must-read

February 17, 2010 by admin · 40 Comments

Earlier this week, I received some great news that I was selected to be a brand ambassador for “The View”. As brand ambassadors, a group of us were selected to discuss the show topics as well as provide feedback to the marketing execs… which is what I love most about working with brands- cause I always have a mouthful about hot topics, which is exactly why I love The View so much.

So as A View Brand Ambassador, I wanted to talk about a hot topic of my own. Nothing that was featured on The View, not even a blip on their hot topic radar… however its a frustrating topic for me and possibly many of you who blog as well.

I’m talking about the Blogging stereotypes. They need to end.

After 2 days of Toy Fair meeting company after company, I started to think certain company’s should have just posted a large sign in the front of their booth stating “BLOGGERS NOT WELCOME”. Of course, they would never… because well- we’d blog about it, tweet about it– and well they know that they would probably be the next Motrin Mom example. Resulting in a PR nightmare. However, with the look they sported on their faces- their monotone demonstrations ending with “Well, I don’t know what you want to see”- they might as well have had a sign.

It was very discouraging and frustrating .

What did I want to see? I wanted to see cool new stuff that I thought my kids and others their age might be able to look forward to this year- and actually, truth be told much more importantly I was looking for cool things to add to a project I was working on for an industry client!

Yet, they still looked at me with skeptical eyes thinking “Yea she just wants free stuff”. In fact more than one brand told me to my face “Bloggers have expressed interest, but they just want the free stuff. We’ve seen nothing come out of it”.

As a blogger who doesn’t want nor need a boat load of random “free widgets” cluttering up her home -this burned me up! One – because I have no idea who these bad-apple-bloggers are- but I do know I would like to shake them & revoke their bloggy-license- which is not existent right now but perhaps it should be- and Two- because some reps clearly don’t get it but are feeling the pressure by their clients or the industry to get involved- and end up make blanketed ignorant choices and statements resulting in a social media fail.

Team Mom Media had a great panel that discussed the importance of being IN the space in order to understand it and identifying those who are a best fit for your brand. You can’t just hand out freebies to anyone who asks and expect that to be a successful “social media plan”. That is not a plan at all.

If you are a company who manufactures tutu’s – you wouldn’t send freebies to Popular Mechanics writers and then get pissy when you didn’t find a review in their next issue would you? So why would you handle your blogger relations any different?

When blind decisions like that are made its not just the company that pays for the bad choices- its the blogging community as a whole- because just as there are some companies that don’t get it- there are also some bloggers who don’t get it either and agree to review an item they have no intention of writing about.

So, I’m going to let you- the “I don’t get it” brand who may be reading this- in on a little secret– are you ready?? Come closer… Social Media, I know sounds “so easy” (its just a bunch of average people looking to socialize right?) … but when done right, its actually work. LOTS of it. LOTS of effective- time consuming work! Which is why many brands have hired people designated to just that!

On the flip side- as much as I want to chalk up my Toy Fair experience as 2 days of rude toy manufacturers, I’m above stereotyping- Because if I wrote off working with brands, the way some brands write off working with bloggers because of negative experiences- I would never have had the opportunity to work with wonderful companies such as BeanStalk Express, The Goldberger Company and Hasbro- Who were nothing short of amazing with their blogger out reach for Toy Fair. They made us feel instrumental to their company’s success, understood as both a consumer and blogger and most of all WELCOME.

It’s just a shame that some companies don’t see the value of sorting through some bad apples to reach their core audience.

Have you experienced this stereotype?

Are you a brand that has a different view?

Let me know- What are your thoughts?

Filed Under: Blogging, Random Rants · Tagged With: brands and bloggers, goldberger, hasbro, must-read, social media, The Big Toy Book, The view, Toy Fair

February 8, 2010 by admin · 19 Comments

Every year for my mother’s birthday, she insists (though I believe she calls it ASKING) on a family picture .

She always wants us to “surprise her”… but she knows its coming because none of us would dare challenge the wrath that we would be subjected to should she not get what she wanted.

So what? Give the woman a family picture, what’s the big deal – right?

Not exactly.

Being the oldest, this task always fall back on me to coordinate. Which shouldn’t be that challenging- except we are dealing with teenagers… 3 of them.

This year, my brother George (18) moved out to California for college, so we were under the gun to get this picture done over the holidays before he left.

Let me tell you a little bit about my brother George. He is your typical “know it all”-”I’m so mature, yet not even close”- 19 yr old you will ever meet. You tell him one thing, he does the other… and last year- between shots he was whipping out his cell phone between shots! and no, not for text messages, but for actual calls. (What? you’re so “uncool”.. he had to make plans with his peeps!) -THIS. Was. My. Breaking. Point.

I swore I’d never organize these photos again because the cell phone was only the icing on a years of a well baked cake.

In addition to the challenge of working around these teenagers social calendars, I have the pleasure of also playing the roll of wardrobe director.

We’ve been doing these pictures for 4 years now, and have used up just about every SIMPLE color scheme you can think of. All White. All Black. Boys in Black, Girls in Pink. Easy enough, right? Yet even with simple colors like those- we managed to run into wardrobe issues. On our “all white” photo shoot, my then 14 yr old brother- Steven, showed up in a white Hanes t-shirt. ((Sigh)) So quickly we ran around the mall searching for a dress shirt, minutes before. The year after the boys forgot to get haircuts, so here we are all dressed up with 2 teenager with over grown mops on their heads.

Oh yea, and did I mention I have 2 children of my own?… including a 4 year old that for some reason every year throws tantrums if his latest action figure can’t be IN the picture? Yes, Mario, Spongebob, and now Alvin the Chipmunk- have all made cameos in our family pictures… all cleverly disguised and ‘hidden’ but look close- they’re there.

FLASH FORWARD- 2010

When my mother gave out her marching orders, knowing fully that I dread this task. I told her “Fine… but warn your son, if he takes out that cell phone even once to check the time…. I am out.”

And surprisingly, this – the fourth year- worked out perfectly. All were dressed appropriately, cell phones were in check.. and everyone smiled for the camera.

But, I couldn’t leave without messing with my mother a little. So this weekend was her birthday and this the picture she opened up first—-

Filed Under: Parenting Life · Tagged With: family picture, must-read

January 27, 2010 by admin · 26 Comments

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to say our last Goodbyes to not only a dear friend, but a part of my family– Morning Nap II.

What can I say about a friend, a confidant that I held so dear to my heart and relied on so heavily to get me through the day for over a year?

Morning Nap-

I remember when I first introduced you to our family, and you would sneakily bow out after 10 minutes- leaving me with a cranky over tired newborn baby. Oh! how she would cry!…and cry, and cry. Sometimes I joined her & other times, I blogged.

You thought you were so funny. And I thought you were cruel & unfair.

It was not until we spent sometime growing our friendship and working out a schedule together that realized why you were playing the “colic game” in those first few months. You just wanted me to fully appreciate your contribution to my day, and boy did I! … especially when you’d stay for 2 hours!

You were there for me day in and day out when I needed to get things done. If it weren’t for you… there would be many (MANY) more days that things like laundry, dishes & showers might have never been done Monday through Friday.

There were days when I was at my wits end, and I would stare at that clock until 10:00am arrived…. and you know, I don’t care what they say about that watched pot never boiling, you always showed up ready to lend a helping hand.

Once we celebrated Princess’ first birthday, I started to think about your brother,” Morning Nap the first” and though I remember him fondly, I could not compare. I worked full time when your brother was here with The Complicated Boy, and though I did mourn him on weekends, he and I did not have the tight bond that we have.

And then it happened.

You started to give warning signs that your run was almost through. Princess now seemed to cry when you would arrive because she was still energized, instead of crying until you arrived because she was tired and cranky. But I ignored those signs because the thought of losing you broke my heart.

So I held on to you with all I could. I thought- its just a phase- she’ll quite down. And sometimes she did… and then other times I found myself settling for 15 minutes that I wasn’t even sure she was sleeping for. I couldn’t bear the thought of things like taking my shower at 6am BEFORE my coffee, and only having 1 “break” in my day. It depressed me.

And now- today- I reluctantly say goodbye for good.

No longer with tears in my eyes, but with hope in my heart… that your cousin The Afternoon nap will be kind enough to keep my sanity in mind & visit just a LITTLE bit longer… like- lets say- 4 more years? Sound fair?

RIP dear friend.

Morning Nap II

December 2008- January 2009

Filed Under: Parenting Life · Tagged With: baby schedule, Morning nap, must-read

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