Ask a typical stay-at-home what she does all day long, and she will likely answer with
- “change diapers”
- “watch Elmo”
- “wash dishes”
- “pay bills online”
Or a myriad of tongue-in-cheek answers that would indicate that mom’s value is likely within the four walls of her home. But all of that is about to change, has changed and has started with Proctor and Gamble.
In a recent strategic move that, in my opinion, elevated the public relations quotient factor at P&G by at least 30%, Proctor and Gamble decided to get the opinion of some folks who affect their target buying market and is a significant influence on them…
Mommy Bloggers.
“It’s official: Mom bloggers are the new influencers,” said Bryan McCleary, director of external relations for P&G baby care.”
The baby diaper folks had 15 of the Internet top bloggers flown into their office in an all-expenses-paid trip to pick their brains, gain their assessment on their product, help tweak some things and hopefully impress them enough that they will blog about them, and do so quite favorably, on their blogs.
Many corporations and organizations like Proctor and Gamble are beginning to see the intrinsic value in what these Internet bloggers and high-influencers have to say. Blogging is slowly becoming a respected and even sought-after method for marketing and client attraction because it provides a first account of a product, service or idea that directly affects the customer. Bloggers tend to tell it like it is.
Bloggers are also effective because they establish relationships with their readers through their blogs and slowly but surely become a source of influence for their readers. When the community needs advice, seek reviews or compiles information, they will look to the expert on a topic and will almost always go with whatever the “opinion” of the blogger is since they have been in the trenches themselves. This is why mommy bloggers are popular and in high demand – they know what the customers want AND how to articulate that through their opinionated review blogs.
Proctor and Gamble and others who have used this strategy have not been so concerned as the mommy bloggers being celeb-moms (high profile names), but more interested in the voice they have over the Internet.
“In and of themselves, they’re not huge websites,” said Tina Sharkey, chairman and global president of BabyCenter. “But they were voices we felt were representational of the different moms online. … BabyCenter partnered with them so we could have a blog network not just for our consumers but also for marketers who wanted to get the reach of the influentials.”
As for the effect that this type of exposure has for P&G, results will be seen soon and visible in their bottom dollar. However, it was a very savvy business move on their part to embrace what is going on in the blogosphere and to capitalize on it without reserve and without apology.
I am a freelance writer, blogger and professional motivational speaker. I primarily focus on business content, offering my clients strategic marketing strategies for their businesses. I have been an entrepreneur for over 13 years, after having worked extensively in corporate America.
It is great that Company’s are finalizing recognizing that mom’s have some great ideas and interesting things to say. Check out my blog, which is getting a lot more visitors than I expected! http://www.workmommies.blogspot.com.