NEWS Comment
A MUMMY BLOGGER’S VIEW Parent bloggers are an increasingly influential part of the pre-school landscape. We take a closer look at recent blog posts from a mummy blogger…
This month: The Five Fs Blog
Indie wins Best Shop award Mamas & Papas names Manchester’s Busy Bee as 2012 winner
by Dominic Sacco
A COMMUNITY-owned independent toy store has been crowned Best Shop of 2012 in Manchester. Mamas & Papas awarded
Busy Bee Toy Shop the accolade at its annual ceremony this year, which recognises child-friendly businesses.
In 2009, when the
previous owner of Busy Bee retired after 25 years, a group of residents in the South Manchester suburb of Chorlton decided to combine funds to co-own the store. Within five weeks, the co-operative raised
“AS NEW Year is upon us, I thought I’d give you what, from a blogger’s perspective, I think brands and PRs should consider as their New Year’s resolutions for blogger outreach. I think they would make it more effective – and beneficial to you…”
1
2 3
4
Take the time to build relationships with bloggers. Appreciate their value rather than expect something for nothing. Offer them something different by all
means – as a family, we enjoy experiences that money can’t buy more than just trying out toys – but offer us something. Listen to those you work with and be prepared to give them what they like and need. Work with them over time, make them feel special and you will both be happier for it. The bloggers’ posts will reflect this.
Know your bloggers. Offer products to those that they will appeal to – I get offered baby toys; my children are school age. Taking a few minutes to
check saves your time and mine. If you know your bloggers, you’ll know what age their kids are.
Be honest. Admit mistakes. We know you’re human. Honesty really is the best policy, especially if you tell a blogger your event is full, and then invite someone else. Bloggers talk to each other. You WILL be found out.
Remember that blogging is a hobby. We blog in our own time, and have work, family and private lives to juggle. These get in the way of writing that review
you’re waiting for, so give us time to test it properly and write about it. We don’t have expenses budgets to pay for us to get to London tomorrow, nor do we have the childcare. We are not journalists. We rarely ‘just mention this to our readers’ because someone sent us a press release; we’re not trying to fill a newspaper. We write one, maybe two posts a day. Respect our differences, rather than ignore them, and you won’t go far wrong.
Check out more from Kate Crane online here
http://thefivefsblog.blogspot.com and on Twitter @kateab
202 February OTHER WINNERS
Best Child Friendly Eatery - Bean & Brush Best Green Space - Heaton Park Best Shopping Centre - The Trafford Centre Best Nursery - Copper Beeches, Sale Best Soft Play - Snakes and Slides, Middleton Best Family Day Out - Museum of Science and Industry, Castlefield
£32,250 from over 100 investors, and the buyout went ahead. Today, the store is still going strong. A statement from
Mamas & Papas read: “We think this is something that is truly unique, and an endeavour worthy of recognition, so Busy Bee has been awarded winner the in the ‘Best Shop in Manchester’ category. “Mamas & Papas
recognise family friendly local businesses in the Manchester area. They have created a free local ‘Mum & Dad’s the Word’ guide created to help parents find the best child friendly places and spaces
in the Manchester area.” Gemma Fone, who works at the store full-time, added: “We do work hard to promote the store. It’s very child friendly, for example we have a play table and do lots of craft and reading sessions in the holidays.
“It’s a small and intimate
store and we have regular customers. As a community cooperative, we’re all hard working, both members of the cooperative and members of staff, and we’re delighted to win the award.” Busy Bee Toy Shop: 0161 881 5838
LEGO clicks with new Duplo lines by Samantha Loveday
THE FIRST half of 2013 will see a host of introductions to LEGO Duplo. Launching this month, the Number Train is a new vehicle-based SKU combining the classic themes of trains and numbers. Alongside the actual Number Train itself, there will be several starter sets which will work to expand the target age range downwards. They will offer simple builds and bigger bricks, new shapes, decorations and features such as a pull-along element. Also due this month is
Creative Cars, building on the success the brand has already enjoyed with Creative Cakes. Featuring a wide selection of bricks
plus new animals and a building plate lid to create novelty value on shelf, My First Garden is a standalone set as well as being an extension to My First Farm. Also, My First Construction
Site includes vehicles and functions for boys. Two new Disney Princess
sets featuring Ariel The Little Mermaid will also be available for girls. LEGO: 01753 495000
www.toynews-online.biz
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228