M2Moms 2010—Are You Ready?

When you ask Liz Fongemie, SVP of PME Enterprises, what she is looking forward to most during this year’s 6th Annual M2Moms®-The Marketing To Moms Conference, she hesitates to answer. “It’s like asking a mom to pick her favorite kid,” says Fongemie who is the producer of M2Moms®. “All of the sessions at this year’s conference are awesome and every speaker is a must-see for marketers.” She’s not kidding. With more than 40 speakers—including such notable experts as Carley Roney, Stacy DeBroff, Liz Hawks, Laurie Klein and John Driscoll—and numerous brands (Kodak, Hallmark, Walmart and Disney Online—just to name a few) set to take the stage and fill the audience, this year’s M2Moms® experience is set to be one of the best.  More>>>

Leveraging a Community of Moms

Carley Roney, Editor in Chief of The Bump, knows a thing or two about building a brand. After all, she “gave birth” to the #1 multi-platform wedding brand, The Knot, and is now applying that model to The Bump, the newest addition to the Knot, Inc. family of lifestage brands—and it’s working.  As Roney prepares for her upcoming M2Moms® presentation titled “How To Build Your Brand Using Community Buzz and Social Media Tools,” we asked her to give us some insight into today’s new moms and how leveraging an online community can be a brand’s key to marketing to mom success.  More>>>

The New American Family

Society is fascinated with the ever-changing face of American families and brands and marketers should be paying attention to this evolution as well. As Bonnie Ulman, principal of The Haystack Group, prepares to moderate the dynamic M2Moms® brand panel, “The Evolution of Today’s American Families and What Marketers Should Know to Connect,” we asked her to give us some insight into how the makeup of the traditional family has changed and how these changes are affecting the way brands market to moms.   More>>>

The Real “Swagger” Behind the “Swagger Wagon”

Toyota is making it cool to own a minivan—or at least “cooler” than it used to be. Toyota’s “Swagger Wagon” campaign not only features the brand’s signature minivan, the Sienna, but introduces us to the “Sienna Family”--a Gen X Mom and Dad who share the real reasons why parenthood is cool. While the campaign has been around for several months, the commercials—and the YouTube music video—are continuing to make the viral rounds with parents throughout the U.S. Why is this campaign resonating so well with today’s moms?  More>>>

When Families Need a Timeout from Cancer

There is a very harsh reality in the world of cancer. Despite the advances in cancer research, hundreds of thousands of people die each year from the disease—many are young Moms and Dads. When young families are faced with such a challenge, they find themselves not only fighting against the disease, but fighting to enjoy the simple moments of just being together as a family—a challenge they don’t have to face alone thanks to the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF). See how this amazing organization works with brands to help change the lives of so many families.  More>>>

Carolina Pad Heads Back To School

Their products are everywhere—from Walmart and OfficeMax to the halls of Glee and the gift bags at the recent WNBA “Inspiring Women Luncheon.” But now, M2Moms® Showcase Sponsor Carolina Pad is showing up in the most unusual of places—Bed Bath & Beyond. As we head into the busy back-to-school shopping season, we recently spoke to April Whitlock, Director, Brand Management for Carolina Pad, on how the leader of fashionable school, office and organizational supplies is finding success with this unique partnership. More>>>

Mom Goes Green

Moms are a powerful consumer—spending an estimated $1.7 trillion in annual purchasing on everything from diapers and toys for the kids to food, cleaning products and appliances for the home. A recent Mom Central survey found that 81% of these powerful consumers consider themselves to be ‘green’—with 35% purchasing green products all the time and 39% being green when it is most convenient. As we prepare for Good And Green®-The Green Marketing Conference, November 17 & 18 at the Chicago Cultural Center, we asked Maxine Wolf, CEO and publisher of KIWI Magazine and moderator of the M2Moms® panel titled “Mean Green Mom Machine”, why the mom consumer should definitely be a part of a brand’s green marketing strategy. More>>>

2009 M2Moms®: Return on Involvement

The Fifth Annual M2Moms®-The Marketing To Moms Conference has come to an end. Whether you were a speaker, sponsor, attendee or a virtual fly on the wall following the numerous ‘Tweets’ throughout the event, you are certain to have come away with a head full of new insights and a rolodex full of new contacts and possible business partners. This was the year where we changed the focus of ROI from ‘Return on Investment’ to ‘Return on Involvement’—a fitting phrase for a conference that focuses on the one consumer that is as involved with our brands as she is with the relationships in her own life—Mom.  More>>>

Online Secrets Revealed: How Brands Are Really Connecting with Moms Online

It’s no surprise that today’s moms are headed online for everything. From discovering the best way to get grass stains out of football pants to shopping for a child’s birthday present to planning a weekend itinerary that will entertain all the visiting relatives, moms are spending a lot of time in the digital space. We have all looked over the staggering numbers (95% of moms are going online once a day, 88% rely on the web for parental guidance and advice, 86% have made online purchases, etc.) and agree that online appears to be where the moms are, but brands are still struggling with how to effectively reach them.

During this year’s M2Moms®-The Marketing To Moms Conference, October 21 & 22, at the Chicago Cultural Center, brand leaders and marketing-to-mom experts will be revealing some of the top ways in which brands can connect with mom online. Here are some of the top tips that will be discussed during this year’s conference.  More>>>

A New ‘Modern Family’

It is a rare moment in television history when both critics and viewers like the same show. This rare moment appears to be happening to ABC with its new comedy, ‘Modern Family.’ The show, which is done in mock-documentary format, is a hysterical look at being a parent today through the eyes of three families—two of which, are very non-traditional in nature (but oh so based in reality): A much older husband and younger wife and a gay couple who just adopted a baby. While this is a comedy, one truth rings loud and clear: The family dynamic has truly changed and Moms want to see more families that look and sound like the ones living in their own homes.   More>>>

Surviving the Slump: How Mom Consumers Are Set to Save the Day

A January 2009 article in Ad Age asked the perfect question for a tough economy—“Are there any consumers out there who will be shopping this year?” The answer was and continues to be yes and the consumer who continues to push the shopping cart is Mom. With $1.7 trillion in spending power at stake, brands are counting on American mothers to help them survive and even prosper in the current economic slump. “As the chief purchasing officer of the household, moms account for 85% of the buying, including cosmetics, auto, tech, travel, fashion, food, finance and everything in between,” says Carolyn Kremins, VP/Publisher of Cookie magazine. “Moms have an instinctual passion for spreading the word about the brands they love.”  More>>>

Making The Grade:  How To Succeed With Thru-School Marketing

With Labor Day behind us and the school year in full swing, companies are shifting their focus from back-to-school campaigns to in-school marketing strategies. “Historically, the vast majority of marketing thru schools has been targeted at kids,” says John Driscoll, vice president sales & business development for School Family Media Inc., a Showcase Sponsor of the upcoming M2Moms®-The Marketing To Moms Conference. “But the landscape has changed and the majority of consumers now believe that promotional materials/programs should no longer be aimed at students, but aimed at teachers and parents.” More>>>

How Sweet It Is:  The Sugar Blog

Did you realize that one teaspoon of sugar has just 15 calories and contains no preservatives or additives of any kind? These are just some of the facts that The Sugar Association is trying to drive home with mom consumers with the recent launch of their new blog, the Sugar Blog. “We are hoping our efforts in the social media arena will help us with our message,” says Melanie Miller, vice president public relations. More>>>

Toys 'R' Us Wins with Parents of "Differently-Abled" Kids

For nearly 20 years Toys ‘R’ Us has published the annual Toys ‘R’ Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, an easy-to-use resource featuring specially selected toys that aid in the development of children with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. Although the Guide has been around for quite awhile, this latest version has gotten a lot of press. Why? There has been a lot of discussion about marketing to parents of special needs children which is why this year’s Guide (with Whoopi Goldberg on the cover) has become part of numerous marketing to mom discussions. The topic has been top of mind for Nadine Vogel, founder and president of Springboard Consulting and 2008 M2Moms® presenter, for years. She recently spoke with M2Moms® E-ssentials editor Patti Minglin about the new Toys ‘R’ Us Guide—what works, what she would like to see done differently and what other industries should be taking good marketing notes.  More>>>

An Education Celebration

During this time of year moms spend a lot of time talking about preparation—preparing kids to do well in school with the right school supplies, preparing meals that can easily be eaten between homework and sports’ practice and even preparing themselves to be more organized for the school year. But along with all the back-to-school preparation there is also a celebration—a tradition that has been going on in Germany since the early 19th century.

Born in Berlin and raised in Munich, Germany, Vivian Lie couldn’t wait to introduce the cherished German tradition of Schultute to the United States through her product, KinderCone. “Oftentimes, the first day of school can be a bittersweet moment in a child’s life, but in Germany and Austria it is marked by a day of celebration and appreciation,” says Lie. “On that day, families present their first grader with their very own Schultüte. Inside, the child finds little gifts, treats, and school supplies. KinderCone wants to inspire every family and their young children to enjoy learning by celebrating this special event in their lives.”  More>>>

Targeting African American Moms

The African American Mom represents a huge opportunity for today’s marketers. “This segment would definitely make a difference to a brand’s bottom line,” says Pepper Miller, founder of the Hunter-Miller Group and author of What’s Black About It? Insights to Increase Your Share of a Changing African-American Market. “Black moms are the new low hanging fruit.” So where do you begin? Here’s what some of today’s top brands have been doing to successfully connect with this lucrative consumer group. More>>>

Inspiring Marketing To Mom Greatness

Last Wednesday, I was honored to attend the 2009 WNBA Inspiring Women Luncheon. It was an amazing afternoon of inspiration, one of those rare events where you really don’t want it to end. Story upon story took you beyond what was being done on the basketball courts and gave you insight into the individuals that were playing the game. I sat there as a marketer, a writer, a woman—but also as a mom. This organization was a tribute to all that is right with marketing to moms—and watching their story unfold gave me some key insights into how other brands could do the same. More>>>

Blogger Buzz Hits the Mainstream

As brand leaders and marketing executives, we have been following the FTC/blogger topics for quite sometime (even covered it with our Mommy Bloggers on E-ssentials), but now the mainstream media has taken hold of the story—especially as it relates to Mommy Bloggers—and the buzz is now hitting consumers. Last week during a casual neighborhood dinner party, two of my mom friends started talking about a story that appeared on "Good Morning America" regarding Mommy Bloggers. They were concerned that some of the blogs they depend on for guidance and reviews may actually be endorsing products just because they are getting them for free. I always know we are on to a hot-button topic when the neighborhood moms start talking about it over dinner! Here's a list of some of the top mainstream media stories that ran last week: More>>>

Let the Back-to-School Shopping Begin

Although the economy has played a part in many a sluggish sales cycle, this back-to-school shopping season looks promising. “During our recent survey we found that while moms are concerned about the back-to-school expense, they are still planning on making the purchases. In some cases, they are anticipating spending more on back-to-school items this year than they did last year,” says Tracey Hope-Ross, VP of Social Media for Mom Central Consulting. That sentiment is repeated in a recent survey by Cookie magazine. “Based on our recent Back to School Survey, eight in ten Cookie women tell us that they will probably spend the same or more on back to school this year as they did last year,” says Carolyn Kremins, publisher of Cookie. More>>>

The Cookie That Won't Crumble

It is hard to find any good news coming from the print industry. But among the headlines of declining circulation and decreased ad pages, comes a bright and shiny success story: Cookie. The lifestyle magazine for the modern mother—with an innovative editorial mix that includes fashion, home décor, travel, entertainment and health for both mom and her family—is succeeding where most print publications have failed. What’s the secret to keeping Cookie from crumbling? Cookie publisher Carolyn Kremins gives us some insight into why her magazine continues to connect with today’s moms. More>>>

The Dad Factor

There is a shift in the parenting paradigm that has created a new parenting partnership. It’s known as the “Dad Factor” and Marta Loeb, director of qualitative research for Just Kid Inc., is on top of it. “Dad has become the leveraging point when marketing to moms AND has also become a new target market,” says Loeb. As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day, M2Moms E-ssential’s editor Patti Minglin recently spoke with Marta regarding the significant opportunities brands have when Dad has a role in their marketing-to-mom initiatives. More>>>

Regulating Mommy Bloggers: Will the FTC hurt their influence?

The influence of mommy bloggers—both paid and unpaid—has recently caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The organization believes if bloggers are compensated to promote or review a product, they are not exempt from the laws governing truthful advertising. Patti Minglin recently asked one of the leading experts of the mommy blogosphere Jory Des Jardins, co-founder and president of strategic alliances for BlogHer Inc., to give us some additional insight into how such regulations may affect the relationship mommy bloggers have with brands and consumers. More>>>

Don't Forget the PANKs

While we are always celebrating Moms at M2Moms E-ssentials, we wanted to take this opportunity to also celebrate the PANKs—Professional Aunts No Kids. A term dubbed by Melanie Notkin, founder of SavvyAuntie.com, PANKs represent an entire group of women who don’t have children but have children in their lives whom they adore—and the discretionary income and time to spend with these children. As she prepares for Savvy Aunties Day (July 26th), Melanie recently spoke with M2Moms E-ssentials editor Patti Minglin about the SavvyAuntie site, the power of PANKs and what kind of marketing messages she would like to see. More>>>

The Serious Business of Playing Outside

Playing outside is serious business—especially for the folks of the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There™ initiative. With studies showing that a daily dose of outdoors improves children’s physical, mental and emotional well-being, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is hoping Be Out There will inspire families across America to open the door and get outside!

There is a an underlying motive for the organization that has built its very foundation on helping protect wildlife—the more children get outside the deeper appreciation they will have for wildlife and nature. Meri-Magaret Deoudes, senior national director, corporate relations for the NWF recently spoke with M2Moms E-ssential’s editor Patti Minglin about the Be Out There initiative and how brands can get involved with the movement. More>>>

Get Ready for Camp Mom

As we approach the unofficial beginning of the summer season, Moms are busy making those last minute plans for camps, but not just for their kids. More and more Moms are using the lazy days of summer to go on their own retreats and camp-like experiences in an effort to bond with their friends and sisters, connect with other Moms or perhaps to just let loose in the arts & crafts cabin.

There are numerous “camping” experiences popping up throughout the U.S.—ranging from long weekend overnights to camps for single Moms. While they each provide a different type of experience, they all offer brands new ways to connect with the ever-busier Mom consumer. We recently asked the experts at Camp GetAway, an organization that has been hosting weekend retreats for women for the past 13-years, to give us some insight into how brands may be able to get involved with the Mom camp trend.  More>>>

Mom Central Study: How To Raise Financially Responsible Kids in Uncertain Times

In March 2009, Mom Central Consulting surveyed nearly 1200 Moms across the United States about the impact of the recession on their families. MCC recruited Moms from our community and a network of contacts.

The survey focused on how American families are directly impacted by the current economic recession. These findings illuminate in these tough economic times, Moms face new expectations, increasingly tightened budgets and changing values.  More>>>

Happy Mother's Day!

Moms come in every shape and size, in every color and culture, but they all speak the same language….LOVE! M2Moms® E-ssentials celebrates all moms by giving you a list of some of the unique ways brands are celebrating the many faces of mom this Mother’s Day.

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Moms At Work

Part-time, full-time, work-from-home—whatever the circumstance, one thing holds true: More and more moms are heading back to work. We asked some of our mom experts—Isabel Kallman, founder of Alpha Mom™; Nataly Kogan, co-founder and CEO of Work It, Mom!; Michele Miller, top marketing-to-women blogger (WonderBranding) and co-author of The Soccer Mom Myth; and Kelley Skoloda, partner/director for Ketchum and author of Too Busy to Shop: Marketing To “Multi-Minding” Women--to give us their thoughts on why this trend is growing and how it affects the way brands connect and communicate with today’s “busier-than-ever” mom consumer. More>>>

How 'Tweet' It Is

Everyday millions of people—many of them moms--jump on Twitter to let the world know what they are doing, what they are thinking or what they are watching. “Tweets” go from the ordinary activities of the day (“Just finished eating a bagel and ready to get the kids to school”) to callouts for assistance (“Recently moved to Chicago. Does anyone know of a good private school?”) to interesting and often thought-provoking questions (“Just read Malcom Gladwell’s Outliers. What do others think about his ideas behind success?”). “It’s like a personal IM that goes out to everyone,” says Barbara Jones, founder of the One2One Network and avid Twitter user.

While its social applications are obvious, can Twitter actually help companies effectively connect their brand with today’s mom consumers? Jones thinks it can. More>>

Why Wii is Winning with Moms

And what your brand should be doing too!

No longer a category that appeals exclusively to teenage boys, video games have broadened their appeal to reach a wider demographic of followers—especially women and moms. According to the International Game Developers Association, women represent 40% of all gamers and have become a vital component to ensuring the industry’s continued success. And no video system seems to be winning with women and moms more than Nintendo’s Wii. A recent Nielsen study found that in addition to appealing to boys age 6-11, Wii is seeing most of its usage from women age 25-34 and is used by more women age 35+ than either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

It certainly seems as if Wii has hit the sweet spot with mom consumers and understanding why the game system is winning with mom can help brands across all categories score big with this lucrative market. More>>

What Pops With Mom:  How An Established Brand Made New Connections With Today's Moms

During the 2008 M2Moms-The Marketing To Moms Conference Stephanie Moritz, director of public relations for ConAgra Foods and Pamela Von Lehmden, SVP/director of Midwest brand and food practice for Ketchum, were awarded with the M2Moms® Full Circle Award—an award created to honor those brands that have attended M2Moms® in the past and have successfully implemented what they learned from the conference. Their success story: Orville Redenbacher’s “Girls Night In” campaign.  Stephanie recently spoke with Patti Minglin about the success of the campaign and how speaking to moms as individuals—not just mothers or women—is can be the key to connection.  More>>

Why Moms Matter To Automakers:  An Interview with AskPatty.com's Jody DeVere

For the past several months, you can’t turn on the TV, glance at the Internet or flip through the pages of a newspaper without seeing a story or two about the trouble of the Big Three: Chrysler, Ford and GM. The auto industry is struggling to gain new ground with cash-strapped consumers and is looking for ways to once again become a relevant part of our daily lives. During this unique and interesting economic time, M2W® E-ssentials editor Patti Minglin talked with Jody DeVere, president and CEO of AskPatty.com, Inc., a website and blog for women to get advice on car purchases, maintenance and other automotive related topics, on why and how automakers should be targeting today’s moms.

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Igniting the Passion : A look inside the success of Disney's latest viral campaign
By Patti Minglin

Duncan Wardle, VP of Global PR for Disney Parks, is a man pressed for time. And he’s not alone. More and more consumers are tuning out traditional advertising channels such as TV commercials and radio spots and choosing which brands they want to see. “Everyone is talking about consumers controlling your brand,” says Wardle. “Consumers have always controlled your brand, they are now able to also control the message.” This fact makes a lot of marketers nervous, but for the folks at Disney it is just part of the adventure.

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Kelley Skoloda, partner/director, global brand marketing practice for Ketchum Public Relations, is one busy woman. Her life, just like those of other working women who are also moms, is packed with activities and tasks—leaving little time for commercial messages. Kelley, who is one of the most popular M2Moms(R)-The Marketing To Moms Conference and M2W®-The Marketing To Women Conference speakers each year, has become a leader in helping brands understand the multi-minding woman and will soon be sharing that knowledge in her new book, Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to Multi-Minding Women which will be available in Spring 2009.

In a quest to gather insights and information for her book, Kelley created a blog—“Too Busy To Shop.” This blog has given women the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences and help marketers manage their brands and businesses so they can work with the busy lives of women—not against them.

Kelley recently spoke with Patti Minglin about the value of creating a blog to gain insights into the female consumer and what brands can learn from the conversations of women. More>>

Mastering The Online Reach:  An Interview With Christine Ryder

“The Moms space is a crowded one and depending on how you search third party metrics, the vertical can get even more confusing,” says Christine Ryder (nee Schmidt), director of sales for GoFish and frequent M2Moms® attendee. “I have been selling for or against most of the properties in this category for the past 11 years and on August 5, 2008, I actually joined the “mom” demographic for the first-time, giving me an insider’s view of the sites for the first time.”

In doing research for an upcoming M2Moms® E-ssentials review on top Mom websites marketers may be missing, Ryder discovered the numerous challenges marketers face when trying to successfully partner with some of the major players such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo! It is a combination of looking at the numbers, the audience and the content that makes for a good online buy when it comes to connecting with moms and here's what Ryder wants you to keep in mind when creating your next online partnership.

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Building a Healthy Relationship with Mom:  An Interview with Michelle Cordial of Subway

“…a brand needs to be where she is and needs to provide value – whether it’s information or something tangible – with so many choices out there – give her something she needs and she doesn’t have to spend her limited time looking for it.”

Moms are looking for healthy, nutritional food offerings when it comes to their children. However, kids still want things that are considered fun and cool. No one better than Subway has learned how to ride that fine line between pleasing mom and enticing kids and with their continued commitment to helping families maintain healthy lifestyles, Subway has become a leader in the marketing to mom space.

In an interview with Patti Minglin, M2Moms® E-ssentials editor, Michelle Cordial, director of brand management for Subway, gives insight into the brand’s current strategies for helping mom keep the family fit.

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Making a Difference--One Pair of Slippers at a Time:  An Interview with Dearfoams(R)

As one of the top slipper brands, Dearfoams® has helped the bedroom slipper become an innovative and chic part of the footwear industry. While it would be easy for them to sit comfortably at the top of the slipper category, Dearfoams® is using their brand influence to change the lives of women—one pair of slippers at a time. Karen Jacobs, director of marketing for Dearfoams®, recently spoke with Patti Minglin, M2W® E-ssentials editor, about the brand’s partnership with the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation™ and how other brands can use such partnerships to make a difference in the world.

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Moms and the Economy: An Interview with C&R Research’s Susan Ford

Today’s financial situation is indeed dire. You can’t seem to turn on the TV or flip through a newspaper without being reminded of home foreclosures, high fuel prices and the restructuring of major financial institutions. We have heard from the economic experts and those closely connected to Wall Street, but what about the real CEO of consumer spending? What do today’s moms think about the current state of our economy and how does this affect the way they connect with your brand?

Through recent longitudinal research, C&R Research set out to discover the impact today’s economic situation has on mom’s psyche, purse and shopping cart. Susan Ford, vice president of C&R and host of an M2Moms® Roundtable Lunch Discussion during this year’s conference, recently shared some of those findings with Patti Minglin, M2Moms® E-ssentials editor.

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Heather Mitchell, communications manager for Unilever

“Overall, we’re speaking to moms in a different way than a lot of marketers out there. We’re not speaking to her solely as a mom, instead we’re speaking to her as a woman.”

Connecting with moms as women and not just parents has been the key to Unilever’s success in the mom space. In particular, their Suave brand found marketing magic with their “Say Yes to Beautiful” campaign and the popular “In the Motherhood” web series was recently picked up by ABC to become part of its future television line-up. It appears the company has hit the sweet spot with today’s busy moms—helping them embrace the realities of motherhood while still maintaining their womanhood.

Patti Minglin, editor of M2Moms® E-ssentials, recently interviewed Heather Mitchell, Unilever’s communications manager, to find out the secrets behind the Suave brand success and how looking at mom through different eyes can work wonders for your brand.

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Jessica Denay

“Moms today expect to maintain their style throughout pregnancy...the baby bump is the ultimate accessory!”

Jessica Denay is a mom on a mission—a mission to help every mom embrace her “inner hotness” and become the best person—and best mom—she can be. As the author of two best-selling books, The Hot Moms Handbook: Moms Have More Fun! and The Hot Mom To Be Handbook: Womb With A View as well as founder of the Hot Moms Club, Denay has built a successful brand around the idea that motherhood is indeed beautiful.

During a recent interview with Patti Minglin, editor of M2Moms E-ssentials, Denay explains how celebrities have helped make motherhood cool again and why brands should embrace this “hot mom” trend.

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Nadine Vogel

Meeting the ‘special needs’ of today’s moms

What company isn’t looking for new ways to grow market share and build revenue—especially in tough economic times?  In their quest to find connections with hot niche markets such as Hispanics and African-Americans, most brands are overlooking one of their best bets for revenue success:  People with disabilities and their families. 

“As a major niche market, people with disabilities and their families represent a huge opportunity for brands looking to increase their revenue and build brand loyalty,” says Nadine Vogel, president of Springboard Consulting, LLC and scheduled M2Moms® presenter.  Major niche is right—according to Nadine nearly one third of the U.S. population either has a disability or has a child or dependent with special needs.  And while some companies have made great strides to include people with disabilities as part of their overall business and marketing strategies, appealing to their parents and families is often a missed opportunity.

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Leslie Morgan Steiner is an expert juggler—in addition to being the best-selling editor of Mommy Wars: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families as well as a popular weekly columnist for Mommy Track’d and daily online columnist for The Washington Post, Leslie is also the busy mom of three.

In a recent interview with Patti Minglin, M2Moms E-ssentials editor, Leslie shared her insights on how a new generation is beginning to redefine m otherhood (say hello to “Dad”) and how today’s brands can avoid getting caught in the “mommy wars.”

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