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

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!

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 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!

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!

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.

Liz, however, commented that the trend was really the opposite — that bloggers were less likely to want to go to events today because there were so many of them — perhaps too many of them.  I think  the distinction in our points of view may have been between blogger conferences and company-sponsored events –  is that right, Liz? — but in either case, it raises some interesting questions: Who is going to live events,  who has stopped going, and in both cases,  why?

As Child’s Play Communications prepares to host our fifth major blogger event, in Chicago on Nov. 20th, we’d especially like to know: How do you choose which events to attend these days?  

By the way, if you’re interested in joining Liz, other leading mom bloggers, and myself for the audioconference I mentioned above, please click here for additional information.

1. Seeing so many members of our Team Mom network of review bloggers and of our Parkbench Panel, including Debbie from Mamanista and Bloganthropy, Connie from Brain Foggles, Beth from Plus Size Mommy, Kim from Crafty Mama of 4, Jill from Musings from Me, Jen from One Moms World, Sarah from Real Life and Stacey from Tree, Root and Twig. Some of these wonderful folks I’ve spent much time with at past Child’s Play Bloggers Brunches and client-sponsored trips, others I had the opportunity to (finally!) meet for the first time.
2. Reconnecting with other terrific ladies we’ve worked with in the past including  Jennifer of The Vacation Gals,  Carol of NY City Mama, Katherine of Postpartum Progress–winner of the 2010 Bloganthropy Award, Kimberly of Mom in the City and Leticia from Tech Savvy Mama.
3. Meeting some blogger rock stars for the first time, including Katja of Skimbaco Lifestyle, Jennifer of The Mom Bloggers Club, Janice of 5 Minutes for Mom   and Kim of Hormone Colored Days.
4. Walking the streets of Asheville with a big group of moms I had just met and having a blast.
5. Meeting their kids. Mom bloggers grow THE most adorable children.

More on the Type-A Mom Conference coming soon.

Much as moms might like to think that they’ve cornered the market on blogging, especially when it comes to their kids, the fact is that dad bloggers are out in force — so much so that, more than a year ago, Child’s Play Communications launched a Digital Dads program to complement our Team Mom and Web Mom blogger networks.

As an extension of that focus, from today through Saturday Child’s Play is participating in the Modern Media Man (M3) Summit in Atlanta, a new conference designed specifically for men — especially dads — who blog.

First, a thank you to all the nominees and finalists for the Bloganthropy Awards. The Awards are designed to recognize bloggers who use social media to make a difference in the world by supporting a worthy cause. Some perceive women’s blogs as all about diets and diapers, or in the case of moms, all about getting free products for review. At Dinner’s On Us on August 5, I think we helped show that there is a whole community of women, including moms, who are actively using social media to benefit others. At Child’s Play, we were amazed at what many of these women have accomplished and were thrilled to have the opportunity to recognize and support their efforts, via visibility at Dinner’s On Us and through a monetary award, provided by P&G’s Give Health. Congratulations to all the nominees, to the finalists, and especially to the winner, Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress, for all your good work.

Next, a thank you to our sponsors — we could not have done it without you! In alphabetical order:

• Baby Boom, which chose Dinner’s On Us for the national debut of its Baby Brezza One-Step Baby Food Maker and Clic-It Smart Diaper Bag System
• The California Strawberry Commission, which sampled mouthwatering chocolate-covered strawberries to guests
• Cold Stone Creamery, which offered everyone a taste of its latest flavor, the very popular Kate’s Creation
• Cusinart, which demonstrated fabulous blenders, teakettles, coffeemakers and juice extractors
• Giddy Up, which debuted its Fuzzoodles toy line to social media at Dinner’s On Us and demonstrated its latest Scientific Explorer products
• Hershey’s, which in partnership with Kraft treated guests to everyone’s campfire favorite, classic s’mores
• K’NEX, which displayed a broad assortment of its hit construction toys, including its famous Ferris wheels
• Nickelodeon, which highlighted the wonderful Dora the Explorer collection of toys and DVDs 
• Summit Toy, which showed its Backyard Safari Outfitters toys and chose Dinner’s On Us to launch its Zillionz kids’ money management line 
• Toyota,  which provided bloggers with product information and a very useful vehicle emergency kit
•  e.l.f., which offered moms makeovers and cosmetic gift bags

These sponsors also contributed to an end-of-evening raffle, with prizes ranging in value from $40 to more than $500. Thank you all!

Also, thanks to celebrated violinist David Garrett, for his performance and for providing autographed CDs for guests.

Last, but certainly not least, a huge thank you to all our guests. As I said in my presentation, we know that there were many other BlogHer-related events going on that evening. We want you to know how much we appreciate your spending time at ours. We are truly grateful. It was, as always, wonderful to see those of you with whom we’ve worked over time, and great to meet the rest of you. I sincerely hope that you had a wonderful evening with us and that we will see you again next year!