High Tech, Baby

FRESH IDEAS:  My Son is now nine, but when he was a wee tiny baby, like most nervous parents, we had a baby monitor.  We ultimately stopped using it because his sounds were SO amplified that you HEARD EVERYTHING, and therefore, did not sleep at all.  Flash ahead to today’s offerings and what I just read about in today’s TechCrunch:  a BabyPing.  Basically, it’s a camera that enables you to peek in on your child from another room – including in the dark!  And where you peek in is what makes BabyPing so tech and cool — you use it with an app on any of your “i” devices (iPhone, iPad, iTouch).  So the images and the sound go through your own wireless to give you the scoop on what your “sleeping” baby is up to.  As opposed to using a frequency — potentially tapping into a neighbor’s frequency, too, yikes!  The BabyPing is currently only available in Europe, but is expected to hit the US market soon.  A system like this makes perfect sense for today’s Moms as 61% already use their mobile phones for internet connections; and Moms spend twice as much time online than others (according to Nielsen and BabyCenter).  Moms are mobile.  Mobile are tech savvy.  And now Moms can feel good about their babies with a cool new tool!

By the way, I did want to mention that there is a really good study about today’s Moms and their media consumption from Nielsen and BabyCenter called “21st Century Media Mom Report” (where I pulled the stats) that just came out in April.  A crunchy bunch of other Mom studies worth checking out are here, too: http://www.babycentersolutions.com/research_studies?bclink=logo&scid=20120522_trade_21stmom:4  TASTY TREND:  Go Mobile

Tech or Treat

CRUNCHY NUGGETS:  You gotta love how technology impacts our daily lives.  And I’ve been hearing and reading about mobile apps that have been designed just in time for Halloween’s tricks and treats.  Ring the door bell and scoop up these brain treats:

Apps for safety — With kids out and about at night, there are mobile apps available that can help parents keep track of where their trick or treaters are located, including…Trick or Tracker which is a geo-location app that enables you to find your child by linking his or her cell phone number to yours.  Google Latitude also does the same, only with no fun, Halloween designs, and you can track your child using the web, too. Lookout has also been mentioned.  It’s an app that actually enables you to find your phone when its lost.  So the thought is to “plant” your phone on your child and then use the service to “locate your phone,” as needed.  And it’s useful post-October 31st.

Apps for fun — Mashable just shared their 10 picks for Halloween apps.  They include two zombie makers — one cartoon-ish, the other that turns your photo into fright, a jack-o-lantern creater, spooky sounds, costume ideas, an e-card creator, creepy cocktail recipes, ghost stories, free horror movies, and a real spooky places locator.  Here is the URL if you want to get specific: http://mashable.com/2011/10/26/iphone-apps-halloween/#315551-Make-A-Zombie  Of course, Angry Birds has a refresh.  And if you find “fun” in scaring your friends, there is a Fright Factory app that draws in your friends to watch your cell phone screen, and then scares them with a sudden, pop up zombie.  Ahh!

So whatever your need, there seems to be a mobile app for your Halloween holiday preferences.  Although, no app out yet to track which houses have the best candy and the biggest selection of treats.  Give it time, I’m sure.  Hey, hope your weekend is a big, full-sized sweet treat!  TASTY TREND:  Here and Now; Go Mobile; App-iness

Family Values

FRESH FACTS:  In the interest of holiday-weekend-friendliness, today’s post is super bite-sized, and shares an interesting twist on what you’d expect (kinda like the cupcake in the image).  According to new census data, Married Couples now only represent 48% of US households.  And apparently: 1. In 1950, this number was 78%, gee whiz!  2.  This number is slightly down from 2009 (latest collected data reflects 2010).  And 3.  Just one-fifth of all households in the US are Married Couples who have Children. 

Now, the lower number is attributed to: singles waiting to get married until they’re older, or just not marrying at all; more women empowered to live without the support of a husband; more people living longer lives and, therefore, outliving their partners; and interesting, economic factors depress marriage rates.

From a marketing perspective this raises interesting challenges as the head-of-household may or may not be Mom, with the person making purchasing decisions for the family not necessarily the traditional role.

Alrighty…So with that, I bid you a wonderful weekend.  Now go on…shoo!  Get out and enjoy!  TASTY TREND:  Today’s Family Values

Baby App

FRESH IDEA:  I just read about a new app in development that recently received FDA approval.  It’s for ultrasounds.  The MobiUS will have a probe that connects to a mobile device.  The app enables a medical professional to conduct an ultrasound and then view it/send the digital images through the mobile device.

Now…most warm fuzzy types would say “aww!”  Thinking about how parents-to-be would be the recipients of the image file and could then share with family and friends.  But how Mobisante, the company behind the technology, positions this new app is as a means of providing immediate access to ultrasound information.  Specifically, for rural locations, with limited resources, low populations, and may be far away from medical care.  So a clinic with remote access could easily use this device, rather than sending a mom-to-be hours away for her ultrasound.  Pretty cool! And keep in mind that health-related technologies fueled by smart phones and mobile devices is a huge growth opportunity.

Hey, baby’s first app, right?!  Indeed, there is truly an app for practically everything now.  TASTY TRENDS:  Here and Now; Go Mobile

Treat Tattoos

FRESH IDEA:  Mid-week this past week we had a bunch of new snow here in NJ.  And so in opting to work from home, not only did I extend my working hours, but I also was able to quickly browse through current magazines.  My stack included the latest issue of Parents magazine where I read about the latest craze in baking:  tattoos!  They’re also called edible stickers, or cake/cupcake decals.

Basically, you whip-up a batch of goodies — be it cupcakes or a cake, or even brownies or cookies.  Frost said tasty treats.  And then slap on a tattoo to decorate (and when I say “slap on,” I mean it in the “carefully place” context, of course).  The blue party monster depicted in the image is from an esty-based designer/seller named Hello Frosting (hello, cute!).  But you can also find a big name selling them via national craft-chain Michael’s in Duff Goldman’s line of baking and decorating products.  Duff, by the way, is from Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” fame.  I should mention that Hello Frosting will also design custom tattoos (think logo’ed, tasty new biz giveaway, my marketing peeps!).

So, aside from my own personal goal of making tasty treats that totally ROCK bake sales and/or other rare school-related functions where treats are actually allowed — why oh why are cake tattoos so darn crunchy?  Because they embrace the trend in cooking/baking at home.  They also take hot hot reality show properties that involve baking elaborate goodies to a very attainable, DIY level.  Plus, the fact that they’re called “tattoos” gives them a sort of modern relevancy in expression.

What makes them edible?  Not so sure.  I barely know what fondant is, honestly.  And can I please just share that if you google “cupcake tattoos”?!  Wow — you’re  served up a whole subculture who likes to ink their bodies in tasty treat designs.  Hey, I hope your weekend is like a cupcake tattoo (the edible kind, not the painful need-involved type):  colorful, fun, and easy to achieve in goodness!  TASTY TREND:  Food Fun; Comfort Foods

Kid Around

CRUNCHY NUGGET:  Today’s post is an idea I’d like to share with anyone who deals with Moms, New Moms, and/or Parents, as a target.  Just recently, I joined SitterCity.com.  It’s a web site that helps connect parents in need of care with sitters in their area.  You pay a fee and get to post a job, review candidates, as well as search among a pool of sitters — choosing among lots of filters in order to get the best matches.  So as a member/email opt-in, I received an offer in my in box from their “partner” last week, Yoplait GoGurt.  The email let me know the benefits of GoGurts, as well as the opportunity to win a back to school pack (see image) if I was fast enough to be among the first five emails received by a Sitter City address.  The email ended with GoGurt’s Facebook and Twitter account links.

Now…Why am I sharing this, for the love of lunchboxes?!  Because…someone, sometime soon, will have a brand that targets Moms.  Moms with kids who are of an age where they need a babysitter.  I have friends who work on brand-name pacifiers and baby products.  I have friends who work on nutritional products for kids.  I have friends who work on kid-friendly snacks.  All of these peeps should think about a partnership with Sitter City.  It’s an interesting, credible web-centric partner who reaches oodles of busy Moms.  Now unfortunately, in the About and Media sections, their site does NOT provide exact database numbers (to let you know what to expect in terms of reach).  But I’m sure they’ll share.  And they have market-specific versions, in case you need to go more localized.  This is the kind of under-the-radar partner I would have been calling/emailing/reaching out to if I had a kid-Mom-parent appropriate program or product that needed a lil’ help from a partnership.  Whether it was to extend reach or to supplement a program or to find something unexpected.

OK, that’s my share for the day.  Use or not use.  Explore or ignore.  No worries, either way.  Phew, I’m glad I got that off my mind/chest/email inbox!  Now run, run with this free idea!  TASTY TREND:  Today’s Parents

Fancy Pants

FRESH IDEA:  Parents have all done this…let their babies and toddlers cool off in the summer by undressing them down to their diapers, and then letting the wee ones enjoy a lil’ freedom from clothing.  And so it comes as no surprise to see two of the biggest diaper makers offering parents nicer-looking diapers in the midst of summer.  Diapers with prints, styles and patterns that are actually meant to be seen.  It started with Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies brand.  They introduced a “limited edition” jeans design diaper (see image).  And then just yesterday (not to be outdone), P&G’s Pampers announced a partnership with Target.  Leveraging Target’s designer relationship with Cynthia Rowley, starting in July, Pampers will offer eleven different designs from Cynthia Rowley.  From pastels to stripes to ruffles, and even summertime appropriate madras.  Apparently, both the KC and the P&G fancy pants are more expensive than the plain versions.

Now…from a trend-perspective, what is the takeaway?  (Oh thanks for asking.  Especially before a holiday weekend when it’s so easy to be unmotivated.)  Status and badge value, really, translated to choices for your children.  Today’s parents embrace self-expression.  Think about how prevalent tattoos are these days, right?!  And so why not make a mini-sized statement than through a fun choice in a practical, day-to-day necessity for babies and toddlers.  Good for P&G and KC for offering these choices (at a premium price, nonetheless).

Hey, I hope your holiday weekend finds you like a happy baby:  smiling, laughing, and carefree.  Note that I purposely stayed away from diaper and potty puns.  Enjoy.  TASTY TREND:  Today’s Parents;  Express Yourself

Manly Post

CRUNCHY NUGGETS:  You gotta love when insights inspire executions.  Especially when there’s a whole lotta money to fund the execution!  So leave it to P&G to uncover stats about today’s dads, and have found that…

• Three out of four dads feel fulfilled by taking care of the kids.
• Nine out of ten married dads agree that sharing household responsibilities (chores, i.e.) makes a positive impact on the marriage.
• Nearly half (48%) of married dads also feel fulfilled knowing how to take care of things around the house…cooking, doing home repairs, e.g.
• And half of all dads, indeed, go online to find resources in how to do things around the house — and not just DIY manly tool like things, but also technology-related tasks and even cooking.

And so, with all of this crunchiness, P&G, working with an agency – Barefoot Proximity – developed manofthehouse.com.  It’s described as:  “the real man’s magazine, a guide for the jack of all trades trying to be better – at work and at home, as a father and as a husband.”  And indeed, it shares information and insights into topics such as “Around the House,” “Food & Cooking,” “Money & Career,” “Technology & Gear,” “Family & Parenting,” “Relationships,” “Looking Good,” and “Feeling Good.”  (Side note:  As I type these headers, it feels a lot like an iVillage for me.)    There are plenty of share options, including posting to social sites, an RSS stream, as well as the ability to comment.  There’s no P&G brands advertising nor mentions; nor other partners ads.  It’s truly a resource that’s trying its best to help the man of the house.

My own thought on ROI concerns for most marketers is the data collection component — give me (the man of the house) valuable info, I’ll give you my email, and then fine, send marketing messages outside of the online magazine “brand.”  That’s just my guess.  That and this is P&G, so brand-building, equity-building initiatives are not uncommon.

But before I leave you, let me circle back to my original thought…which is that this is built on insights.  Sure, they may feel gut-instinct-like, and almost “well, duh-ish” (of course dads want to take care of the kids and the house, i.e.).  But you have to applaud a survey with stats to support these instincts – love it!  TASTY TREND:  Parenting 2.0;  Traditional Experiential

Play Today

CRUNCHY NUGGETS:  You gotta love a big, global brand that invests in research.  And then shares the insights with everyone — including on Facebook, wow!  In an effort to get people to play more, Ikea conducted a global research project on children, families and their POVs on play.  The insights reflect 11,000 online interviews conducted in 25 countries — 8,000 parents and 3,000 children ages 7-12.  And in the interest of sharing the crunchy global goodness, here’s a flavor of what they found:

• Kids want to play more than then they want to watch TV or go online - particularly with their friends – Playing with friends (30%) is the single favorite pastime of kids around the world, followed – at significantly lower levels – by playing computer games (15%) – and even playing with parents (10%)!  Girls, in particular, are more into playing with their friends than gaming.
• And even though playing with parents doesn’t seem highly appealing, when given the choice between watching TV or going online, kids, indeed, want to play with the folks – When asked to compare activities, three quarters (73%) would prefer to play with their parents than watch TV.
• Globally, parents want their kids to be happy, and almost half wish they could spend more time playing with their children - 87% of surveyed parents select “to be happy” as one of their three most important wishes for their children in future – with three quarters (72%) also selecting this as their single most important aspiration. 45% of parents
  surveyed agree with the statement that “I feel that I don’t have enough time to play with my children.”  The same proportion also feels guilty about it.
• And not all play is equated with toys – Across the globe, it’s more about creativity and imagination.

If you go to the Play Report’s Facebook page, you can download a PDF copy of the report:  http://www.facebook.com/playreport.  And you can also join in on the conversation around its findings.  The report goes into more interesting details by different countries, and it also covers the topics of safety concerns, “time poverty,” and parental hovering.  A worthwhile read for anyone who markets to families, anyone who needs stats on quality time, it touches upon meal time and family cooking, and of course it’s relevant to anyone involved in creative play.  You get the idea and you know who you are!

As an almost weekly hostess to a play date, I can personally attest to the need to play and the need to play with friends — and dump out Legos, and scatter popcorn, and shoot foamy Nerf darts everywhere…!!  Hey, step around the mess as I clean it all up and you go have a playful day!  TASTY TREND:  Parents 2.0

Tee Time

CRUNCHY NUGGETS:  I’m a Mom.  I’m a Marketer.  And quite often, the two join together in a fun little party of sorts, with the results of this kismet revealing crunchy goodness!  Take, for instance, an article in the January 2010 issue of Parents magazine that caught my Mom/Marketing eyes just this past week.  It’s the Top 10 Kid Trends for 2010.  Among the list is #7 “Kid-Designed Tees.”  OK, so a Threadless or Zazzle for kids of sorts, right? you ask, expecting the expected on a Monday.  But alas, dear reader!  There is more to these tees — particularly for the right organization and brands to sponsor these sites and their design activities.  Here’s the scoop…neck (that’s tee talk– tee hee!):

verymeri.com – This site was started by an elementary school teacher who held a contest with her students to design a kids tee shirt.  Her goal was to facilitate self-expression, build confidence, and creativity (sound like any brands’ or organizational goals you may know?!).  She then took it a step further, hosting the contests on a website (verymeri.com).  Kids 18 and younger can design a tee and submit it online.  Anyone can vote on posted tees.  Unlike Threadless, which has a continuous flow of new designs, verymeri hosts a few contests throughout the year.  They’re a bit loosey goosey on timing.  Winning designs are then sold on the site and at select retailers, with 3% of the total sales of the shirt going to the child artist;  and 3% going to the child’s chosen charity.  The site can also be leveraged by organizations looking to raise funds.  Again, children can post their designs in honor of the selected organization’s theme.  Voting will ensue.  And then the winning shirt is sold to raise funds.  American Girl worked with verymeri this past summer to hold an Anti-Bullying tee shirt design contest.

bykidsonly.com -Also fueled by kid-generated, original designs, this site has an interesting mission.  Not only are they striving to help kids express their ides, and feel good about themselves through the opportunity to design all kinds of clothing (not just tees). But they also want to help provide children with sensory processing disorder or autism with easy to wear, good looking and feeling styles.  That said, the site has a fashion calendar for submitting designs.  Currently, they’re looking for kid-designed outerwear (jackets, scarves, coats, etc.).  Similar to other design sites, ideas are posted and voted on.  But for this site, all drawings are reviewed and interpreted into three, final designs by a team of fashion designers and pediatric therapists. A “Design Showdown” vote then selects the winner — the winning design is actually manufactured from 100% organic cotton, and then made available for purchase online and at selected retailers.  Again, a slightly different approach.  But for the right brand, it could be just the right, cause-related fit.

Told ‘ya I found really crunchy, new ideas!  I also wanted to add that these sites, to me, are great examples of how today’s parents are actively teaching their kids about doing good, and also, facilitating creativity and self-expression.  I pulled the image of the tee featured in this post from the verymeri.com site — feeling like a true, lucky ducky to have my Mom and Marketing sides meet up.  Hope you found today’s post nugget-tee — ha ha more tee talk!  OK, I’ll stop.  TASTY TREND:  Socially Acceptable; Feeling Good About Doing Good; Today’s Moms; Parenting 2.0