Camp Baby – Respect for the Mommyblogger!

If any PR person out there still doubts the power of blogs, bloggers and mothers in the blogosphere, this should be a reminder and a wake-up call. Times are changing. This is an example of how a seemingly minor, yet ill-advised decision, can turn into a big PR-mess.

Here’s the story: Johnson & Johnson invited mom bloggers to Camp Baby, a 2-day all expenses paid event that will take place in April. The event was going to be an opportunity for mommybloggers, often stay-home or work-from-home moms and extremely well-connected, to get together with friends, make new acquaintances and network. Then, two prominent and well-known moms in the blogosphere, Julie Marsh and Stefania Pomponi Butler, registered for the event but were later “disinvited” (you can read their full accounts in Mothergoosemouse and Citymama. Although their attendance had previously been confirmed, when they mentioned they would need to bring their babies to the event, they were simply told they could not attend. In one case, as Mothergoosemouse blogger explained, “When I confirmed that yes, I would be bringing him along and keeping him in a sling with me, she advised me that, in short, I could not attend with my baby in tow. That Johnson’s Camp Baby had been planned - by mothers - to be a baby-free getaway.”

Since Mothergoosemouse and Citymama’s postings, lots of mommybloggers out there have responded. An event intended to bring together mommybloggers, influential voices within an audience every marketer is trying to tap into, and a key segment to Johnson & Johnson, may have well turned into a huge mistake. Let’s not forget the mommyblogging community is one of strong ties and Johnson & Johnson has touched one of mom’s red, hot buttons here. Citymama posted a recount of her conversation with Lori Dolginoff, Johnson’s Camp Baby Communications person. She also posted that “also had about 15 new PR people requesting to follow (me) on Twitter (since my tweets are locked) inside of 30 minutes. J&J via their PR agency had the misfortune to bungle this opportunity with someone who is passionate about educating PR people on how they "get it wrong," and how they can "get it right."

I am curious to see how this whole thing develops during the Camp Baby conference. This might be the white elefant in the room. As I was reading about the incident, I Googled ‘Camp Baby’ and all results point me to the ‘No Babies Allowed’ issue, but no articles from traditional media. We’ll have to wait and see how the mommy blogosphere reacts and what results from the event. If anything, this should be a true learning experience for Johnson & Johnson and its communications staff and an opportunity for the company to come out with a stronger presence within the mom’s community. After all, bloggers are human and it is all about forging relationships and companies have to “get it”.