenting status. There were non-mommy bloggers at Blogher, yes?

By: samara

samara — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:11:36 +0000

From time to time I get pitches, sometimes for things I have no interest in or no use for. Sometimes something great will come across and then I’ll take it and write about it. It’s got to be something good. I’m not sure if my shopping influences have changed though. I got a whole bunch of DVD’s from TNT (including Saving Grace) a few months back and wasn’t sure what they thought I would do with them…write about the show? Hmm, no.

By: robin marty

robin marty — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:35:56 +0000

I told I-robot I’d write something nice about them if they sent me an actual robot to clean my house, watch my baby and cook for us (none or this roomba stuff — I want Rosie from the Jetsons). At the very least, they need a roomba that can keep running even after a baby sits on it.

By: May

May — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:56:48 +0000

At Cribsheet, we get pitched all the time to write about books, products and shows. We do sometimes write about them but only if we really, really like them. And because we’re part of the Strib, the only freebies we accept are books. Things we’ve declined in the past include: free products from Method (the folks who make the environmentally friendly detergents), who said they’d picked me as a Method Maven (!) and did I want a bunch of free products to throw a Method Maven party. And I actually use Method laundry stuff! I’ve also sadly said no to extremely cute onesies from Ingrid of Black Sheep Baby. I could go on…

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:28:46 +0000

I think two things are at play. First, mothers and women in general are a huge consumer block. We are a marketing niche. When else would all these companies have so many women and moms in one place? Second, there is a lot to be said about the power of product endorsement on a mama blog. I think they know that. When another mama blogs about her new favorite product, we all read and take notes. I know I have been swayed by my fellow blogger’s endorsements. All those companies are dreaming of blogs written about their great products, and they were hoping that a little free stuff might persuade the attendees to do that. I bet it was successful, too. I am imagining the posts out there about that Sesame Street video.

Thanks for the great post. This was really interesting.