Alpha Moms, Tiger Moms And Me -- The Accidental Influencer

by Maryanne Conlin, Feb 17, 2011, 9:01 AM

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A recurring trend in this space has become what has been referred to as "Alpha Moms" or "Power moms." Thought they mean slightly different things, they point to the outsized influence that some moms have both in the online space and in the "real world."

On a regular basis, we marketers strive to reach these established Alpha Moms, build relationships with them and mine their wealth of knowledge about what influences their influencees. It's good PR. It's good marketing. We are all on the same page, brands and bloggers, providing information that entertains, informs and makes life a little easier for moms.

But every once in awhile an accidental infuencer comes along that changes the conversation. These past few weeks, that influencer has been Amy Chua. In case you're not a mom or have been hiding in a box, the blogosphere, social media sites and anywhere moms get together have been abuzz about Ms. Chua's book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

My point here is not to get into a discussion of parenting styles and whether or not Ms. Chua has an important point to make. (I do have an opinion, but save it to practice on my child and share with my mom friends.) Instead, a question that many children's brands will ask or should ask is, should they get in on the conversation?

Once a brand has an established presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites; once a brand has a blog and once a good number of people following, the primary challenge is to find a voice for that brand. With an exciting product and engaged users, this can seem both easy and fun. But the challenge becomes staying true to the brand message while maintaining that "approachable" brand personality you worked so hard to build.

When a topic comes up that can be so relevant to so many moms, like that brought up by Amy Chua, it's tempting to join in the discussion, which if you are an educational product, may be occurring on your Facebook page. Should you? How should you? The short answer is ... cautiously. And your best resource for advice is your crisis expert. No it's not a crisis, but the challenges to stay on message while listening and addressing concerns are the same.

More and more situations come up that can throw your "voice" on social media for a loop -- are discussions of "mommy cocktails" acceptable ... what if those are our most popular posts? Should we discuss the situation in the Middle East or tie it to our brand -- great trending topic, but will it backfire on us?

No longer can we, as brand marketers, develop message copy and weave it into everything we do over a 12-month period. With social media, every day is a new day to interpret what your brand stands for!

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0 comments on "Alpha Moms, Tiger Moms And Me -- The Accidental Influencer ".

1. Mobile Moms from Mobile Moms
   

   commented on: February 17, 2011 at 10:15 a.m.

   Interesting post as we were thinking this same idea. Do you want to discuss Ms. Chua's book and ideas? This was a very hot topic around the mommy table! Not that we are politico's but wasn't what was going on in Egypt something to mention as we were all watching and thinking about it? Thinking a lot about what we say and how it affects or sells our brand. Great topic up for more discussion!

2. Maria Bailey from BSM Media
   

   commented on: February 17, 2011 at 10:32 a.m.

   I love seeing you use the term Power Moms. My newest book is titled, Power Moms. I think that marketers need to look at moms thru numerous lenses.
   

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