There Are Foodies ...Then There Are Foodie Moms

• by Maryanne Conlin , September 19, 2012

I almost don’t like to talk about “bloggers,” per se, anymore as most of those creating good content these days are much more than bloggers; they’re social media content creators with active profiles on the major sites and on the less popular but just as important platforms in their own niches. 

So, among these people in the business of content creation, quite often multi-media, there exists a rather large, and from a marketing standpoint, important niche of Foodies. I like foodies. I am a foodie … as in small “f” … I like food … but am hardly an expert. But Foodies with a capital “F” frequently are. They sport degrees and certificates. They operate restaurants and catering services. These use ingredients I keep forgetting how you spell. 

As a marketer to moms, though, I am much more interested in “Foodie Moms” or “Recipe bloggers” or mom bloggers who write about food. There are a lot of them, like Full Plate and Eating on a Dime and  My Judy the Foodie. They make me hungry.

But they also make me want to try their recipes, something I quite frequently can’t even begin to contemplate when reading complicated recipes posted by experts. I don’t have the time ... or the ingredients … or the equipment. 

For many consumer brands, these Foodie Moms are right in the sweet spot. They use common foodstuffs one can find in the local supermarket … with perhaps an occasional field trip to an ethnic market or gourmet store. They make dishes that are replicable with a toddler hanging on your leg and homework help to provide. They speak to me as an equal … even though I’m not, and share their spills and mishaps. 

As a brand marketer, I’ve enjoyed partnering with these entrepreneurs. I know they speak to my target market in a way which, as a brand, I cannot. They know I am happy to provide opportunities for them to grow their business, with back-links and visibility hard for them to achieve on their own. 

Yes, I advise my clients to work with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs … but I encourage a healthy helping of Foodie moms to round out the meal.