Have you heard about the new healthier menu for kids McDonald’s is rolling out? They made the announcement on Tuesday and used all the resources they could find to get the word out. Exactly how did they spread the word about downsizing the french fry portions and adding apples to every kids’ meal?
Facebook, Twitter, journalists and….mom bloggers.
Rick Wion, director of social media for McDonald’s, says “Mom bloggers are very networked and very linked-in. They spread information very, very quickly”
He also called them “key influencers” and made the statement that some mom bloggers get more eyeballs than city newspapers.
McDonald’s Canada recently put out a call for mom bloggers to join their All Access Moms campaign. They’ve chosen their three moms who will get a behind-the-scenes look at the golden arches.
Wion’s team plans to take mom bloggers on field trips to McDonald’s corporate headquarters, as well as starting an invitation-only community.
Thoughts?
Image Source: McDonald’s Facebook page
a good post from annie at phd in parenting about the relationship between mcdonalds and mom bloggers:
http://www.phdinparenting.com/2011/06/22/mcdonalds-canadas-all-access-moms/
It would be just as accurate to say some city newspapers get more eyeballs than some mom bloggers.
That said, clearly the “All Access Moms” campaign SHOULD target mom bloggers. As the post mentioned, they used all resources possible to get the word out…I first read the story eating breakfast reading my metro daily newspaper (print, ink, etc).
I think it is just smart outreach on McDonad’s part, would probably make a good case study on the integration of all media, and not necessarily the sign of a trend.
I would reckon city newspapers also have a more diverse audience than a monolithic community of mom bloggers, something these companies seem to forget. By catering to a specific gender rather than targeting an overall audience, it starts to to reek of discrimination.
Focusing on a target demographic isn’t discrimination. They’re trying to get the word out to mothers since they’re predominantly the ones who do the purchasing/preparing of meals and they are the women reading mommy blogs.
And no, I don’t work for McDonalds, I don’t even eat their stuff and I definitely don’t give it to my kid. But it’s sound marketing to target their audience the way they have.
Mom bloggers are very influential in regards to topics related to parenting, shopping discounts and coupons. I can’t say other bloggers aren’t just as influential, but they tend to talk to one another a ton more then other bloggers.
There are quite a few communities that started out for bloggers and once “mom bloggers” caught on it kinda turned into a “Mom Blogging” community instead. Not for me (no kids), but if it works they sure can spread the word quick as long as it’s a topic that “interests them”.