Events

If you’re not making it to BlogHer this year, please be sure to join us TONIGHT — Friday, August 5,  at 8 pm EST/PST – for the fabulous, fun-for-all twitter party celebrating Phineas & Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, the Original Movie premiering on the Disney Channel that date and time. Lots of terrific prizes!

Hashtag: #WheresPerry. RSVP: http://twtvite.com/phineasmovie.

I love BlogHer. Between local and national meetings, this week’s annual conference will mark my fifth BlogHer event. I love the energy, the giddiness (tiara and boa, please!), the massing of moms and other women with a common interest, and most of all, seeing old blogger friends and connecting with new ones. I also enjoy learning from the speakers, and I am absolutely delighted that, this year, I will be a speaker myself.

I hope that you’ll join me and fellow panelists Stephanie Agresta and Stephanie Smirnov – we’ve been called “the power Stephanies,” which I think is a hoot — on Friday, August 5, at 10:30 a.m. for  ”Minding Your Own Business: Bad Blogger Pitches (The Other Side of the PR-Blogger Relationship).” We’ll be talking about what brands look for when selecting bloggers to work with and what bloggers can do to attract brands’ attention.

If you’re going to BlogHer, I’d love to meet you. Please stop by to introduce yourself at the end of the session.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at SheCon, a new conference targeted to women bloggers.  The panel title was “Get Connected: Building PR Relationships” and the idea was for marketers to offer bloggers a frank look at what brands and agencies look for when choosing bloggers to work with. Having moderated or spoken on many panels that adressed how brands should best interact with bloggers, I was looking to forward to addressing the flip side of the coin: what bloggers should do to make their mark on brands. The format was Q+A. Here are some of the questions, and my answers:

What do brands look for when choosing bloggers to work with?

Numbers. Blog numbers, Twitter numbers, Facebook numbers. Influence too — comments, RTs, speaking gigs, traditional media appearances, etc. — but we start with numbers. And yes, we also understand that there are niche blogs for which numbers are not so important.

Quality. Believe it or not, we really don’t get excited if you just cut and paste our press releases. We really DO want to read about your personal experience with the brand. What did you or your child like? Why?  We look for posts that offer length and depth — that demonstrate that a blogger has made an effort. And we love photos and videos. The better the quality of the review –  how it’s presented, not whether you rave about the brand — the less important those numbers, above,  become. Show us enthusiasm and you’ll get our attention.

What are the biggest mistakes bloggers make when dealing with brands?

I hate it — HATE it — when bloggers don’t do what they say they are going to do, whether that means post a review or show up at an event. Why? Because it makes both of us look bad. You  not only appear unprofessional, but just plain rude–someone is paying for the event meal you said you were planning to consume, or to ship that product sample that is now sitting ignored in your basement. (Then of course there’s all the time and effort involved.)  The agency or in-house PR rep or social media liaison appears foolish if she’s told a client or her vp that x# of moms said they were going to review/attend — and then you don’t.

Remember — as mom bloggers themselves have said so often — it’s all about the relationships. Behaving badly is NOT the best way to launch or maintain one….

The annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair, aka ChiTAG, is the Windy City’s festive, family-centric kick-off to the holiday shopping season. This year ChiTAG was also the backdrop for Child’s Play Communications’ Holiday Bloggers Brunch, our very first holiday-season blogger event and our first Bloggers Brunch to be held in Chicago. Situated at the family-friendly Navy Pier, the event was designed to connect leading companies and brands with mom bloggers in an intimate atmosphere conducive to conversation, networking, and the presentation of top holiday products and services.

The morning portion of the event featured an informative panel discussion with noted Chicago-area mom bloggers including Kris Cain, LittleTechGirl; Amy Mueller, ParentSphere; Maria Ramos, MyChicagoMommy and MJ Tam, Chicagonista.  I was delighted to moderate a lively conversation regarding the most effective ways for companies and brands to engage with bloggers today. There were an abundance of “takeaways” for the audience of corporate representatives and other bloggers, covering everything from how to pitch bloggers to tips for maintaining a positive, reciprocal relationship.

Following the panel discussion, our blogger guests enjoyed a tasty brunch in the sun-kissed Lakeview Terrace room, overlooking the harbor. Conversation was plentiful among the bloggers and our sponsors, including Playtex Baby, MEGA Brands, Backyard Safari Outfitters/Zillionz, Toy State, Restaurant.com, Cold Stone Creamery and In Zone Brands. Holiday makeup applications provided by Mary Kay Cosmetics put everyone in a celebratory mood as did sponsor giveaways and a slew of fabulous raffle prizes including a $250 Target gift card, a deluxe diaper disposal system and holiday toy gift packs. Everyone got to savor the decadent new Cold Stone Creamery layer cakes which topped off the brunch on a sweet note!

Special thanks to all of our sponsors for their support and to the dedicated bloggers with whom we work so closely year round. We’re so pleased about the positive comments that have already come in from bloggers and sponsors alike.

Click here for photos and videos of the Child’s Play Communications Chicago Holiday Bloggers Brunch.

We have a full slate of Bloggers Brunches and other terrific, mom-focused social media activities planned for 2011. Potential sponsors, don’t hesitate to drop me an email if you would like more information (sa@childsplaypr.com). 

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 No matter how many blogger events we host, we can’t help but get excited each time!  Child’s Play Communications’ fifth major Bloggers Brunch event is taking place this Saturday, Nov. 20,  in Chicago, as part of the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG.). We hope to see you there!

It’s going to be one BUSY event:

On Friday morning at 10 a.m., I’ll be answering questions about marketing to moms for a panel discussion hosted by ChiTAG.

On Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m., I’ll be making a presentation about moms and social media to the Chicago Midwest chapter of  Women In Toys.

Then — at 10 a.m. on Saturday– I’ll be moderating a panel of mom bloggers that we at Child’s Play are presenting, as part of our Bloggers Brunch. The presentation is titled Marketing to Moms in Social Media: How to Most Effectively Promote Your Brand. We have a great group of panelists planned:

• MJ Tam, Editor, Chicagonista.com
• Kris Cain, LittleTechGirl
• Maria Ramos, MyChicagoMommy
• Amy Mueller, ParentSphere

We’re still signing up guests to attend the panel presentation, so any companies that are interested, please register here. Moms who are attending our Bloggers Brunch may also attend the panel presentation, at no charge, but must let us know beforehand.

Most exciting is that, at noon on Saturday, I and my Child’s Play team — Julie Livingston, who manages our event programs; Marie Baker, who heads our award-winning Team Mom review-blogger network; Erika Sanchez, an old hand at our blogger events, and Fiona MacLeod, who just joined Child’s Play to help with special projects – will host the Holiday Bloggers Brunch, where we’ll have the opportunity to connect 50 mom bloggers with event sponsors including: Cold Stone Creamery, now sponsoring one of our Bloggers Brunch events for the third consecutive time,  Backyard Safari Outfitters, also back for the third time, Playtex Baby, In Zone Brands, Road Rippers, MEGA Brands,  Zillions, and Restaurant.com. Mary Kay Cosmetics has signed on to provide pampering to our mom blogger guests.

The best part for us: connecting in person with all the moms  we’ve been working with over the years through Team Mom and meeting other mom bloggers for the first time.

So, to all our sponsors and all our mom-blogger guests: Can’t wait to see you there!

I love mom-blogger events — so much so that we’re about to host yet another one, this time in Chicago!

On Saturday, November 20th, Child’s Play Communications will hold our first Holiday Bloggers Brunch, as part of the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG), a major family event that serves as the Windy City’s kick-off to the holiday season.

This event is a prime opportunity for 50 leading mom bloggers to meet one-on-one with 10 sponsor companies in an intimate atmosphere, conducive to conversation and forming personal connections. Sponsors as of today include Cold Stone Creamery, Restaurant.com, Toy State, MEGA Brands, Playtex Baby and In Zone – with more to come.

The Chicago Holiday Bloggers Brunch follows on the heels of our successful New York City Dinner’s On Us (August, 2010) and Los Angeles Bloggers Brunch (April, 2010).  The Holiday Bloggers Brunch is our fifth major blogger event, and it includes two distinct components:

That morning, the event will open with a panel of leading Chicago mom bloggers, who will discuss best practices for reaching moms through social media – including blogs, Twitter and Facebook. They will share their insights and answer questions on how to work with this target market most effectively. They will also discuss how social media has evolved, as well as current trends and issues that impact their interaction with companies and brands today.

The morning presentation will be followed by a noon brunch at which sponsors exhibit their products to bloggers for review consideration. It’s a great opportunity for sponsors and bloggers to connect live and in person and communicate how each can benefit the other. It’s also a wonderful way for bloggers to meet other mom bloggers – and to have an afternoon of fun, complete with great food and some much-needed pampering. Bloggers who attend the brunch will also receive free passes to the ChiTAG exhibit.

Here’s what sponsors are saying about Child’s Play Communications’ blogger events!

Toyota:“Toyota was pleased to have the opportunity to speak with bloggers about some of our exciting new products, such as Sienna, as well as share information on our latest safety initiatives that continue to make Toyotas some of safest vehicles on the road today.”

California Strawberry:“The California Strawberry Commission was a sponsor of the “Dinner’s on Us” event held this year in NYC. It was a great opportunity for us to connect with dozens of influential mom bloggers. Child’s Play Communications did a great job organizing a fun, engaging and social event.”

Cold Stone Creamery:“Through the Child’s Play bloggers events, we were able to build lasting relationships with influential mom bloggers for the Cold Stone Creamery brand. These events put our product in the hands of our core customers, and have been extremely beneficial in our social media outreach.”

Bloggers, if you are interested in attending and have not yet received an invitation, please send your contact information to childsplay@childsplaypr.com.

Companies, if you’re looking to reach influential social media moms directly this holiday season, contact Julie Livingston, jl@childsplaypr.com, (212) 488-2060 x 12 for sponsorship information.