I love it when a marketing plan falls together.
A couple of days ago, DT reader George heard a public radio news report about how dadblogs are the new marketing hotness:
Sony markets to fathers with 'DigiDads'Then this morning, another reader, Kent, flagged a NY Times blogpost which clearly proves that the dadblog marketing momentum is building!
Sony has launched a new marketing site targeted to dads who read parenting blogs. The corporation is loaning daddy bloggers products to use in projects and then blog about their experience....
Blogger Jeff Sass says Sony has no leverage over him.
Jeff SASS: And we're going to give our transparent opinions of what's good, what's bad, what worked, what didn't work.
As Daddy Bloggers Attract Readers, Marketers FollowAnd the hook, see, is the "controversy" over momblog payola, and how Sony's trendsetting [sic] campaign isn't like that at all. Because they're so hardhitting and they give the merch back. So yeah, completely different.Mommy bloggers, move over. It's daddy's turn in the spotlight.
...Marketers quickly discovered the value of a post about their product on a mommy blog and started sending mothers free products to use and review. Now, brands are catching on to daddy bloggers as well.
Last week, Sony started a three-month campaign with daddy bloggers. It will lend a few of them Sony products, like Blu-ray players and Handycam camcorders. Sony is asking the bloggers to use the products to do projects, like recording conversations with their parents or videotaping a family outing, and write about the experience.
"In general, dads have always gotten the short shrift when it comes to parenting, but in recent times, it's been different," said Jeffrey Sass, who is a single parent of a daughter and two sons, ages 17 to 21, and blogs at Dad-O-Matic.
But when you actually go to the Sony DigiDads campaign site, you find out "The project is being spearheaded by uber dad blogger and social networking guru Chris Brogan of New Marketing Labs, Dad-O-Matic.com and Chrisbrogan.com."
So a guy with an online PR agency launches a dadblog which will "become valuable" by "harnessing great voices" for "beer money" and pressing them into the service of advertisers. And now his blog has launched a campaign for Sony. Who cares how much Sony gets, or how much New Marketing Labs gets, or even how the thing actually turns out three freakin' months down the road. This is trendspotting news I can use now!
Dads get Sony cameras, moms get new 100 calorie packs of Fritos.
Sounds about right to me.
At least the moms didn't have to return the Fritos when they were done.
If only I'd known that Ford's publicist loaning me an SUV for the weekend was such a revolutionary, newsworthy event, I would've sent out some press releases myself.
But let's hear more about these free Fritos...
Hey, if you play ball, maybe VW will let you lap the Nurburgring in a Routan minivan next time...
Eh, I call shenanigans on the whole thing. Here and in the NY Times comment section for that piece.
Ok. Full disclosure: I'm bitter about not getting the free Fritos.
funny you mention that. I got an invite to drive a Routan around the Garden State Parkway or someplace recently. Couldn't make that one, alas.
Besides, no Routan has ever been within a thousand miles of Germany.
you and me both. Don't marketers know that dads are key decisionmakers when it comes to buying chip and snack products?
If any marketers have some earplugs they want reviewed, I'd be more than happy to test them out. These screaming girls of mine would be a perfect test. Or some child size muzzles.