As we enter our 22nd year specializing in connecting companies with moms, we look forward to expanding our award-winning programs and continuing to set the bar in innovation.

Our focus in 2009 was on making Child’s Play not only the leader in social media outreach to moms, but also creatively expanding and integrating digital and traditional public relations practices to produce the best possible results for all of our clients.

On example: Child’s Play Communications’ network of mommy bloggers, Team Mom, picked up multiple awards this year, including:

• PRSA-NY Big Apple Award, Winner – Innovation & Technology
• SABRE Award, Certificate of Excellence - PR Agency Initiative 
• Bulldog Awards, Silver – PR Innovation of the Year and Bronze – Best Use of the Internet, Consumer.

Child’s Play Communications was the first agency to launch its own network of mommy bloggers, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, K’NEX, Elmer’s Products, Universal Motown and the Toy Industry Association are among the companies that took part in our Team Mom programs.

We were delighted to introduce other companies to the world of mommy bloggers through special events such as our recent Co-Op Bloggers Brunch, where top brands including Nickelodeon, Cuisinart, FujiFilm, Good Housekeeping and more had the opportunity to meet leading bloggers face to face, and to learn about the latest trends and issues in the momosphere through our panel presentation, What Does a Mommy Blogger Want?

For other clients, such as Goddard Systems, we created blogs and Twitter accounts, partnered with bloggers for special projects and developed full-scale social media policies while also implementing highly effective traditional media relations.

I had the opportunity to engage with many of you this year when I was invited to speak at a number of industry functions, including Kid Power, the Kids Today Conference, and the Ask the Experts session at BlogHer Business.

We have even more ideas in store to help companies market to moms next year – including a whole new division, to be announced soon. And we’re so pleased and flattered to be joining the Board of Directors of Bloganthropy (www.bloganthropy.com), a new blog designed to bring bloggers and philanthropic companies together to benefit those in need.

Once again, all of us here at Child’s Play would like to express our thanks to all of you and wish you the happiest of holidays and the best of new years.