Destination Maternity’s Oltman and PKT’s DaVanzo Tie For Best Speaker Award At M2Moms

Zanny Oltman, Vice President of Marketing and Marketing Partnerships, Destination Maternity Corporation, and Sarah DaVanzo, Strategic Planning Director, Trends + Culture, Publicis Kaplan Thaler, were each voted best speaker at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference, Oct. 22-24, 2012, Chicago. “The award is titled, ‘You Take The Cake’. It is given annually to the speaker or speakers, voted by M2Moms^® audience of brand marketers, who have presented the best insight and information about how to improve sales and marketing results with today’s moms,” stated Liz Fongemie, M2Moms^® Director.

Sarah DaVanzo, Publicis Kaplan Thaler

“Sarah’s presentation, ‘50 Shades of Mom’, showed marketers the differences between the various generations of moms. It was based on Publicis Kaplan Thaler research which highlighted the fact that in spite of the cultural and media spotlight on millennial moms, non-millennial moms represent 75% of all US moms and control 47 times the spending power of millennial moms. She used the research to show how marketers can connect with the different shades and generations of moms to build a passionate army of brand advocates,” Fongemie explained.

Zanny Oltman, Destination Maternity Corp.

“Zanny drew on Destination Maternity’s highly successful experience capturing the attention of today’s growing families to construct a case-study style presentation titled, ‘The Marketers’ Checklist: The Must-Haves to Reach Moms to Be’. She showed strategy and techniques Destination Maternity has used to become the place where expectant moms can expect it all.” Fongemie added, “Eighty per cent of all first-time moms shop at one or more of Destination Maternity’s brands including A Pea in The Pod^® and Motherhood Maternity^®.”

“Both sessions are perfect examples of what M2Moms^® is all about,” Fongemie continued. “Research, case studies and how to build more business with moms everywhere are why brand marketers attend M2Moms^®. It is precisely because of moms’ purchasing power that M2Moms^® draws attendance from a truly diverse and comprehensive list of brands,” Fongemie added, “including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They all recognize that marketing to moms is critical to continued brand growth and market share.”

M2Moms^® is presented by Lifetime Television. M2Moms® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, Publicis Kaplan Thaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity/Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

HABA USA President Lea Culliton Wins Full Circle Award At M2Moms

Lea Culliton, President of HABA USA, the US division of the German-based toy company specializing in European-crafted children’s products, was presented the “Full Circle Award” at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference, Oct. 22-24, 2012, Chicago. “The Award, now in its fourth year, is given someone who takes what they learned at M2Moms^® and applies it in their business to improve their sales and marketing results with today’s moms,” stated Nan McCann, M2Moms^® producer.

“After last year’s M2Moms^® Lea presented what she learned to her corporate board in Germany and with their go-ahead literally reinvented and modernized the toy maker’s entire approach to marketing to moms. Today HABA is heavily engaged with moms on almost every digital channel,” McCann explained. “It’s gotten to the point that she’s become the go-to person for social media throughout her company and even the specialty toy industry, as she sits on the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (ASTRA) as a board member.”

“Lea is a perfect example of what M2Moms^® is all about,” McCann continued. “Sometimes people come to M2Moms^® and life changes. Maybe they learn something that causes them to redo a plan and make it better. Perhaps they meet someone who is exactly the expert they need for a project. Or, they have a moment of inspiration that launches something new that never existed before.”

“M2Moms^® is dedicated to helping marketers improve their marketing efforts to today’s ever-evolving moms. Mom is the modern family’s most important decision maker in virtually every consumer industry and product category. It is precisely because of moms’ purchasing power that M2Moms^® draws attendance from a truly diverse and comprehensive list of brands,” McCann added., “including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They all recognize that marketing to moms is critical to continued brand growth and market share.”

M2Moms^® is presented by Lifetime Television. M2Moms® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, Publicis Kaplan Thaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity/Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Mom Marketing Guru Stacy DeBroff Wins MomFirst Award At M2Moms

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central Consulting, the leading social media consulting firm focused on moms, was presented with the “MomFirst Award” at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference, Oct. 22-24, 2012, Chicago. “The Award is given annually to a woman who started something new when, in her own role as a Mother, she saw a need and filled it… first as a mom at home, and then in the marketplace,” stated Nan McCann, M2Moms^® producer. “As part of the Award, M2Moms^® made a $1,000.00 donation in Stacy’s honor to the March of Dimes.”

(L to R) Jackie Groah, Director, National Strategic Alliances, March of Dimes receives a check for $1000 from Liz Fongemie, SVP, PME Enterprises, LLC and Project Director, M2Moms and Nan McCann, President, PME Enterprises, LLC and Producer, M2Moms, in honor of Stacy DeBroff, Founder and CEO, Mom Central Consulting and winner of the 2012 M2Moms MomFirst Award, on October 23, 2012 at the 8th Annual M2Moms Conference in Chicago.

“We recognize Stacy’s business success in the creation and growth of Mom Central, a company devoted to providing savvy advice to simplify and enrich the lives of busy Moms and their families, as we celebrate how it started… Stacy was a mom, first!,” McCann, explained. “Mom Central evolved out of Stacy’s work that focused on helping professional moms like herself achieve a satisfying work-life balance. She wrote four best-selling books on the topic, and soon top brands began seeking her out to help them build business with today’s moms.”

“Stacy’s expert marketing advice and insights have been featured in such broadcast outlets as CNN’s American Morning and Headline News Fox News and Fox & Friends; Bloomberg News, NBC’s Today Show, The View, The Tyra Banks Show, the CBS Early Show, the Daily Buzz, Good Morning, America, and the Rachael Ray Show. She’s also contributed to major print media, such as USA Today, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal,” McCann added.

“M2Moms^® is dedicated to helping marketers improve their marketing efforts to today’s ever evolving moms. It is precisely because of moms’ purchasing power that M2Moms® draws attendance from a truly diverse and comprehensive list of brands,” McCann explained, “including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They all recognize that marketing to moms is critical to continued brand growth and market share.”

M2Moms^® is presented by Lifetime Television. M2Moms® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, Publicis Kaplan Thaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity/Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Lifetime Presents 8th Annual M2Moms® —The Marketing to Moms Conference

Teaching Brand Marketers How To Improve Their Marketing To Today’s Moms

Led by Deborah Tillman, America’s Supernanny from Lifetime, and Amy Baker, Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales, Lifetime Networks, www.mylifetime.com, Lifetime will present two and a half days of executive education for consumer brand marketers who target moms at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference, Oct. 22-24, 2012, Chicago.

“Lifetime is a leading brand among women, and we are very pleased that they will lead this year’s program,” stated Liz Fongemie, M2Moms^® Director. “Their goals and mission align perfectly with M2Moms^® mission of helping marketers improve their marketing, sales and communications to today’s moms.”

In addition to Baker and Tillman, comedian and LifetimeMoms.com personality Eileen Kelly will share anecdotes of being a mom today during a special lunchtime session.

“Ranging from Microsoft to Coca-Cola, M2Moms^® always draws attendance from a truly diverse and comprehensive list of brands,” Fongemie explained. “This year’s registration includes Kellogg’s, Evenflo, McDonalds, Mead Johnson, Aeropostale, Mass Mutual, Heinz, Olympic Paint & Stain, Viacom, Kimberly Clark, Brown Shoe, Procter & Gamble, and Bayer. They all recognize that marketing to moms is critical to continued brand growth and market share.”

M2Moms^® additional sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, Publicis Kaplan Thaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity/Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

ABOUT LIFETIME

Lifetime Television is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. In the Third Quarter 2012, the network posted major growth in viewership versus Third Quarter 2011, including a 14% increase among Women 18-49, +9% in Women 25-54 and +5% among Adults 18-49, marking the third straight quarter Lifetime has registered year-on-year growth among the key demographics. Lifetime Television®, LMN®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Marketing to New Moms Explained at M2Moms

First Time Moms Change Shopping Habits

“A woman becomes a new mom just once in her lifetime. From the moment she finds out she is pregnant to the joy of her new arrival, her feelings and thoughts about brands and products and how she actually shops all changes,” according to Sandy Gingerich, Senior Partner at Eric Mower + Associates. Using shopper insights and proprietary research gathered from EMA’s New Moms team, Gingerich will share with marketers how to better connect with new moms during a special workshop at the 8^th Annual M2Moms^® — The Marketing to Moms Conference, Oct. 22-24 in Chicago, IL.

Gingerich explains the workshop, dubbed ”Shopper “Mom” Marketing: 9 months to connect your brand to her new reality!” is an exploration of the new mom mindset in the midst of her new reality. “Until her new baby is in her arms, she doesn’t fully understand how her trust in brands and her shopping habits have and will continue to change. She has new needs in categories she’s never considered before, a new commitment to putting her baby first and ultimately, new worries about making the right decisions for her and her family.”

“Given the fact that 42 percent of all births are to first time moms, I’m sure this presentation will have every marketer’s attention,” said Liz Fongemie, M2Moms^® Director. “For brands, first time moms are a huge opportunity to build trust and long lasting relationships, which is critically important considering mom is the modern family’s most important decision maker in virtually every consumer industry and product category.”

“It is precisely because of moms’ purchasing power that M2Moms^® draws attendance from a truly diverse and comprehensive list of brands including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They all recognize that marketing to moms is critical to continued brand growth and market share.”

M2Moms^® is presented by Lifetime Television. M2Moms® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, Publicis Kaplan Thaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity/Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Get to Know ‘The Mom Next Door’ – and Why and How She Makes Recommendations – at M2Moms

A new study, set to be released at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference October 22-24 at the Chicago Cultural Center, reveals why and how moms make recommendations, and compares the frequency and trustworthiness of recommendations made in-person to those made online. The Mom Next Door: Why and How Moms Make Recommendations, a new, collaborative research initiative of The 360PR MomSquad^® and Mom It Forward, brings to light the true power of ‘the mom next door’ and how brands can engage her.

“The power of word-of-mom is well understood by brands today, but there’s much to learn about the recommender-mom, how and why she makes recommendations, and how those recommendations are received,” explained 360PR CEO Laura Tomasetti, who, with Mom It Forward CEO Jyl Johnson Pattee, will discuss findings of The Mom Next Door study and how brands can more effectively fuel mom recommendations.

Research by 360PR and Mom It Forward includes interviews with more than 1,000 moms. A series of live events helped mirror the real conversations that moms have about brands every day. The Mom Next Door workshop at M2Moms^® will give brands a close-up view of the recommender-mom and how she shares online and off – the later often forgotten in this social media age, but, as the study found, more relevant than ever.

“I’m sure Laura and Jyl’s session will be a real hit with the all brands in the audience,” according to Liz Fongemie, M2Moms^® Director. “The brands are always looking for new channels to influence moms purchasing. They attend because they know that keeping up with today’s moms is critical to building and maintaining market share in virtually every industry and product category.”

“M2Moms^® draws attendance from a really comprehensive and diverse list of moms brands including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola,” Fongemie stated. “They all recognize that marketing to moms is a continual and evolving process.”

M2Moms^® is presented by Lifetime Television. M2Moms^® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, Publicis Kaplan Thaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity/Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms^® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For M2Moms^® information: http://www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Twelve Nation Global Kids Research Examined At M2Moms

Findings from The New Definition of Childhood: A Global Kids Study first-of-its-kind online global children’s’ lifestyles study conducted by The Marketing Store Worldwide will be explored at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing To Moms Conference, presented by Lifetime Television, Oct. 22 – 24, Chicago Cultural Center.

According to Renee Weber, PhD, VP, Planning. & Research, who will be presenting the findings with Rob Pieper Sr. VP, Planning & Strategy, both of The Marketing Store Worldwide, “the research focuses on what kids value most, what drives their happiness, their aspirations and outlook, how technology is woven into their day, their favorite activities and interests – and with whom they prefer to do them.”

“The study also reflects”, Weber explained, “how influential children are in moms purchasing decisions globally, how marketing to kids is perceived by moms and kids alike across a wide variety of cultures, and the implications of these findings on brands. The study spanned twelve countries and included over 4000 children aged 6 – 12 years.”

“Understanding kids’ perceptions and motivations in a marketing context will be such a valuable session for all the brand marketers in the audience. Especially how kids are influencers of moms’ purchasing, not just here in the U.S. but worldwide. This is such current and valuable data,” according to Liz Fongemie, M2Moms^® Director.

“Because understanding moms and all of their true purchasing motivations – including moms’ views on marketing to their kids – is critical insight. It will help brands at M2Moms^® build better and more enduring business connections with today’s moms,” Fongemie said.

“M2Moms^® draws attendance from a really comprehensive and diverse list of moms brands,” Fongemie explained, “including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They all recognize that marketing to moms is a continually evolving process with multiple purchasing influences.”

M2Moms® is presented by Lifetime Television. M2Moms^® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, AOL, Mom 365, Weber Shandwick, The Motherhood, Fleishman Hillard, PublicisKaplanThaler; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis Research, GGP, VolunteerSpot, Habitat For Humanity – Women Build; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store Worldwide, 360 PR, Specific Media, Eric Mower + Associates, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations & The Geppetto Group, Modern Family, Mom It Forward, Sway Group; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Mary Lou Quinlan To Present “The God Box” At M2Moms

Women’s marketing expert Mary Lou Quinlan, Founder of Just Ask a Woman, will perform her new one-woman show based on her New York Times bestselling book, The God Box at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing To Moms Conference, Oct. 22 – 24, Chicago Cultural Center.

“As marketers,” Quinlan explained, “we know that one of the most critical and defining female relationships is between mothers and daughters. We know this in ‘real life’ but may overlook it when we connect with moms and women as consumers. Understanding the psychology of how we become the women we are can lead to stunning insights, not only for our clients but for ourselves.”

“I wrote The God Box about a discovery I made after my mother’s death that revealed lessons that changed my outlook on life.” Quinlan added, “I promise this performance will be a memorable experience – professional and personal – for all the marketers in the M2Moms^® audience.”

“Understanding women and their true motivations will help the marketers at M2Moms® build more and better business with moms,” according to Liz Fongemie, M2Moms^® Director. ”Mary Lou is a globally recognized authority on what women want. With Just Ask a Woman she advised over 100 blue chip brands including: Wells Fargo, Pepsi, GlaxoSmithKline, and KAO Brands, among others.”

“After her onstage performance, Mary Lou will conduct a Q and A about how she created "The God Box" brand targeted at moms of all ages. She’ll share lessons learned from the marketing success of "The God Box" as book, play and mobile app built by a virtual global team. Plus Mary Lou comes bearing gifts!” Fongemie added, “Everyone who attends the conference will receive a copy of the book, And Mary Lou will be happily available to sign them. More information about The God Box Project can be found at www.theGodBoxproject.com.”

“I’m sure Mary Lou’s session will be a real hit with the all brands in the audience,” Fongemie, said. “M2Moms^® draws attendance from a really comprehensive and diverse list of moms brands including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They all recognize that marketing to moms is a continually evolving process.”

M2Moms® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: AOL, House Party, Ketchum, Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD, Moms 365, Fleishman Hillard & The Motherhood, Weber Shandwick; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor, Zeldis; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store, 360 PR, Mom It Forward, Specific Media, Edelman’s Modern Family Practice, Eric Mower+Associates; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

New survey indicates moms spending more for back-to-school shopping this year

Moms plan to increase their spending for the first time in two years.

School Family Media, Inc., a marketing and media services company focused exclusively on promoting and enabling meaningful parent involvement at K-8 schools (and sponsor of M2Moms), recently released the results of their second annual Back-to-School Shopping Survey. The 2012 online survey with over 1,500 women respondents who have school aged children indicated increased spending during back-to-school 2012 but value is still a priority.

“We work with moms all year, across all demographics, who are engaged with their kids’ education, so we were uniquely positioned to gain and share some insights about moms’ attitudes regarding back-to-school shopping,” said John Driscoll, President – Consumer Connections, School Family Media. “There is a clear indication that for the first time in three years, moms anticipate spending more during the 2012 back-to-school season.”

Moms are also increasingly active online and using technology to find the best value for their dollar. However, the tradition of shopping in brick and mortar stores for back-to-school is still strong.

According to the survey, moms are:

Spending more for back-to-school in 2012

The percentage of moms indicating they were going to spend more increased vs. the same survey School Family Media did last year and the average spend was $641.14 which was up more than 6% compared to the National Retail Federation’s 2011 back-to-school survey, where moms anticipated spending $603.63. The top categories that moms intend to increase their spending are: clothing and food and beverage products for school lunches/after school snacks.

Spending more on food and beverage as well as clothing

Moms are increasing the money allocated for food and clothing this year with 38% of respondents anticipating spending more on food and beverage products for school lunches and after school snacks and 36% spending more on clothing. Closely following clothing are basic school supplies, where 34.5% of moms anticipate increasing their spend.

Looking for value

Even though moms plan on spending more, value and promotional offers still strongly influence where they purchase. 76.2% ranked price/coupon/promotional offer as their number one influencer for where they shop. Convenience of shopping location followed price as a top influencer at 56.5%

Purchasing at mass merchandise stores rather than online

Respondents strongly preferred shopping at mass merchandiser outlets (77.6%) vs. online (2.4%) showing that even though moms are becoming more technologically savvy, they are still shopping at brick and mortar stores for back-to-school. Right behind the large box stores are retail drugstores and office supply stores.

Finding the deals digitally

While moms may not be making the bulk of their back-to-school purchases online, they do prefer to receive information about products and promotions digitally. The top two preferred sources of information for back-to school products and promotions were: email from brand/store and brand/store websites. Social networks still lagged overall (5.1%) compared to “older digital” such as email and websites.

Still shopping after the kids are in school

A surprising 25% of respondents are in no rush to finish their back-to-school shopping. These moms are planning on finishing up their lists after the kids are already settled in their classrooms. The top items left to purchase after school starts are technology products (43.5%) with clothing coming in second (22.8%).

For more information and complete survey results, contact John Driscoll at jdriscoll@schoolfamilymedia.com. And hear even more great stats on Moms from School Family Media at M2Moms!

March of Dimes to Discuss Impact of Its Inaugural imbornto Campaign at M2Moms

The March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health, will host a panel discussion to share its new cause marketing campaign, imbornto^SM at the 8th Annual M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference, October 22-24, 2012 in the Chicago Cultural Center. This new national campaign, activated annually from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day, encourages consumers to shop, dine, and donate wherever the March of Dimes imbornto logo is displayed.

The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness of the mission of the Foundation, widen its relevance to a greater number of individuals as well as raise money for the organization’s vital research and programs. Through this campaign, the March of Dimes will become the “Official Partner of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day^SM.”

The panel at M2Moms® will feature select partners from the 2012 campaign that included HSN – Home Shopping Network, The Honest Company, ProFlowers, Destination Maternity, Kmart and Famous Footwear as well as media partners USA Today, People, Real Simple, Titan Outdoor and Everyday Health.

“I’m sure all of the marketers in the audience will be excited to learn how the campaign worked for both the March of Dimes and its partners.” according to Liz Fongemie, M2Moms® Director. “Brands attend M2Moms® looking for new ways and new techniques to reach moms. This panel will be a really good case study they can learn from. It will give them insights and lessons they can immediately apply to their own initiatives.”

“It’s a great fit. Every year,” Fongemie added, “M2Moms® is attended by a comprehensive and diverse list of brands including Microsoft, Kellogg’s, Evenflo, IKEA, Mead Johnson, GM, Allstate, Heinz, Symantec, Hasbro, BBC, NBA, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and Coca-Cola. They attend because they know that learning how to keep up with today’s moms is critical to building and maintaining market share in virtually every industry and product category.”

M2Moms® sponsors include Title Sponsor: Yahoo!; Associate Sponsors: AOL, House Party; Ketchum; Mom Central, Destination Maternity, School Family Media, The Bump, WebMD; Showcase Sponsors: Quester, Carolina Pad, Experian, The God Box, Female Factor; Workshop Sponsors: Child’s Play Communications, The Marketing Store, 360 PR, Specific Media, Edelman, Eric Mower+Associates; Video Content Resource: Snippies. M2Moms® 2012 proudly supports the March of Dimes.

For more information about the March of Dimes, its nationwide network of chapters, its premier event March for Babies^®, and the latest March of Dimes resources, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org or follow the March of Dimes on Facebook and Twitter.

For M2Moms^® information: www.m2moms.com or 860.724.2649 x11. M2Moms^® is produced by PME^® Enterprises LLC, 912 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 101, Wethersfield, CT 06109.