Nick’s ParentsConnect announces Parents’ Picks Awards

Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect has announced this year’s annual Parents’ Picks Awards, where parents can pick their favorite businesses and local resources in their communities across the country. Started May 5, parents nationwide can vote online at http://www.nicksparentspicks.com for the best of the best in 30 different categories, including: best museum for families; best toy store; best playground/park; and more. Voting for the awards will end on July 15 and winners will be announced on Aug. 15.  “ParentsConnect is a great resource for families to find information that is helpful in their everyday lives,” said Tanya Van Court, SVP and general manager of NOGGIN, ParentsConnect and Nick Jr.com. “With Parents’ Picks, we want to hear what parents have to say about the best places to eat, shop and play in their local communities. Their ideas, opinions and recommendations are key ingredients in ParentsConnect’s mission to serve as a quality resource and authority on what’s great for families all over the country.”

 

ParentsConnect’s Parents’ Pick Awards will identify winners from more than 10,000 nominees in 52 major U.S. cities. Winning venues will receive a “Parents’ Pick 2009 Winner” seal to display in their storefront windows, and will be featured on Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect for the rest of 2009 as one of the best family resources in the area.  Last year, more than 165,000 votes were cast for ParentsConnect Parents’ Picks Awards. All Parents’ Picks businesses are nominated based on recommendations from Nickelodeon’s local city editors that live and work in the cities they cover, in conjunction with the sites’ user feedback. User votes ultimately determine the winning venues in 30 different categories.

Best for Babes Foundation launches provocative breastfeeding campaign

On May 25, the Best for Babes Foundation launched a clever and provocative new ad campaign designed to change the public perception of breastfeeding and expose the “booby traps”–the myriad cultural and institutional barriers that keep moms from succeeding. The ad debuted with an exclusive in the June/July issue of Fit Pregnancy.   Best for Babes co-founders Bettina Forbes and Danielle Rigg aim to shift the focus off the “breast vs. bottle” debate and current backlash against breastfeeding, and on to the real issue: women are being urged to breastfeed but set up to fail. The CDC recently found that only 40% of new moms achieve their personal breastfeeding goals, and only 12% reach the minimum six months of exclusive breastfeeding recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Forbes and Rigg invite the media and the public to dig deeper into the reasons why women are throwing in the towel within days or weeks, and stop blaming mothers. “All moms deserve better information, and to be coached, cheered on and celebrated, without pressure, judgment or guilt,” says Forbes, who initially did not want to breastfeed. “We are too quick to judge women without respecting their circumstances or the obstacles they face.” The first ad in the campaign highlights both the personal and societal costs to not helping mothers succeed at breastfeeding. Frank About Women, a leading marketing-to-women communications firm, donated the six-figure ad campaign because they were captivated by the Best for Babes Foundation’s mainstream, positive vision and the opportunity to use their creative talents to empower women without making them feel guilty. “This was a chance to help millions of moms and contribute to an important cause we are all passionate about,” noted Diane Ridgway-Cross, managing partner at Frank About Women. The campaign is being backed by a growing corporate alliance, including Earth Mama Angel Baby, My Brest Friend and Hotslings, as well as health non-profits and leading breastfeeding groups.  It has also been endorsed by Dr. Joan Meek, chair of the United States Breastfeeding Committee and celebrities Gabrielle Reece and Marilu Henner.

 

The Best for Babes Foundation was established in 2007 to give breastfeeding a makeover by using mainstream marketing and branding to inspire, prepare and empower moms and reveal and remove the barriers that keep moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals, despite their best intentions. The Best for Babes Web site, www.bestforbabes.org, offers breastfeeding inspiration, help for moms who don’t want to breastfeed, a ground-breaking checklist for expectant moms, important information about navigating the “booby traps,” as well as opportunities to become involved.  

Toys”R”Us strives to make shopping more convenient with “R” Market

To help make shopping even more convenient for time-strapped parents, Toys”R”Us, Inc. has introduced “R” Market, a new, dedicated shop featuring an expanded assortment of consumables and commodities in select Toys”R”Us stores nationwide. Located at the front of more than 260 of the company’s 585 Toys”R”Us stores, “R” Market will roll out to additional locations across the country later this year. “R” Market features nearly 1,300 essential and discretionary products from trusted brands. The product assortment in “R” Market has something for the entire family, from favorite snacks and beverages for lunchboxes, to a broad selection of candy to complete the perfect family movie night. Quick pickups such as paper goods, as well as laundry and cleaning supplies are also available at affordable prices. Additionally, while Toys”R”Us stores have always been a destination for diapers, infant formula and baby food, the company has increased the selection of these items through “R” Market to make it easier for parents to find everything they need for babies while shopping for must-have toys for bigger kids. “As part of our business strategy, we are continually focused on improving the shopping experience for customers in our stores. This includes looking for new ways to provide busy parents with the convenience of finding everything they need for their kids under one roof,” said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys”R”Us, Inc. “The introduction of “R” Market offers customers a uniquely edited presentation of differentiated, kid-focused products from well-known manufacturers, as well as newer brands.”

With in-store signage featuring the iconic Toys”R”Us reversed “R” logo and a shopping cart with bursting stars, “R” Market is easily identifiable as the location for convenient pickup items. This shop bolsters the company’s position as a one-stop shopping destination for families and kids. The convenient offerings of “R” Market provide a great complement to the company’s selection of toys and electronics that kids crave – an assortment that continues to expand with the addition of new products, such as the recent introduction of Webkinz®.

Celebrity parents join Disney World’s Moms Panel

Want the “celebrity scoop” on visiting Walt Disney World? Look no further. Families can now access park tips from celebrity moms and dads via the Walt Disney World Moms Panel site, www.disneyworldmoms.com. Disney Parks welcomes television personality Joan Lunden and actor/comedian Brad Garrett, as they go on camera to share vacation advice based on their family travel experiences. Lunden and Garrett are just another two parents, like the real parents on the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, who have mastered the art of planning a Disney vacation.  “We are thrilled that celebrity parents and our very own Moms Panelists are excited to share their personal planning strategies with other families,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “The new videos and fresh ideas add another component to the question/answer format, further proving the Moms Panel as a great planning resource for guests.”

 

Additionally, the Moms Panelists have joined the spotlight to provide helpful videos on ways to “Celebrate You!” an exploration adventure in “Kim Possible, The Adventure” design T-shirts at a new Downtown Disney store and kids discover nature at “Kids’ Discovery Club.”  Offering up family traditions and one-of-a-kind vacation advice, the “How-to” videos will continue to grow as new celebrities visit the Parks and panelists continue to share their secrets.  To view the celebrity videos and pose questions to the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, visit www.disneyworldmoms.com.

KeepEmCookin.com honored by Pregnancy magazine

Vitamin® recently announced that a Web site the firm designed for the pregnancy education organization Keep ‘Em Cookin’ has been noted by Pregnancy magazine as the publication’s “Web Site We Can’t Live Without” in the June 2009 issue. The Web site www.KeepEmCookin.com, which launched in February 2009, provides information on bed rest and preterm labor that is current, concise and easy to understand. The site supplies reliable information, and then gives women an online forum to talk about bed rest and preterm labor as a community.  Keep ‘Em Cookin’ was established by Angela Davids, a mother in Baltimore, Md. who brought two of her babies to full-term despite several episodes of preterm labor with each pregnancy. Davids was on bed rest during her pregnancies, and like many women on extended bed rest, she experienced boredom and frustration, and multiple pregnancy-related health issues. While recovering from preeclampsia and acute kidney failure after the birth of her son, Davids decided to create a community to help other women with pregnancy complications. “Vitamin is so very proud to be partnered with Keep ‘Em Cookin’ and Angela on this noteworthy web project,” says Amanda Karfakis, president/CEO of Vitamin. “We are especially excited to have the pleasure of watching Angela’s business soar from concept to reality to a widely recognized resource in such a short period of time. She is providing valuable content on a topic that people want to hear about … nearly one million women are put on bed rest each year, and they now have a well-respected resource they can easily access for answers and support.”  The site includes a forum for expectant mothers and fathers, as well as current news, articles and resources on preterm birth. For ease of keeping the site’s content fresh, Vitamin implemented a custom content management system (CMS), enabling the staff at Keep ‘Em Cookin’ to update the content daily.  The Web site has seen its traffic grow daily — all virally, through grassroots and social marketing. Launched in January, KeepEmCookin.com now logs 6,000 to 7,000 visits per month.  Karfakis says, “In addition to being a valuable information tool for women with high-risk pregnancies, KeepEmCookin.com is a smart marketing channel for advertisers who are looking to target the captive audience of pregnant women on bed rest.”

 

With the first phase of the Web site live and receiving significant exposure among media and consumers, Keep ‘Em Cookin’ will continue to evolve its Web site with Vitamin’s help. Vitamin will be adding the capability to serve relevant online advertising to the Web site’s visitors and built-in audience of forum users.

Cozi now included on Dell’s new Studio One 19

Cozi, a free web service that helps busy families organize and simplify their daily lives, recently announced its online family organizer is now available on Dell’s new Studio One 19, an all-in-one system designed to fit anywhere in the home. Cozi is included on all Studio One 19 because its simple user experience is well suited for the optional touch configuration and its functionality is ideal for a family PC. The Studio One 19, designed for the shared computing experience, works especially well in family areas where people can effortlessly view and schedule appointments and activities in the shared family calendar, track shopping and to do lists, keep a family journal and send quick messages and reminders all using Cozi.  The companies teamed up earlier this year when Dell began shipping Cozi on select PCs available through its retail partners. Since then, Dell consumers have rapidly been adopting the organizational software, underscoring Cozi’s value in helping families to stay organized, share information and stay connected to each other.  “Dell’s Studio One 19 is an ideal family PC and a perfect platform for Cozi’s family- focused solutions,” said Jan Miksovsky, chief product officer and co-founder, Cozi.   “We build Cozi specifically for shared family use and optimize it with a clean, intuitive design so that Cozi is effortless to use, even in hectic environments such as the kitchen.  In addition to the family calendar, customizable lists, family journal, and messaging tools, Cozi offers a couple extras on the Dell Studio One 19 including:  

• Cozi Express – Launches Cozi right from the desktop for immediate access to the family’s calendar, shopping and to do list and other information.  
• Cozi Photo Collage Screensaver –Automatically creates and rotates stunning collages from photos stored on the PC, organizes the photos by family events and activities, and displays upcoming appointments from the family calendar.  

Have Jon and Kate gone too far?

The popular TLC show “Jon and Kate Plus 8″ has been under fire lately–and not just for the apparent crumbling of the couple’s marriage.  The show, which started its 5th season last Monday, has become a mecca for brands wanting to get their names in front of millions of viewers–many of them Moms.  From free Hawaiian vacations, toy shopping trips and even hair transplants, the Gosselin family  has accepted all sorts of perks in exchange for giving products a positive spin on their show.  What do you think–have they gone too far?

State Farm partners with MommyCast on new video series

State Farm Insurance and MommyCast are partnering to bring moms relevant information through the new video series “New Beginnings,” hosted by suburban moms Gretchen Vogelzang and Paige Heninger. The shorts are available on the MommyCast and State Farm branded YouTube™ channel, as well as on targeted sites across the Google content network.  The series launched this month on a YouTube™ channel, with co-branding from State Farm and MommyCast at youtube.com/beingthere4family. The videos will focus on topics such as: college planning, home buying, insurance, and home safety. Ten segments are planned.

 

Vogelzang and Heninger, with seven children between them, will interview experts and share tips on managing life’s complexities during motherhood.  ”When moms are browsing for information online about baby proofing their home or what to look for in a new home and community they’ll turn to MommyCast for helpful advice,” said Mark Gibson, assistant vice president of advertising at State Farm. “Gretchen and Paige are like a lot of other moms. When they need answers they turn to someone they trust who has been there. New moms confront a variety of issues during this important life stage. Providing a conduit to answer these questions is one example of how State Farm is there for families, supporting moms.”

 

Empowered by the digital age, Vogelzang and Heninger began an audio podcast a little more than a year ago when they discovered difficulty finding content to address frequently asked questions.  Today the two moms have over 1.5 million viewers and have attracted corporate sponsorships, such as the latest partnership with State Farm.  State Farm and MommyCast will leverage Google’s branded entertainment platform to syndicate the content to targeted audiences on YouTube and to hundreds of Web sites across the Google content network.

1-800-FLOWERS’ Spot A Mom campaign finds success in the blogosphere

In an effort to make sure that no Mom was left behind this Mother’s Day, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. launched the Spot A Mom campaign, successfully spotting and celebrating millions of Moms across the nation. A multi-channel national marketing campaign, the Spot A Mom Movement garnered the attention of influential bloggers who in turn helped to spread the word. Mommy bloggers had the opportunity to attend the Spot A Mom Launch event at the Buckingham Hotel and participate in the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM(R) NASDAQ Opening Bell Ceremony. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM also spotted Mets team wives, mommy bloggers and specially invited Moms during several Mets baseball games at Citi Field, the new home of the Mets.  The Spot A Mom campaign was a great success in the blogosphere and the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Facebook and Twitter pages allowed the online floral retailer to directly communicate with their customer base leading up to the biggest floral holiday of the year. In providing tips on home decor, how-to’s on selecting your Mother’s Day floral arrangements, sharing special offers with fans and followers, and notifying consumers of upcoming 1-800-FLOWERS.COM events, the number of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Facebook fans quadrupled and the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Twitter account attracted an additional 1,000 followers.  “Our goal with the Spot A Mom campaign was to spot and celebrate each and every single Mom this Mother’s Day,” said Jim McCann, CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. “We are thrilled to have connected with so many Moms throughout the movement and we will continue to celebrate Moms all year- round. A Mom’s job never stops, and we want to recognize her for all she does each and every single day.”

 

In addition, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM floral lifestyle expert Julie Mulligan contributed to the Spot A Mom movement by spotting mommy bloggers who she in turn highlighted on her blog. Julie provided the bloggers with a number of easily replicated floral and craft ideas, each tailored to the respective blogs and readers looking for expert tips, budget-saving decorating ideas, and floral care suggestions from Julie were not disappointed. Julie’s blog had seven times more traffic than it did prior to the campaign, almost doubling the site’s number of visitors in a matter of weeks.  

Parents, American Baby and other Meredith brands in cross promotion initiative with WE tv

Meredith Corporation and WE tv have announced a special multi-brand cross promotion initiative that will pair Meredith’s leading media brands, including Parents, Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, Fitness, and American Baby, with several of WE tv’s popular and upcoming original series including “Raising Sextuplets,” “The Locator,” “I Want To Save Your Life,” and “Adoption Diaries,” among others.  Under the agreement, Meredith titles will feature in-book editorial coverage and online promotions of WE tv original series. In select episodes of its original series, WE tv will showcase lifestyle and medical experts featured in Meredith titles in addition to running customized on-air banners featuring Meredith brands.  Meredith will also provide online content for WE tv.com for various sections of the site such as “Moms” and “Health & Fitness.” WE tv will provide Meredith titles’ Web sites with extended footage of the experts featured on WE tv shows.  “Our media companies are uniquely aligned in their focus on serving women and their families with information and ideas to help them create rich and meaningful lives,” says Nancy Weber, chief marketing officer, Meredith Corporation. She notes that the collaboration will enable Meredith, which reaches 75 million women each month through its media brands, and WE tv which reaches 73 million homes, “to build out potential opportunities for marketers seeking to leverage the unprecedented scale of this cross platform relationship.”

 

“We’re always looking for creative ways to extend the WE tv brand into new areas, and partnering with Meredith is a perfect way for us to expand the WE tv experience by connecting with even more women,” said Kim Martin, president & general manager, WE tv. “By utilizing Meredith editors’ expertise on topics ranging from fitness to childcare, we are able to provide our viewers with further insights and tips to help them live fulfilling lives.”  In June, Parents magazine and Parents.com will team with the upcoming WE tv series, “Raising Sextuplets,” which follows the lives of Jenny and Bryan Masche as they juggle the demands of caring for their sextuplets, from age 16 months until their second birthday.

 

The cross promotion will include an appearance by Parents Advisory Board member, Michele Borba, Ed.D, as well as an in-book editorial feature exploring how the challenges faced by the Masche family can help all families dealing with childrearing issues. Parents will also be featured during special on-air promotions during select episodes of the series.