Oh, the Irony!

I have been blogging here about new media moms and how these mommy bloggers are getting freebies and being wined and dined. Meanwhile, I do have another personal blog that covers a different topic. I have now become a mommy blogger who got something in the mail for free!

How ironic, isn't it? My other blog focuses on vegetarianism. This week I got a new vegan cookbook, titled "The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes that Will Change the Way you Eat" in the mail from the book's publisher. They are hoping that I will take the time to review the book on my blog.

First, I was quite surprised to get the cookbook in the mail. But I'm also pleased. I am a huge vegan cookbook fan and this one is not only a $30 hardback book, but just flipping through the pages it is beautiful and filled with full color images of the food.

Let me assure you, however, that in doing a review for this book I will be disclosing that it was given to me to be reviewed. I will also give it an honest review, not just a glossed over "it's great" because I got it for free. I'm looking forward to writing the review and keeping within what I believe to are good guidelines for doing so.

Mommy Bloggers Get Book Deal?

Is there no end to what mommy bloggers will be able to obtain due to their marketing power online? It sure leaves one to wonder!

While some have received free books, snacks, trips, and more, now there is one that may even top those "gifts." Popular mommy blogger Beth Feldman, of RoleMommy.com, now has a new book that just came out. The humor book is about parenting, titled "See Mom Run: Sidesplitting Essays by the World's Most Harried
Moms."

There is no doubt that being a popular mommy blogger helped this mom to get a book writing contract. But it doesn't stop there. She's now going out on tour to promote the book. However, the book is not the only thing she will be promoting.

The cross-country book tour is being presented by Procter & Gamble's Swiffer® WetJet®. And, not surprisingly, people who attend the book signings will have a chance to check out the Swiffer product and win some prize packs.

Is this a mom who really has something to share in a book and deserved a book contract? Or is it a mommy blogger that is being used to push a product and get an all-expenses paid tour of the country? You decide!

Mommy Bloggers Impact Toy Purchases

What has been tapped to be one of the hottest toys this Christmas season are Zhu Zhu Pets. They are small, inexpensive, electronic animal pets, that can move around and make noises. The toy debuted in select cities in the market this past spring.

So how did this small toy climb the ladder to sales success so quickly? After all, the toys do not have a television show to give it a jump start. And the company didn't spend lots of money directly on advertising to the masses. No, the company who puts out Zhu Zhu Pets went straight to who they thought would be a powerful force in getting the toy moving: mommy bloggers.

The company held 250 "hamster parties" to get moms and kids interested in the toy. They did this by sending out the pets to hand-picked mommy bloggers across the country. The mommy bloggers then held hamster parties, where they each invited 10 children, and they spent the time playing with the new toy. No doubt that the moms also likely blogged about the pets and parties.

When it comes to whether or not partnering with the bloggers has been successful, the company stated in a Time article: "The approval of the bloggers was a huge legitimizer, believe me."

This is another case that demonstrates the power that these mommy bloggers have. This year there is a good chance they are the driving force behind what is being predicted to be "...the biggest toy craze since Tickle Me Elmo was on shelves in 1996."

But again it makes one wonder if what they are doing is ethical and if they are simply being blindly used by corporations. In this case, for a $10 pet toy.

Company Holds Brunch for Mommy Bloggers

Marketing companies around the country are beginning to see the importance and value in mommy bloggers, as I've been demonstrating through my posts each week. Some, however, are taking it up a notch! Rather than surf the Web looking for a mommy blogger that might fit the bill of what they are trying to market, and then sending things to them for free, they are now reeling them in.

This week a communications company that specializes in reaching moms, Child's Play Communications, held a special mommy blogger brunch. A panel of mommy bloggers sat on the panel of the annual Bloggers Brunch, sharing their thoughts on the best way for companies to reach moms through social media.

There is no doubt that these mommy bloggers feel quite important. They are being flown around the country, invited to speak at events, and given a barrage of free goods. But what I wonder is if they feel used by these consumerist companies that likely do not care about them personally, because all they see is the potential sales these women may lead to.

There is no doubt that these moms are likely having fun. But at what and who's expense? Who benefits? And is pushing more sugary snacks on American's children (who are already battling obesity and diabetes) worth what the big corporations are giving them?

Here's a video clip from this year's Bloggers Brunch:

Big Corporations Give Mommy Bloggers Perks

Much of what I've been writing about over the last few weeks has been about the clout that all the mommy bloggers have been gaining. This is particularly true when it comes to the way they are beginning to be wooed by big corporations. It was recently reported in an LA Times article that some mommy bloggers, like Andrea Deckard, who has the MommySnacks blog, are even being lured into all-expense paid travel by these corporations.

Deckard is just one of many who are getting perks in exchange for what the company hopes will be good blog reviews, which will then translate to an increase in sales. This year, for example, Frito-Lay flew her, all expenses paid, to Los Angeles, where they pitched their latest snack campaigns to her.

Similarly, Taco Bell wooed a group of bloggers this past spring, by footing the bill for them all to attend a California retreat, where they spent their time whipping up new burrito and taco ideas for the company.

While this may seem wonderful to the mommy bloggers, it does raise some ethical, and albeit legal, concerns and questions. As discussed before, the laws are now requiring that bloggers disclose in their reviews if they received free items from the company they are reviewing.

Will this diminish the effectiveness of their review? Will more mommy bloggers start touting products to gain the attention of corporate marketing departments? Time will tell.

Motherhood Movie Features Mommy Blogger

Actress Uma Thurman is starring in "Motherhood," a new movie that is now playing in theaters. In the movie, Thurman plays a fiction writer-turned-mommy blogger. Sharing her thoughts on being a mom through her blog, she joins a host of new media moms who do the same.

This makes me wonder if the movie will inspire other moms to begin blogging. Are we about to see the current explosion of mommy bloggers become that much bigger? Only time will tell.

Mommy bloggers are popping up everywhere. First in cyberspace and now in Hollywood movies. What's next?

Check out the movie trailer:

Mommy Blogger Ups the Ante

As we have been learning, the whole idea of "mommy bloggers" is something that people are increasingly noticing. Moms young and old are making waves and raising eyebrows by having blogs and sharing just about everything and anything on it. Now there is one mommy blogger who has upped the ante and is taking things one step further.

Lynsee, a 23-year old woman who is 37 weeks pregnant has been blogging about her entire pregnancy. She now has plans of having a live delivery via her blog, Watch Lynsee Grow. The birth will be streamed through the parent site, Moms Like Me.

Could this be the start of a new trend in moms using new media? While it will allow for any family members and friends not living near her to witness the birth, it also turns a private moment into a public one. This makes me wonder what could happen down the road in regard to profits and advertising? Could there be lawyers standing by, watching for something to go wrong and offer their services? How about product placement shots in the videos as she is delivering?

Who knows just yet how this will turn out and if others will follow suit. But for now it is interesting to see the way that mother's have embraced new media, and particularly blogging, and are helping to shape its course.

What is mom touting and why?

In October, the annual BlogWorld Expo was held in Las Vegas. A major focus there was mommy bloggers! People are realizing the number of moms that are blogging about everything from what they are cooking for dinner to what local pediatrician is worth their weight in gold.

Marketing companies are realizing how much influence these moms have in getting their followers to try products that they review. Moms have reported receiving everything from electronics to baking goods. You name it, corporations are using mommy bloggers to help spread the word about their products.

But there may be a downside. Or at least the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seems to think so. Just as they care about truth in advertising, they also want to ensure that moms (and all bloggers) are being fair and truthful in their product reviews. Recently, they voted to require that bloggers receiving freebies from companies must disclose such information to the public.

It remains to be seen what type of impact the FTC and deep-pocketed corporations will have on the mommy bloggers of the world. But there is no doubt that moms are making waves.

Check out this short video of a few of the mommy bloggers that attended the Las Vegas conference.

Who's Getting Social Online?

Know what segment of the population is making advertising and marketing executives sit up and take notice? You guessed it, moms! Especially those of young children. As it turns out, moms are one of the biggest users of some forms of new media, such as social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

While most moms are traditionally believed to cut back on all forms of media once having a new baby, it turns out that they are not cutting back where social networking is concerned. They are actually using them a lot more! In fact, AdWeek recently reported that in a 2006 survey only 11 percent of moms said they use social media, whereas today that number is 63 percent.

The techies behind the curtain of these sites, as well as corporate advertising departments, realize the impact moms are making online. Which makes me wonder what influence they will have over how the future of how these new media outlets will be shaped.