Where’s the buzz: P&G contacts mommy influential bloggers

July 16th, 2008 by Apurba Sen

Filed under advertising, bloggers, case study, Collective Action, influencers, Trend Spotting Tools, Trend Targets & Groups, where's the buzz, wom, women

Only few days after Coca-Cola’s i9 campaign used local bloggers in Brazil, its P&G’s Pampers now recruiting as many as 15 top “mommy bloggers” or what Pampers refers as the “new influencers”. The company is hosting an all expense paid Mommy blogger event at the end of July, hence bringing the selected “mommy bloggers” to the company’s Cincinnati headquarter.

“It’s official: Mom bloggers are the new influencers,” said Bryan McCleary, director of external relations for P&G baby care.

A look at the growing list of Moms blogs over the net (see Alltop/moms) can come as evidence to this powerful segment of the population that is currently awakening.

How it is different from Coca-Cola’s rent-a-blog strategy?

The difference lies not in the company’s initiative to recruit bloggers, but on the way the bloggers would be expected to participate in the P&Gs marketing activity. In the Coca Cola case – bloggers received a dedicated i9 homepage as part of the campaign which attracted criticism across the globe. If P&G acts wisely – they would not enforce any form of organized reaction from the bloggers they invited. However initial reactions on the blogs seems upbeat & participatory.

“how exciting! If I was going, I would ask what Pampers has in the pipes for more environmentally friendly diapers, considering the impact diapers have on our landfills.”

Chris Brogan reacted to Coca Cola’s “rent a blog” strategy and suggested how influencer’s marketing should work? “The secret weapon: disclosure” Chris says

“The best of the word of mouth campaigns that I’ve seen, and the few opportunities I’ve had to be part of a promotion, are executed by using strong rules for disclosure, plus the opportunity for the blogger to take the product or service and do with it as they will (versus sticking very tightly to a message). By allowing the blogger to work within their community and communicate in a way that’s appropriate to the people around them, the campaign’s intent was still spread, but without any kind of degradation of trust or relationships”

According to MarketingVOX, more than $1 billion is spent a year on word-of-mouth campaigns targeting Influentials, an amount growing at 36% a year, faster than any other part of marketing and advertising. That’s on top of billions more in PR and ads leveled at the cognoscenti.

Now its up to Pampers and Moms to show how you can gain trust and at the same time enjoy what the big companies can offer.

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