Santa forgot something this year: children's healthcare

I am dedicating my last blog of 2008 to an issue that I care deeply about: children's healthcare. Kristen Rowe-Finkbeiner, organizer for the nonprofit organization MomsRising.org sent out this e-mail today and I couldn't agree with her more... and that is why I'm quoting her text verbatim:

In my nine-year-old daughter's letter to Santa this year she wrote: "Dear Mr. Claus, I know you are extremely busy this year, but I was hoping that you could give healthcare to all kids as one of my x-mas presents. I'm sorry if I'm asking for too much." (Evidently I take my work home with me!)
There wasn't a wrapped present under the White House tree this year with healthcare coverage for all kids, however… it's not too much to hope for in the next year. President-Elect Obama has vowed to fight for healthcare as well as for other family economic security policies like early learning/childcare opportunities, fair pay, paid sick days, family leave, and flexible work options.

In order to make this happen, the voices of mothers and families are needed. Why? Prior to the election, Obama was quoted as saying: "If lightning strikes and I get elected, I will need a movement at my back, or I won't be able to accomplish anything." MomsRising is just that kind of movement. Yet with the current economic crisis it's harder than ever for non-profits like MomsRising to raise the funds that are need to keep building the movement to make this happen.

*Can you please donate $10, $25, $50, $100, or $250 now to MomsRising? Your donation will help build a strong movement to push important family economic security policies toward the finish line.

Online donations can be made at http://www.momsrising.org/TogetherWeCan

Happy New Year, everyone.

The Newbery Award's latest plot twist

The literary world is currently debating the Newbery Award's value, questioning whether the latest winners are inspiring to children, or just plain obscure. In yesterday's Washington Post article, reporter Valerie Strauss cites an October article in the School Library Journal --- "Has the Newbery Lost Its Way?" by children's literary expert Anita Silvey as starting off the debate. According to Strauss,  "of the 25 winners and runners-up chosen from 2000 to 2005, four books deal with death, six with the absence of one or both parents and four with such mental challenges as autism. Most of the rest deal with tough social issues." Not exactly light reading. This year's winner, "Voices from a Medieval Village" is a series of monologues that would be difficult for a child to read on his or her own. And... do I dare say that it sounds really boring? Not that I should judge a book by its cover. 

Nobody ever said that Newbery Award winners are supposed to have mass appeal;  it's not a popularity contest. Still, I do agree with Silvey that "quality and popularity are not mutually exclusive concepts." In order to stay relevant and to encourage and inspire reading among more and more children, The Newbery Award committee could rethink their strategy just a little. I wonder if they've ever asked kids what they think about the finalists before they make their selections. Just a thought.

Teens and mobile advertising: bad news/good news- or is it all just bad news?

eMarketer reported last week that More than one-half of teens do not want mobile ads according to a Direct Marketing Association 2008 survey. Compared to adults (64% of adults said they weren't at all interested), this is the good news.  The bad news? Harris Interactive and CTIA found that more than one-half of their teen respondents were not interested in mobile ads, even if there was some sort of incentive. Not all that promising given that teens are using mobile technology constantly and you'd think that they would be more open to paving the way. Which, of course, would only make sense if current mobile advertising and promotions were actually paving the way. Polls? Been there, done that. Contests? Ditto. Coupons? Snore. Music downloads? Better, but not quite good enough. C'mon, mobile marketers, you can do better. How about a game? A social networking component? A really cool app? Teens are perhaps the most technologically savvy and sophisticated audience you've got. They would appreciate it if you didn't dumb it down for them. 

Motrin feels some pain with latest ad campaign targeting moms

In case you missed all the hubbub on Twitter, Motrin has yanked its latest ad campaign targeting moms who "wear their babies as fashion accessories" after an online backlash this past weekend. According to yesterday's Ad Age article, "the campaign has been online since Sept. 30 and has been circulating in several magazines for weeks, but it finally caught the attention -- and ire-- of some influential bloggers Friday night before blowing up into a full-fledge cause celebre on Twitter over the weekend. " Take a look at the ad copy and see for yourself. What's the big deal? Well... first and foremost, Motrin failed to fully understand its target audience, and by doing so, it broke a number of rules: 

1. The mommy wars are alive and well. If you are an advertiser, don't take sides, don't pretend you understand, and above all-- don't act like you "feel our pain."  

2.  The ad takes a stab at moms who "wear their babies as fashion accessories," which is problematic (if not offensive) on a number of levels. First- who would want to be accused of something as shallow as that? And second- of course my baby is a fashion accessory! He's way cuter than your expensive purse, too. See my point? Better to just not even go there in the first place.

3. Motrin also makes light of conventional wisdom promoting wearing your baby in a front carrier, a sling or a shwing (shwing - what is that and do I need one?) because then your baby might "cry less." Maybe Motrin didn't get the memo about how new moms will do anything, anything to keep a baby from crying all the time, including propping the car seat on top of the dryer, driving around the neighborhood at midnight, or purchasing any number of bouncy seats, swings (shwings?) and other gadgets designed to keep crying at a minimum-- including baby carriers. We really don't need an ad campaign to second-guess our parenting decisions when we haven't slept or showered in three days. 

4. And speaking of, Motrin kinda sorta acts like they get it with "If I look tired and crazy, people will know why" and "I'll put up with the pain because it's a good pain, a worthy pain" but then ruins their entire sell with "it totally makes me look like an official mom." Ummm, what exactly is an 'official mom'? That's like, so, totally weird. And shallow. And kind of offensive. At least to me, not that I'm looking to become an 'official mom' or anything. I mean, really, wasn't childbirth enough? Speaking of pain...

The funny thing about Motrin's gaff is that bad publicity can sometimes be just as effective as good publicity. Honestly, I hadn't given Motrin much thought until recently. I'd really seen it as more of a younger female-targeted menstrual cramp type of brand.  The bloating! The cramps!

But now that I know Motrin has moved their target audience to 30 and 40-something moms, I'll admit this particular form of pill popping has a new appeal. With a toddler in the house there are a few things that are causing me a bit of pain (which Motrin just as well could have highlighted in a humorous way instead of getting into the whole icky, shallow mom baby carrier debate), such as: lifting my kid in and out of the stroller, crib, carseat or high chair; plucking him off  counter tops, play sets, stairs, the coffee table, the dinner table; chasing after him at the park; or waking up in the morning with unbelievable neck and back pain because I'd been up three times in the middle of the night, bending over the crib in a really awkward way and then clenching my teeth in my sleep, if I slept at all. Sometimes motherhood hurts. See, now, isn't that tagline already better than "we feel your pain"?  

You want to know what else makes my neck and back hurt? Sitting at my computer, blogging.

What do teens, moms, Obama and vampires all have in common?

According to Daily Variety, "Vampires have always represented a certain psychosexual allure that has appealed to women." I don't know about that, but I do know this: "Twilight," coming to theaters this November 21, based on the bestselling novel by Stephenie Meyer, has achieved a level of marketing and branding genius I haven't seen well, since Harry Potter.

The core audience, of course is female teens and young women. 

"Since acquiring the film rights in turnaround from Paramount, Summit has carefully courted "Twilight's" core 13-24 crowd. In hiring director Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen") and scribe Melissa Rosenberg ("Step Up"), the studio is banking on two creatives who ostensibly know what young women want" reports Variety.

In doing so, they've very cleverly expanded the target market. "We've essentially taken the marketing tactics from a superhero film and applied it to a female property," said Summit marketing exec Nancy Kirkpatrick.

The site Twilight Moms connects moms and older women with the books and film hype, and now president-elect Obama is reading the series as well. What's next? Teenage boys, grown men and fathers flocking to this flick? Just you wait...  I think there's enough action and suspense to keep them from rolling their eyes when their girlfriends or wives suggest the movie on date night. And then there's the whole "vampires as teenage metaphor" that Summit is exploiting in an effort to lure males under age 25.  "A teenager, like a vampire, suddenly has a new kind of energy," says director Hardwicke. "They can drink, kiss and smoke. It's about how they control their impulses."

It's a coming-of-age theme that pretty much anyone over age 12 can relate to.

How do you get to Sesame Street? On YouTube of course

With nearly four decades on air, "Sesame Street" is a brand that is near and dear to most of our hearts. I have fond memories of learning my ABCs, singing songs and connecting with loveable characters. 'Screen time' wasn't split between hundreds of television channels, websites, electronic games or iPhone applications...  ahh, those were the days. But really-- times have changed and it's become harder and harder for kids brands (or any brand for that matter) to stand out amidst the clutter. And, truth be told, there's a lot of clutter out there. That's why I was so pleased to see that a trusted brand like Sesame Street was finally jumping into the game.

According to Monday's Reuters article: "Fans of Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie and the Count will be able to see episodes and clips of the show in three ways (iTunes, YouTube and Hulu). The announcement comes on the same day that "Sesame Street," which is broadcast in 140 countries, celebrates its 39th year on the air."

Both YouTube and Hulu have launched specific Sesame Street channels, with more than 100 clips from the show. On Apple's iTunes, you can download full episodes from season 35 and onward for $1.99. 

And that's a small price to pay for trusted, high quality educational content you can now download on the go. 

iTouch, You Touch

I just purchased a new iPod Touch this weekend and I can't tell you how excited I am about this amazing little device. Trouble is, my children (ages 6 and 18 months) can't keep their hands off the thing. Hands down, this new toy is more appealing to them than anything else in the house. My daughter gave up television, books-- even speaking-- so that she could escape to her room and play Monstar Maker and Kindergarten Math. I've barely had any time to download a handful of Apps but these are the ones that have grabbed her attention. The 18 month old? He's just fascinated with the interface - and Monstar Maker of course, but hasn't quite grasped the concept of basic navigation. Plus, he's a dangerous little devil so I finally had to take it away from him, tears and all.

I'd like to say that I'm ordinarily one of those parents that keeps expensive electronics away from my children, but clearly I'm not. And here's another dirty little secret: I bought this device for them, kind of. As a consultant in the children's media industry I happen to think that the iPhone/iPod Touch technology is the wave of the future and that anyone currently designing applications for the preschool and school-age market is onto something huge. So, naturally, I had to have one.

Letting my kids play with it all weekend is just the first phase of my market research.

As the 'real world' gets worse, virtual words get better

If you're like every other adult I know, you're obsessing about the economy right now. Things, um, don't look so great. I've tried to put my head in the sand over the whole debacle, but this recent Forbes article caught my eye: 

"Despite all the doom and gloom, one tiny sector is offering a glimmer of hope: virtual worlds. Companies such as Gaia Interactive and Habbo (targeting tween and teen girls) are expecting a boost as consumers reduce spending on real-word goods and console themselves with so-called virtual goods." 

Really?

At first you might think that this is just another example of how parents are continuing to indulge their children with consumer goods (albeit virtual ones) but the psychology actually runs deeper than that. "As things get worse, people spend more time at movies or spend more time on a site like Gaia Online, which provides a relatively inexpensive respite from the offline world," says Gaia Chief Executive Craig Sherman.

Other kid-targeted virtual worlds like Club Penguin and Neopets have seen similar results. Teen-focused Habbo.com reports that 85% of the site's revenues come from virtual world transactions. This site's 2.5 million U.S. users spend an average of $18 a month on virtual goods and spend nearly 40 minutes on the site.  From a teen perspective, when you compare this to say, a trip to the mall--including the high costs of gasoline, food and premium denim-- well, the virtual world begins to look like a pretty great bargain. 

Honda rides with Disney and HS3

Teenager to Mom: "Hey, as a reward for getting good grades, being such a great kid and having a perfect driving record, I think I deserve a really nice graduation gift. Like a car."
Mom: "Oh. What did you have in mind?"
Teenager: "A minivan. Pleeeease mommy?"

We've all seen Honda's clever Odyssey TV ad campaign that's been going on for a few years now-- hippie graphics, funky music and all. I assume I'm in the target audience as a Gen X mother with 2 kids who loathes the idea of a minivan but finds the Odyssey an attractive option, since it's not really a "minivan" per se, at least not in terms of its brand identity.

Now Honda is attracting a younger audience with its partnership as the exclusive automotive partner to Disney Pictures' High School Musical 3: Senior Year. According to Tuesday's Media Post article:

"Honda's co-branded campaign for the film, which opens Oct. 24-- includes TV spots, radio, print, and online elements. The film also features a raft of Honda vehicles, including a Honda Odyssey minivan driven by Gabriella's mother, Mrs. Montez; a pink S2000 coupe driven by Sharpay, a Pilot compact crossover and a Civic Hybrid.

The effort will include a cross-branded 30-second TV spot for the Odyssey that will run on cable networks and network shows in October, and a branded spot on the Disney Channel. One spot shows the minivan "driving" through the animated world of a Wildcats senior yearbook. A co-branded site, www.Disney.com/RidewiththeWildcats lets visitors watch videos and play a thematically related driving game.

Tom Peyton, senior advertising manager at American Honda Motor, says Honda is reprising a role it had in "High School Musical Two." "We started with Disney a few years ago when we became a partner of Disney Land," he tells Marketing Daily. "That gave us inroads to talk on other projects."

He said that while other Honda vehicles are spotlighted in "HS3," "it is primarily about Odyssey. We're trying to reach families; these are the right households for us to talk to."

And that's precisely the point. Honda and other automobile makers know that kids, tweens and teens have a huge influence over major purchases, especially the family automobile.

One other very important note: This may or may not come as a surprise, but the High School Musical franchise's core fans aren't teens. They're tweens and kids, some as young as 4 and 5. (I know this because my almost 6 year-old daughter and her friends are obsessed with all things HSM). This is the the audience that will think this whole branding and media blitz is cool. They also think (unlike the teenagers I know) that minivans are pretty cool too.

So much attention about moi! The Muppets get the Hannnah Montana treatment

Miss Miss Piggy? I sure do. But guess what-- The New York Times reported yesterday (Fuzzy Renaissance, September 21, 2008) that not only is Miss Piggy coming out of cold storage, she and the rest of her Muppet Pals are getting the "Hanna Montana treatment, being blasted into every pop-culture nook and cranny that the company owns or can dream up."

For starters there are the specials on Disney Channel in which Muppets interact with High School Musical and Jonas Brothers stars. Then there are the viral videos on YouTube and the NBC Christmas special. And don't miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Muppets float or "Nightline" political interviews. And of course there's plenty of merchandise: Muppet clothing at Urban Outfitters and Limited Too stores; Muppet-theme stuffed animals and tote bags at Macy’s; and a Muppet boutique at the New York flagship of F. A. O. Schwarz.

"We think there is a Muppet gene in everybody,” Lylle Breier, a Disney executive who is the new general manager of Muppets Studio told the Times. Still, she has a few challenges. Ms. Breier also said that recent focus groups indicated that some children could not even identify Kermit and Miss Piggy, much less ancillary characters like Fozzie Bear and Gonzo the Great.

It's really too bad. Since Jim Henson's death in 1990, his children have taken over the reigns to the family business but the Muppet characters have stagnated under changing ownership. Disney aquired the "Classic Muppets" in 2004; Children's Television Workshop owns the "Sesame Street" Muppets.

The article reports that while "Disney estimated three years ago that the Muppets would be generating about $300 million a year in merchandising sales by now, retail analysts say the total for 2008 will be closer to $50 million."

Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios (and Ms. Breier’s boss) told the Times: “Developing the kind of high-quality entertainment we have planned for the global relaunch of the Muppets takes time,” he said. “We want to be very, very careful that whatever we do is in the spirit of the Muppets and that we are enhancing the brand."

I couldn't agree more. While it certainly appears that Disney will leveraging every ounce of marketing muscle to bring the Muppets back to center stage, what isn't so clear is how they'll keep the Muppet magic intact in doing so. Time will tell. Kermit and Miss Piggy were originally created to entertain adults with clever and irreverant humor; Disney's strategy appears to be one where they simultaneously attract nostalgic older generations as well as the 6-12 year-old tween market. I wonder what Jim Henson would think about all of this. Or, more appropriately, what would Miss Piggy do?

Love your veggies (and get $15K for doing so)

Marketing to kids can sometimes be controversial, especially when it involves stuff that Americans tend to consume a lot of: junk food, violent video games or toys from China. This is why I was so pleased to come across the Love Your Veggies™ campaign. This is no grass-roots, mom-in-the kitchen kind of promotion (can't you tell already by the trademarked slogan?) If you go to the Love Your Veggies™ grant site you will learn:

"The Love Your Veggies™ grant program is sponsored by the makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings in partnership with the School Nutrition Foundation and supported by Produce for Better Health Foundation. The campaign aims to increase access to – and consumption of – fresh fruits and vegetables in elementary schools across the country at a time when schools are required by federal mandate to strengthen nutrition and exercise programs as part of local wellness policies. "

Ah, it makes me salivate for carrot sticks just reading about how great this program is for our kids and our schools. Between now and November 7, 2008, elementary schools can apply for a $15,000 grant to be used towards fresh produce, kitchen equipment, program staffing, nutrition education supplies or food safety training. Details on how to apply are listed here.

But here's the bigger question: How will this translate into sales for Hidden Valley salad dressings? I've yet to witness a child in a supermarket whining for any type of condiment or salad dressing, let alone a specific brand of salad dressing, but maybe I just haven't been paying close enough attention.

This is a case of what we marketers call "long-term investment" marketing. The entire campaign came about after a 2006 study by the University of California Expanded Food and Nutrition Program found that children consumed 23 percent more vegetables when paired with "a moderate amount of ranch dressing." I'd have to see what "moderate" means but my guess is that the benefits of eating 23 percent more vegetables outweighs the extra fat and calories of the dressing. Just a guess though.

The folks at Hidden Valley Ranch are smart marketers. They recognized an urgent need in the marketplace (healthier food in schools), took a product not currently marketed to children (ranch dressing), backed it up with a clever study, obtained some credible partners (School Nutrition Foundation and Produce for Better Health Foundation) and voila-- they've got a promotion that they'll be reaping benefits from for years to come. Everyone already knows (especially the soft drink and junk food companies) that if you can market to kids in schools, you're likely to have them hooked for life.

It's also worth noting that this promotion likely didn't make much of a dent in Hidden Valley Ranch's marketing budget (or for Clorox-- the parent company for Hidden Valley salad dressings, Glad sandwich bags, Kingsford charcoal and Fresh Scoop cat litter). They're only offering ten $15,000 grants.

Messy branding, messy diapers

Yesterday was my 16 month-old son's first day at preschool. I am grateful to have him enrolled in a great program where he'll be learning new skills and interacting with a fun group of kids and talented staff. They really know what they're doing, I kept telling myself after tears were shed at the morning dropoff and I started feeling guilty about leaving him. He's in good hands, I thought.

So imagine my surprise when I dropped his pants that afternoon and discovered that the good hands of his preschool teacher had arranged a backward-facing wedgie. My daughter and I nearly fell out of our chairs. While it was certainly reminiscent of SNL's "Huggies Thong" sketch, I still have to ask, how hard is it to change a diaper? Apparently, not so easy. Wiki How lists a full page of step-by-step diapering tips, as do most parenting advice websites. Now, when I was using cloth diapers with my firstborn, such tips were incredibly useful. But disposables? C'mon. Cartoon characters go in the front and the velcro tabs are in the back-- just hook 'em around to the front and you're done. How can someone with a college degree not be able to figure this out? Except that since yesterday's incident (and there have been others, including extended family members who I have previously labeled as being completely clueless due to their lack of diapering skills) I now think it's a branding problem. Take a close look at these photos of my son's lower half. Notice anything (other than his gorgeous little body?) Cartoon characters are everywhere on the front and back (or back and front.) Overzealous licensing deals are creating product usibility problems. In other words, too much cartoon crap on the outside of the diaper leads to.... uncontained crap. We don't need to see Elmo and friends on the front and back of every diaper. It's too confusing. Millions of us have already been trained that cartoon characters go on the front. Period. Now, I hail the brands like Seventh Generation that are cartoon- and chemical-free, I just wish they were less expensive and survived through the night. Pampers, Huggies, Luvs: hear me out on this. Please limit the characters to the front only. Either that or come up with some clever hello/goodbye or number 1/number 2 metaphors to use instead. That would give us parents more of a chuckle than a backwards-facing overflowing diaper.

CosmoGirl's concierge service almost works

In a partnership with NearbyNow, a service that allows consumers to search local store inventory and place items on hold for same-day pick up, CosmoGirl's new concierge service allows readers to shop products they see online or in the magazine and either "find local" or "buy online." It's a great feature (one that is certainly not limited to the teen audience) and appeals to the "gotta have it now" impulses common to some of us shoppers. I mean, when you see a pair of Converse All Star Light sneakers, you don't want them tomorrow, you want them now! Which is why I was slightly disappointed to click on the "find local" button and discover that my only two options were about 40 miles away in either Lakewood, WA or Puyallup, WA. Excuse me, but I live in the city of Seattle, and I should not have to 40 miles to the closest Famous Footwear retailer to get a very popular brand of shoes. Ditto for the shop online option, which took me to just one online retailer, also Famous Footwear.

So, the partnerships have a ways to go, but the functionality is great and I can see how this type of shopping might very well become the wave of the future. Which brings me to my next point: Hearst, the publisher of CosmoGirl, is smart to start with a teen publication in testing out this new technology. They can build a business case, test out new features and build long-term brand awareness relatively risk free-- and that's the beauty of being in the kids business.

On the way to Kindergarten: Office Depot

I just got back from vacation and one of the pieces of mail I was particularly excited to open was the Kindergarten welcome letter from my daughter’s elementary school. I hadn’t done much shopping for her yet and wanted to do it together so she felt proud and part of the process. We skimmed through the letter quickly so we could get to the important stuff: KINDERGARTEN SUPPLIES, listed on page 2. Listed on page 2 is an understatement. The list honestly took up the entire page. Here it is:

“[Name of school] will supply each student with scissors and paper. In addition, your child should bring:

• Roomy backpack big enough to hold a folder, projects, papers, lunch and a jacket.
• A dozen pencils, regular size #2
• A dozen (or more!) glue sticks, any brand, to be shared by all
• One bottle of white glue
• One box of washable markers to be shared
• One box of 16 crayons to be shared
• One package of 3 x 5 note cards
• One ream of white copy paper (8 ½ x 11)
• One box of Kleenex (or more!)
• One box of antibacterial or baby wipes (or more!)
• Liquid hand soap dispensers or refills (one or more)
• One box of band aids

Office Depot offers our school a generous rebate on year-round purchases so please remember to mention [name of school] to the cashier.

Now… it’s been a long time since I’ve attended Kindergarten and my daughter is my oldest child, so at the risk of sounding completely out of it, I still have to remark that this list came as somewhat of a shock. I do like the part about “the school will supply each student with scissors and paper” though. That’s a nice, generous touch.

Still, eager to do some shopping (remember, I was already in a shopping mood), we grabbed the little one and headed down to Office Depot to take care of the list. On the drive down I kept thinking that I never would considered Office Depot for my incoming Kindergartner had I not been so easily lured by the “generous rebate” copy on the school’s welcome letter. Apparently everyone else in the school district was too, because the parking lot was packed on a rainy Monday afternoon.

The store was somewhat prepared for us. The front entry had a display listing all of the area schools’ supply lists (in case you left yours at home – a very nice touch) and, although it took us a bit of time to locate the “back to school” section (in the back of the store) we did find almost everything on the list. Including hand soap, tissues, and baby wipes! Who knew you could get baby wipes at Office Depot. (I’m still not sure what’s going to happen with those wipes but I guess I’ll find out at parents’ night.)

The downside: the back to school section was crowded with parents and kids of various ages (including my one year-old who always makes shopping trips more difficult) and the rows were too narrow for a shopping cart. The visual merchandising could have been a lot better too, organized by grade level or with fun signs pointing out cool stuff. I was hoping for more of a traditional back to school shopping spree a la Target or other superstore where Back to School is made to feel like a special event and recognized as the important rite of passage that it is. Office Depot has also missed out on a lot of obvious licensed merchandise opportunities. Most of the school supplies we saw were really generic and “too boring” according to my daughter. Still, I was able to buy some Cars branded glue sticks (the last one in stock) and my daughter whined for a particularly ugly Hannah Montana backpack, but that was really it. (By the way, I am adamantly opposed to any licensed merchandise that doesn’t further the brand’s core values but that’s a topic for another blog post).

All in all, I give Office Depot huge points for partnering with local schools and offering non-traditional merchandise so we could satisfy our supply lists in one trip. We filled the cart and spent $40. The salespeople were exceedingly helpful too. I’ll definitely be back next time we need to stock up, but I won’t expect the trip to satisfy any rite of passage urges for me or my daughter.

Still feeling the “urge” to do something special for my daughter, I eagerly opened a marketing e-mail from Hanna Andersson about their back-to-school specials, and promptly drove down there and spent $70 on an adorable striped backpack, matching wallet and pencil case. And I got her a new outfit. We were both hugely satisfied. How’s that for retail therapy?

Gross-out books get boys reading

Not into "Charlotte's Web, "Little House on the Prairie" or any of the other popular titles part of middle school curriculum? Instead, try "The Day My Butt Went Psycho" or "Getting to Know Your Toilet: The Disgusting Story Behind Your Home's Strangest Feature." Or my favorite: "Help! What's Eating My Flesh: Runaway Staph and Strep Infections!" While some of these are obviously science books with shockingly clever titles, others are just juvenile with a capital J. In last week's Wall Street Journal article Problem: Boys Don't Like to Read. Solution: Books That Are Really Gross, John Hechinger reports that "Scholastic and other publishers are heeding the research of such academics as Jeffrey Wilhelm, an education professor at Boise State University. Prof. Wilhelm tracked boys' reading habits for five years ending in 2005 and found that schools failed to meet their "motivational needs." Teachers assigned novels about relationships, such as marriage, that appealed to girls but bored boys. His survey of academic research found boys more likely to read nonfiction, especially about sports and other activities they enjoy, as well as funny, edgy fiction."

Now, as unappealing as some of these titles may seem (or not!), I believe that the power of these brands to tap into the "motivational needs of boys" that Wilhelm outlined is absolutely critical for success. Just look at the amazing success of the Captain Underpants brand. First published in 1997, the "Butt" line has now sold over 1.2 copies. It just goes to show that with kids, just as with adults, "one size fits all" branding and marketing doesn't work. It's all about understanding the nuances (and in this case the capacities for nasties) of your audience.

Retailers txt teens

When I received my Ypulse post alerting me to yesterday's Tampa Bay article Retailers know texting is the totally best way to reach teens, I saw that Anastasia had commented "this seems like a no duh one to me...as long as it's opt in and not sneaky at all." Ah, but I disagree. You'd think that major retailers and other large companies who have some sort of teen initiative would rally behind mobile marketing efforts. Because, of course, that's where the teens are, right? If only it were that simple. Yes, teens are glued to their phones. Yes, they text incessently. But does this mean that they want to receive mobile marketing messages from their favorite retailers? The article reports that Beall's department stores gained 5,000 opt-in subscribers since March. Let me repeat that. 5,000 subscribers. Since March. Just about any print, e-mail or online advertising campaign would far exceed those results. Couldn't those marketing dollars be put to better use?

The article does point out that while text messaging is not a great way to attract new customers, it can serve as a new channel to communicate to existing shoppers. Still, though: "Stores walk a fine line between relevant content and being labeled lame by picky teens." Isn't that the truth.

My advice to retailers or anyone else jumping on the mobile marketing bandwagon: Outline your goals and intiatives. What do you hope to gain from your mobile marketing efforts? Craft your messages around some sort of campaign that's relevant to teens. Know your audience. Or hire someone who does.

The "learning gap" opportunity

I'm obsessed with today's AP article, U.S.-British "learning gap" a real education for mom. A reporter plans a move to London only to discover that her 5 year-old daughter is nowhere close to being "school ready."An e-mail from the school they hoped to send their daughter to "politely spelled out exactly what the kids in that school were expected to master: telling time; fractions — whole, half, quarter and thirds; counting in 5's up to 50; reading books and starting to write "news" independently."

Wow. Those British kids sure are smart. Now, the article goes on to explain that "It's not an open-and-shut case as to whether one country's approach is better than another. On a recent international reading test, U.S. fourth-graders and their peers from England had the same results. They weren't all that impressive. Students from the two countries posted lower average scores than students in Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Hungary, Italy and Sweden, along with several Canadian provinces."

Still, does anybody besides me see a huge opportunity here for products and services aimed at the U.S. preschool market? For most kids in the United States, going to preschool is more about fun and games than focused academic learning. Reading, writing and telling time are not prerequisites for entering Kindergarten. And I'm not saying they should be-- but as a mom and a marketer I think, why not? Take a look at the success of LeapFrog and Baby Einstein and Bob Books and any number of other educational products directed to preschoolers. The market is still ripe.

Disney targets dudes

The LA Times reports today Disney to target boys with rebranded cable channel. Brilliant idea. My only question is: what took them so long? Disney bought out my alma matter Fox Family Worldwide in 2002, the former home of the hugely successful Fox Kids Network, home to the Power Rangers and Digimon franchises. Jetix was launched in 2004 on Toon Disney in hopes of capturing the minds of younger boys, but with limited success, especially compared to the likes of Hannah Montana and High School Musical. The Times reports
"Toon Disney pulls only 10% to 15% of the viewers of Disney Channel, despite the cable network's reach into nearly 70 million U.S. households. The Nielsen ratings reflect its hodgepodge lineup of geriatric kids shows, such as as "Power Rangers Jungle Fury" and recycled animated offerings such as "Batman: The Animated Series," and "Jackie Chan Adventures," and movies."

The new cable channel will be called "Disney XD," which I suppose sounds a lot more male than "Toon Disney" or "ABC Family." I think it's a great strategy actually. Disney has built up such a strong brand with girls of all ages. Any attempts to piggyback on those efforts to attract more boys would just dilute the brands they already have.

"You're fighting the brand perception, the very, very strong brand equity that's been in the marketplace for many, many years," says Greg Kahn, senior vice president of strategic insights for media buying firm Optimedia International USA Inc. "It would almost require a completely separate effort to reach tween boys, with a completely different name somehow associated with the Disney property, to reach these tween males."

Nick Jr jumps the shark

I'm sorry to report that Nick Jr has officially jumped the shark. Dora and Diego are about to embark on a new adventure: Media Life reports that Nick Jr cartoons are being adapted for the big screen. Feature length films? More action? More in-depth story lines? Sorry... it appears that the films will be "reformatted TV cartoons, " including “Dora,” “Diego, ” “The Backyardigans” and “The Wonder Pets,” as large-screen projection movies along with sing-along videos and other little extras. " The 10am shows in 12 states will include roughly 50 minutes of entertainment and the cost will be a bit more than a matinee. Now, I realize that not everyone has cable and that Nickelodeon might be trying to make a bit of money back after they decided to stop licensing their characters to junk food companies last year, but this strategy seems like it misses the mark. Mothers who already have cable will not want to pay to watch more TV in a movie theater. And those that don't have cable generally do so for a good reason (either cost or out of principle). Nick Jr has some really great properties so it's surprising to see them go this route. Perhaps they should um, explore some other opportunities.

PBKids= Perfectly Branded to Moms (and Kids)

Just got the new Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail. All I have to say is... wow, good job. The photography, art direction and copy is excellent. I wanted to buy everything. Why? The colors are vibrant and fun, the designs embody just the right mix of classic-meets-kid-friendly, the quality appears to be high, and, perhaps most importantly--as a parent, the brand appeals to me on a emotional, subconcious level. After a long day, I found it soothing to sit down, relax and peruse the catalog in a dreamlike state, much as I would a travel magazine. What if my child's room looked like this? Or what about this? Oh, wait, how cute, look at this. Seeing pictures of perfectly groomed children doing homework on perfectly painted desks--color coordinated with their room decor-- only served to enhance my fantasy. If only I had some Pottery Barn Kids furniture, my life would be more perfect, my kids would certainly be more perfect and of course my home would be clutter free!

This is the power of a strong brand - the ability to tap into emotional issues (or in my case, neurotic tendencies to be a "perfect parent") and connect on a deeper level. And I'm not the only one who found the catalog appealing by the way. My daughter came up to me while I was on the couch and said "Hey, what is that? I want some things out of that catalog!" She went to the kitchen, grabbed a felt-tipped marker and proceeded to flip through the pages, circling everything she wanted. I asked her what it was about the brand that she liked so much and she just shrugged. "I don't know mommy, I just do."

Back to School Retail Report

Youth Trends just released their 2008 Back to School Retail & Shopping Report. No real big surprises here... gas prices are up and the economy is down and therefore retailers such as WalMart and Target can expect to do well, while higher-end retailers won't. But wait - the summary goes on to explain how "the new iPhone 3G is without a doubt the most coveted mobile phone followed by LG's enV, the BlackBerry Curve and the BlackBerry Pearl. Based on the current growth rate, we expect that 32% to 35% of all teens and college students will own a smartphone or multimedia phone by year's end." Wow. At least teens and college students can still afford nice phones. And apparently, fashion as well: "The preppie retailer du jour is J. Crew, which over the past year and half has made a strong comeback with the college audience in particular and we now expect them to do well with teen consumers as well. If Mom and Dad are throwing down the plastic, female shoppers would snap up as many pairs of Tory Burch flats as they can."

Since when did J. Crew and Tory Burch start targeting teens? Never mind. My 15 year-old babysitter currently has 3 Coach bags, wears a lot of Juicy Couture accessories and sends me texts from her Razr. I'm just the one paying to fill up the tank so I can drive her to the mall.

Getting started

It's taken awhile, but I've finally decided to start a blogging. My hesitancy hasn't been so much about what to say, but how to focus. I'm not interested in blogging about my kids, although they do fuel my business on many levels and are a constant source of entertainment. I'm not going to be a news service on what's going on in the kids industry at any given second; I have better things to do with my time. I won't write product reviews or book reviews although I may mention them as part of a larger trend I see in the industry. I'll blast the companies and ad agencies that are harming kids with obnoxious campaigns and inappropriate messages but I'll be kinder to those who miss the mark in targeting kids but whose underlying mission is well-intentioned. So here's what I will do: I'll compile, I'll focus on what's creative and cool, and I'll be critical every step of the way.