So it was with recognition that I read the results of a recent study by Gatorade indicating that, as youth athletics become more demanding, moms have “elevated their game” to support their kids in sports. According to the brand, 70% of moms  have kids in competitive sports, creating a group of “Sports Moms” the brand pegs at 13 million strong.

These sports moms spend “one-third more time and more than twice as much money across their children’s entire span of extracurricular activities than moms without kids in sports. Despite this, 79 percent of Sports Moms report that it’s ‘no problem’ balancing these added demands with their other responsibilities, further reinforcing their commitment to their kids’ sports. And according to the study, of all the things moms do to support their athletes’ success, they say the area where they have the greatest influence is in their athletes’ nutrition.”

Sounds mostly right, although I’m not sure about that last part. Seems like offering moral support, making sure Evan got where he needed to be and standing on the sidelines screaming my lungs out had more impact than the fact that I supplied the orange slices (and, yes, probably Gatorade).    I remember my shock — followed  by a  sensation that mixed disorientation with relief — when my son headed off to college and I realized for the first time in, oh, 12 years, that I actually had my weekends to myself.

Are you a “Sports Mom”?  How do you feel about it, how do you manage that responsibility and what is the most important role you play?

Here at Child’s Play, we enjoy putting on events like our recent LA Bloggers Brunch. On the flip side, as bloggers we also love going to events – it provides us with the opportunity to mingle, and the chance to check out the latest and greatest that different companies have to offer.

I was invited to an event recently that I was really excited about. However, much to my dismay, I was only able to last a half hour before I high-tailed it out of there. From a cramped event space to complete confusion about where I was supposed to go, let’s just say this event didn’t live up to all the hype.

We thought we would use this opportunity as a learning experience, and provide a few tips that you should keep in mind when planning and executing an event.

Don’t make false advertisements. If you are going to advertise something in the event invitation itself, then make sure to do it. For example, if attendees come expecting X and see that there is no X, you may wind up with a lot of aggravated people on your hands. Now don’t get me wrong, events can be unpredictable and things can sometimes fall through the cracks. When this happens, make sure you address the issue upfront so attendees aren’t left questioning what went wrong.

Choose the right space. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of an event concept, which can result in the selection of the wrong space. When you are planning your event, make sure you know exactly what you need in a location. How many people are going to be there? Will there be sponsors – if so, where will they exhibit? What about food? Even though you may fall in love with a space, it doesn’t mean it’s the right place for your event. If you are expecting a large number of people, select a location that can comfortably hold that number. Sure it looks great to have a crowd; but from an attendee perspective, being lodged in a cramped space is not enjoyable in the least.

Manage the event. The last thing you want is for there to be mass confusion at your event. You can avoid this by planning ahead. Assign staff members to specific areas like managing check-in and “working the crowd.”  Don’t make your guests wait outside in the freezing cold to get in, be smart about the check-in process. Once they are through the door, greet your guests and give them the lay of the land. Point out a few main attractions, let them know where the bathroom is; ask if they have any questions. Just because you check them off the list, doesn’t mean your work is finished.  

Identify “media.” If you are going to have the media in attendance – whether it’s a media-only event, or an event that includes both the media and the general public — make sure you have some type of identifier. You can do this with a name badge, wrist band, etc. So whether it’s the event staff or the sponsors, everyone is aware of the media present. Obviously, if you have media at your event, you want them to write about it. If you know which attendees are members of the media, you can make sure they are having a good time, or answer any questions.  If there are sponsors present, then this enables them to be aware that anything they say is on the record.  

Those are just a handful of things to keep in mind. Have you ever been to an event that went particularly well – or poorly? Do you have a few tips to share?

Stacie, The Divine Miss Mommy, a member of the Child’s Play Communications Team Mom blogger network, whom I met  at our November 2009  Bloggers Brunch in New York City; Miranda, Keeper of the Cheerios, another wonderful Team Mom-er; Amy, Mom Advice; Amy, Mom Spark, also a Team Mom-er; Jill, Musings from Me, who also attended our NY Bloggers Brunch;  Carol, NYCity Mama, another Brunch guest; Mindy, The Mommy Blog; and Jamie, Travel Savvy Mom.

To those of my blogger friends who may wonder why they weren’t on the list: There were very specific OOCVB criteria for this trip, including the child’s age and the blogger’s location, so let’s just say I hope to contact you for the next one!

In the meantime — everyone stay tuned for pictures!

Speakers included Barb Rentschler (Chief Marketing Office, K’NEX) and Dell Monson (Senior Director of Marketing, Hidden City Games), both of whom have reached out to mom bloggers through Child’s Play Communications’ award-winning Team Mom  review network;  Kimberly Coleman (Blogger, Mom in the City) and Melissa Chapman (Blogger, Real Moms Guide, Kids in the City, WCBS-TV).

Thank you to our panelists and to all who attended – it quickly became standing room only! What really made this presentation so appealing and successful, I think,  was that it offered perspectives from marketers on the one hand and bloggers on the other. I’d like to share key highlights here, starting with the marketers’ point of view:

•  Marketers recognize that moms are extremely influential in terms of making purchasing decisions. Since a large majority of moms are online, it makes sense for brands to have an active  presence there to show that they are listening to moms and to answer any questions moms might have.
• It’s important to connect all the components of social media outreach — whether Facebook, Twitter or mom blog review networks – into an overall online media strategy that makes sense. Companies can also leverage advertising campaigns around it for a more integrated program.
• Right now, the focus is on spending marketing dollars in the social media space rather than traditional media. Certainly for marketing departments with small budgets, social media is the way to go: It’s better to spend money where you are reaching your target audience effectively, especially when you don’t have millions of dollars for TV advertising.
• Marketers can use today’s technology to find the true impact of a social media campaign. For example, a blogger might not necessarily have large numbers, but the secondary readers might drive more traffic to your site.
• When reaching out to mom bloggers, realize that not everyone is going to like your product. Take the good posts with the bad. If there is negative feedback, understand why they didn’t like the product; it could be a bigger issue down the road.

A second post will follow in a day or two, featuring the perspective of the mom blogger panelists. Stay tuned! And in the meantime, please share your thoughts on the marketer comments above.

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.

The Bloggers Brunch, held at a private club in New York City, was designed to enable bloggers to connect in person with our clients and each other — as well as to enjoy a lovely brunch (complete with “momosas”), great giveaways and raffle prizes that could not be beat.

I would like to say a special thanks to a  long list of folks who joined us today:

First, to our panel of leading mom bloggers, who addressed the topic “What Does a Mommy Blogger Want?” offering insights into the issues and trends that affect the momosphere today, as well as advice on how best to interest mom bloggers in your brand. Major kudos to: Debbie of Mamanista,  Kimberly of  Mom in the City, Liz of Cool Mom Picks, Jo-Lynne of Musings of a Housewife, and Melissa of Real Moms Guide. Great job!

Second, to the members of the Child’s Play Communications review network, Team Mom, who joined us for the day. What a pleasure to see everyone in person.

Third, to the folks who traveled from out of the NYC area — New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Boston, Virginia, Maryland and even Florida! We hope you found the journey worthwhile.

And almost last but not at all least, to all the sponsors who helped make this possible. In alphabetical order: Cuisinart, FujiFilm, Goddard Schools, Good Housekeeping, Joy Berry Enterprises, Nickelodeon, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Toy Industry Association. And, of course, to Lord & Taylor, which arranged for Louis, of Laura Mercier, to provide makeovers for our guests.

Love you all. Can’t wait until next year. Photos and video soon to follow.

Much has been said about the growing community of moms online. Far less has been noted about the fact that for many of these blogging, tweeting, Facebooking moms, their favorite activity of all is connecting offline – not virtually, but in person, or as they often call it, “IRL” (In Real Life). 

While the momosphere began as a way to communicate with other mothers across the country without ever leaving one’s home, more and more moms are indeed leaving their homes and often traveling long distances for the sole purpose of connecting in person with other moms they have “met” only online.

The overwhelming success of BlogHer — the largest conference for women bloggers in the U.S. – best illustrates this growing movement. Fifteen hundred moms from across the country car pooled, plane hopped, ticket begged — and tracked down sponsors to cover their expenses — to connect, in person, with women whom they knew only through reading their blogs, exchanging comments on posts, or communicating in 140-character bursts.

Why? I decided to ask some members of our Team Mom review network for their stories. My favorite response was from Candice Bloom of Mom Most Traveled. Candice traveled to the BlogHer conference in Chicago not from its suburbs or even, like some others, from as far away as the East or West Coast. Candice took a 30-hour flight from Vietnam, where she has been working since 2002 for a non-profit organization. She made the journey not to get a taste of home or to visit family, but specifically for the conference itself.

“We had decided not to visit home last summer because of financial issues. (But) For the conference, I packed up my two children and flew from Southeast Asia to Chicago. I left my husband behind in Asia and we were apart for 2 months.”

To make this BlogHer trip possible, “I worked hard and made a lot of sacrifices. We also reordered our lives so that we could have more freedom to spend money on things like blogging conferences. We moved into a smaller house so that the monthly rent would be cheaper, and we also went from two cars to one.”

The reasons: “I decided that blogging is really what I want to do. I want to ‘make it’ as a blogger!” As part of that, “I wanted to meet every one face to face. I wanted to meet my online friends and make new friends. I wanted to connect with PR professionals and other bloggers whom I admire. I think it gives you more credibility as an online presence. Also the shared memories of the experiences you had at the conference can bond you together. Kind of like being in a sorority (not that I was ever in one).”

“The internet is such a big place,” she continued, “it takes effort to make real connections.”

In response to this mom-blogger passion for connecting offline, mini versions of BlogHer are popping up all over – the Type A Mom Conference in Asheville in September, the Blogalicious event in Atlanta this month, and more. On Nov. 11 in New York City, Child’s Play Communications is hosting its second annual Bloggers Brunch, an opportunity for bloggers and sponsors to connect one: one in an intimate atmosphere. At last year’s event, dozens of mom bloggers met live and in person for the first time, talked about their lives and why they blog, drank a considerable number of mimosas, and had a terrific time.

Individual companies also understand the value these moms place on live meetings. Procter & Gamble and Sara Lee, among a growing list of others, have invited groups of bloggers to their headquarters or to special events. While the companies’ goal in those cases is to launch products or promote the brand, the appeal for the guests — along with recognition and an expense-paid trip — is largely having the chance to spend time with each other.

In recent years, the term “social” has undergone some redefinition. Once a description for a live event or an outgoing person, it became the nomenclature for what appeared to be the opposite — a virtual experience, where traditional “sociability” was tossed out the window. Now, it’s beginning to shift back — all of which suggests that one way or the other, moms will find a means to connect with each other.

Moms, how important do you think it is to meet other mom bloggers in person? Why? What have you done to make it happen?

Marketers, what programs have you created to bring moms together while promoting your brand?

I thought you might find the article informative.  For the full story, visit here.

And now — off to day 2, the start of the blogger (vs. business) end of the largest gathering of women bloggers in the U.S. — and a chance to meet even more folks we have so much enjoyed working with.