Lori Dolginoff of Johnson & Johnson has had better days. She started today on jury duty and ended it in a blogstorm around Johnson’s upcoming Camp Baby event.
For those that don’t know the story, here’s the Cliff Notes version. Johnson and Johnson invites lots of mommybloggers to a 2-day all expenses paid event in early April. Mommybloggers looked forward to seeing their friends, making new ones, lots of conversation ensues in the back channels. Then within the last few days, two well-read moms, Julie Marsh and Stefania Pomponi Butler, were "disinvited." Read their posts (if you haven’t already) for the full stories. Short version: both women were late RSVPs, for different reasons, but both were confirmed for the event. But when each introduced a variable unexpected by Johnson’s — Julie needed to bring her 9 week old son; Stefania couldn’t stay for the whole thing — both were "disinvited."
Now, as I’ve written here recently, I’m participating in a panel at BlogHer Business in two weeks called Improve This Pitch, and this sure sounded like one that could stand a bit. I also thought the whole affair would make a great blogger relations case study for Marketing Roadmaps. To do it justice, however, I would need the company perspective as well as the bloggers’, and it really couldn’t be done until after the event.
In light of the swirling blogstorm, however, I emailed the marcom agency doing the outreach asking to speak to someone from Johnson’s. About the disinvitations and for the later case study.
Imagine my surprise when Lori Dolginoff, Director of Communications for the Johnson’s brand, and the architect of the Camp Baby event, called within hours of my email. On some level, I suppose she was glad to hear from someone about this who she could call — my phone numbers are in my email signature — but still, it was a good sign.
Johnson’s made some critical execution errors in this outreach, which I will dissect shortly, but I want to state clearly that I was impressed by Lori’s wlllingness to take responsibility for the mess, and her genuine desire to mend the broken fences and learn from the mistakes. After speaking with her, I do believe that their intentions were good. They wanted to do something nice for the moms as well as promote their products. Give them a getaway from their kids and families. They also clearly understood the importance of transparency, which is no small matter.
We’ll talk more about the actual content of the event in my post-event post. Right now, let’s focus on the outreach.
Where did it fall down? Errors of execution.
They didn’t really understand the mom’s point of view. Lori told me that they thought it was understood that this was an adults-only event with no child care. Well, yes, it was. Part of the disconnect was that J&J thought that meant no children or babies whatsoever. Mommybloggers, however, likely interpreted it simply as no child care.
What J&J didn’t understand was that a mom with a very young nursing baby might expect something called Camp Baby to accommodate her and her infant since the whole point of bringing such a young baby was that the mother couldn’t be separated. In other words, she didn’t need child care. Remember: no one was looking to bring older babies, toddlers or children to the event, at least as far as I know. We’re talking young, breast-feeding infants. If Johnson’s wanted no children of any age for any reason, it should have been explicit. If it was, I doubt Julie Marsh would have given it a second thought.
Now of course, it probably should have had some child care options. Doesn’t mean it had to pay for air tickets for children. Doesn’t even mean it had to pay for the child care, although the spirit of all expenses paid implies all expenses. I know personally that arranging child care can be tough. I’m lucky that my husband doesn’t like to travel except on family vacations; he used to live on the road so he now prefers to stay home. But for many mommy bloggers, child care does make a tremendous difference in their ability to participate in an event or not. But no matter. The mistake was in not being explicit about the policy. Not in whether or not there was child care
Hype & lack of knowledge about the bloggers. Spaces are filling fast. RSVP today. Read Stefania’s post. They were really pushing her to say yes. So she did. And then once there was a wrinkle, it all fell apart. Now, as someone who both follows and participates in the momosphere, I absolutely understand why you would want Stefania at your event. She’s a smart articulate Asian-American woman who writes for multiple blogs. She has lots of readers. So,why, once you get her to say yes, would you f*** it up??? Particularly since she has written on more than one occasion about poor blogger relations. Do a little bit of homework on her blog. Just click the PR category. Takes a second.
Same for Julie. She announced Oliver’s birth on the blog. There is really no excuse for not knowing that she’s a new mom. She even told the person organizing the event that she just had a baby. I suspect that the fact that the agency person didn’t understand the possible ramifications of this is due to a common blogger outreach problem: the folks sending the emails are often junior staffers without much experience. Clearly, in this case, no kids.
Clarity & expectations. If space was limited and preference to be given to women who could attend both days, it should have been stated upfront. Women who couldn’t commit to the full timeframe wouldn’t have replied. Or tried to arrange childcare as Stefania did. It is all about expectations. Set the right ones, and you’ll be successful. Confuse people? Blogstorm.
Final point. In recent months, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend toward big programs/events. It’s understandable and entirely consistent with a "big brand" approach but not necessarily consistent with establishing long term relationships with bloggers. Or your customer. Because that’s what a blogger is. Your customer. Don’t forget it. It’s about the relationship over time, not overnight. So, think about it. Do you want a one-night stand? Or a commitment?
I gave Lori some advice, which she seemed to appreciate, and will be watching closely to see what the company does now. The most important things to to do, IMNSHO:
- reach out to the women who were not accommodated, starting, but not ending, with Julie and Stefania;
- address the whole mess head on at the event in two weeks. The women there already know about it. Deal with it;
- put on a good event;
- do it better next time.
I’ll be watching, and I know for sure, I’m not alone ๐
Loralee says
I loved this post.
I am not sure why I took this issue so much to heart (I wasn’t even invited to the party!) but I did.
The break down of the problems that created the issue were dead on and exactly how I was feeling except that you state it much better than I could have.
mothergoosemouse says
Susan, thank you. I wish I could attend BlogHer Biz to hear you speak.
Stefania/CityMama says
this was my favorite part:
Because that’s what a blogger is. Your customer. Don’t forget it. It’s about the relationship over time, not overnight. So, think about it. Do you want a one-night stand? Or a commitment?
thanks for speaking the truth. as always you do it better than most.
Mir says
Great breakdown, Susan.
One thing you didn’t touch on (and no one, to my knowledge, anyway, has blogged about this) was J&J’s insistence on holding this event the same two days as BlogHer Business. There aren’t THAT many women-focused blogger events happening in the world. They couldn’t check a calendar and avoid a time clash?
I got an invitation to Camp Baby. Actually, I got THREE invitations to Camp Baby. Each and every time I mailed back that I would be unable to attend because I was already committed to BlogHer Business, and never once did I get any sort of response. That really left me wondering how much homework J&J did (not much) and also where basic courtesy had gone (how hard is it to mail back “Okay, thanks for letting us know, we’re sorry you can’t make it”).
Susan Getgood says
Thanks for the comments. I’ll be back to this story after the event. Lori has already agreed to speak with me again, and I’ll also be talking with some mommybloggers who are attending.
Mir, absolutely agree. Scheduling the event at the same time as BlogHer Business does indicate a certain lack of knowledge of the woman’s blogging space. Not as bad as if it had been scheduled during BlogHer in the summer, but still not terribly swift.
I think of BlogHer in the summer as a conference *for* women bloggers, whereas BlogHer Business is more for firms trying to understand how to work *with* women bloggers. J&J might have been better served ATTENDING BlogHer Business than scheduling an event in conflict with it.
sweetsalty kate says
I was also invited and then un-invited when Lori discovered that I’m breastfeeding, and cannot be apart from my baby. “Unfortunately, we cannot provide childcare…” she wrote to me, which was completely ridiculous.
I wrote back explaining (as if I should have to explain) that I wasn’t asking for childcare, but just consideration – and that while I’d love to have a few days on my own, it’s not feasible. And she wrote back and said “We hope you can find someone to leave your baby with and attend CAMP BABY!”
It was as though Lori either has no children, or has never heard of breastfeeding – her responses to me were so clueless, so completely unaware of the realities of being a new mama. I appreciate that she’s all over the blogs right now in an attempt to backpedal, but it absolutely dumbfounds me that the organizers of this event could have such poor judgement. It’s as though they didn’t consult any real mothers in planning – or at least perhaps they only consulted bottle-feeding moms.
I was left feeling as though I only wanted to bring my baby in order to cause a disruption. Very uncool.
Lindsay Lebresco (Graco) says
As a corporate PR professional and newbie corporate blogger, this is a great perspective & post on the events that have unfolded in relation to J&J.
As a company that is committed to the long-term relationships you talk about, we understand it can be a long process that may not produce “results” immediately. The key is to understand that going in, make management understand that, and most importantly, enjoy the ride. I’ve had a blast building relationships with a lot of the very bloggers involved with this event and I get to call it “work.” (it helps that I have kids too because I love reading everyone’s parenting perspectives)
Graco has been watching this from the wings and I can also guarantee that Lori has had better days. As a fellow “corporate” that often gets labeled as such, even the best intentioned plans can go wrong and I do feel for the team over there. It’s never fun to made an “example” of, but the learnings that can come from this event will help all of us- hopefully J&J the most.
Thanks Susan
Toby says
Congrats! Susan. Excellent. The irony, of course, is J&J “our only business is babies” never understood their target audience. Looking forward to catching up at BlogHer.
Average Jane says
Really interesting post. I’ve shared it with my company’s social media team as an important example.
FireMom says
Amen. I posted yesterday about how I was disinvited because our four month old son, whom I wouldn’t even think of LEAVING with ANY daycare, is exclusively breastfed. Looking at my masthead on the blog and then reading anything in the blog makes it blatantly obvious that I’m a breastfeeding WAHM. I would have rather not been invited at all than have been treated like a leper because I refuse to leave my nursing infant behind.
Alas. Live and learn.
Heather says
You said it. I was not invited either, and wouldn’t expect to be because my blog doesn’t have nearly the following that others’ do but I was very irritated with the fact that nursing moms were told they couldn’t bring their babies to a BABY camp…for moms with babies.
I hope they’ve gotten things figured out at J&J. What a PR fiasco.
Christine says
What great information and insight for J&J to use in planning future events. I actually wrote my thoughts about Camp Baby just a bit ago… I am going and look forward to meeting you there!
Busy Mom says
I sure do wish I could hear your panel at BHB.
My situation was a little different. I had to arrange childcare and my schedule, but, my husband was out of the country.
I asked them if I could reply in a few days, and, they said, “Great! No worries, just let us know!”
When I replied that I was able to attend, they said, “Oh well, sorry, it’s full now.”
Good intentions, executed a bit poorly. I’m very glad they’re listening and learning.
BarbaraKB says
Best summary I’ve read about the controversy.
Thanks!
Mom101 says
Really nicely done.
I think to add to what Mir said, the #1 indication of lack of understanding of the audience started with planning an event for parents on a weekday!
BlogHer Biz occurs during the week because it’s a business conference, not specifically targeting primary caregivers.
Her Bad Mother says
Thank you, Susan, for breaking this down so comprehensively, and so reasonably. It really is a teaching moment for ALL of us (yes, including mom-bloggers, for whom this is an opportunity to learn a little more about how to respond to like situations. Stefania and Julie have been excellent role models in this regard, and you have been an excellent moderator.)
Chicky Chicky Baby says
Thanks for writing this, Susan. I’ve been watching this very closely and I’m very interested to see how J&J is going to handle this at the event. They (Lori from J&J) sent me and the other attendees an email today explaining what happened. I was very happy to receive that but I’m certainly waiting for an in-person explanation.
QueenofSpain, Erin Kotecki Vest says
Fantastic post Susan. I was not invited and am *certain* I’ll never be asked to any sort of PR thing after all this-but if that is the case I hope it serves as a teaching tool. Then I will have done my job ๐
Susan Getgood says
As the saying goes, Erin:
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” (Laurel Thatcher Ulrich)
Let’s keep rockin’ the boat. Just a little.
Eric Eggertson says
Nice post, Susan.
As usual, a lot of this is common sense. But when you’re in the middle of pulling together an event, you don’t always think things through from others’ perspectives the way you should.
And sometimes, as you note, the execution is done by people who don’t realize the implications of being a new parent (or any other situation that might limit your ability to drop everything for an event).
Velma says
Great post, Susan. Seeing this play out over the last week has been eye opening, even for those of us otherwise uninvolved in the drama.
Jodi says
Susan, this is a wonderful post, really summarizing the story and looking at it from multiple angles. I’m attending Camp Baby, and am looking forward to meeting lots of other mommy bloggers, but definitely wish I could hear you speak at BlogHer business.
selfmademom says
I was a little late to the scrum of this, but am glad that you posted this. As a former PR gal (with J&J as a client no less), I was disappointed at what happened, and am hoping that they’ll make good on doing better in the future. Great points you make. Let’s just hope the right people read this!
jaelithe says
I can’t believe Lori said that about leaving your nursing baby with someone, Kate. Sheesh.
What’s weird about this, too, is that Johnson & Johnson has actually won awards for its breastfeeding accommodations for its employees. At their headquarters in New Jersey, they have special lactation rooms for pumping. They also offer on-site daycare. They were on the Working Mother Top 100 List!
If they’ve figured out that accommodation is necessary for their employees, why did it not occur to anyone there that it might also be a good idea for their customers?
Susan Getgood says
Jaelithe, I get the feeling that they were concerned about mums of older babies complaining about the accommodation made for the infants & their nursing moms. Which as we all know, and J&J does now too, was very unlikely. Pretty much every mum I’ve spoken with or emailed makes a clear distinction between little nursing babies and older mobile tots. Again, this is where a little more homework would have been helpful. Either don’t invite mums of infants or be willing to accommodate. At least that is my opinion.
And reminds me to mention a key blogger relations requirement. I will assume everyone who reads this knows that emails are done one by one — no mail merge crap. But before you send that email to that blogger who fits the profile of your current campaign, pop on over to the blog again. Sure, you are reading it regularly, but no one expects you to read every post, every day, word for word.
But guess what: If you are doing blogger relations, I do expect you to double-check what is going on with that blogger before you press send on the email. It’s common sense — do you really want to invite someone to a cool event or pitch a great new program if her mom just died?
WhyMommy says
This is awesome. As was the response on Twitter when it happened. The power of bloggers to reach is really unprecedented outside of the mainstream media, I think.
J&J clearly does not understand this part of their target audience. Or nursing mothers.
Sigh.
Dana says
“It’s understandable and entirely consistent with a “big brand” approach but not necessarily consistent with establishing long term relationships with bloggers. Or your customer.”
That said it all. Nice!
Yvonne DiVita says
Susan, I hope you will do that case study on this. It’s amazing to me that J&J so poorly executed this. It’s not even a blogger issue, it’s a “do we know our customers?” issue (as you rightly pointed out).
Moms are the key to almost everything. I always say ‘women’…but, I do like to point out that ALL women are moms of a sort. We have the nurture gene (not that men don’t) and we use it on relatives, friends, pets, etc. Businesses of all sort, not just those focused on kids and family should understand that it’s not good business to get on the bad side of Moms…
Great post!
Shashi B says
Did you know I took my 2.5 yr old son with me to SXSW? of course he didn’t walk the floors with me but he had an aunt to take care of him. The point I am making is that attending conferences sometimes takes a toll on the family’s routine. It will be nice for conference organizers to recognize this. Maybe the right way would have been to say, child care was your own responsibility.
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TheMacMommy says
I even have a breastfeeding badge on my blog so it would be really easy for someone to know my situation before inviting me if they had, as you suggest, done their homework. You’re spot on with this. I was recently contacted by and invited by Google to participate in something and the woman who contacted me did her homework, I could tell. She was very kind to ask me to let HER know what times were good for ME to talk on the phone. I liked that. I hope this debacle gets fixed. Nice post, thanks!
Liz says
De-lurking to add that I am so glad to have met you and read your thoughts about inviting (and dis-inviting) bloggers to sponsored events.
I’ve been blogging for 5 years and – as pretty much a regular mom who just happens to enjoy writing, a lot – I’ve seen a lot of good (and bad) that’s been done in the blogging world.
Being invited to an event – like J&J – just doesn’t happen, every day.
Thankfully, we have professionals (like you) who know what they’re doing or, at least, are trying to help bloggers (like me) understand just how important their views and opinions really are.
Speaking as a person who’s screwed up – yes, plenty of times – I appreciate the fact that Lori has apologized and has you to help her make it right.
There, I’m done lurking now ;o)
dorothy says
I’ve been under a rock we like to call “my job,” so I just heard about this. Susan, you nailed it right on the head. I completely agree with your assessment, and you do your entire industry a favor by posting it here. Well played. Let’s hope J&J will play theirs, well, too.
Although you did leave out the part about the retreat or whatever being the same weekend as BlogHer Business. I was invited to J&J but can’t go because !!! I’m a mom who is also a businesswoman.
Que horor? J&J? Am I still your audience? Of all the weekends to pick?
Suburban Turmoil says
I too missed the firestorm until recently, but I was invited and couldn’t go because of my kids.
I did think it odd that:
1) Johnson and Johnson of all companies wouldn’t have some sort of childcare option, since this was CAMP BABY and I’m assuming that everyone invited has BABIES or small children.
2) J&J would have this event during the week. I could have gone on a weekend- My husband would have been happy to watch the kids- but on two weekdays? Totally impossible.
I wasn’t upset, of course, because it’s a free trip, J&J is a business, and its people can do what they want. It didn’t work for me, but obviously it did work for plenty of other women, because almost all my bloggy friends are there right now! *sniffle*
Nice to hear they’re being so responsive, though.
Hannah Smith says
Excellent post. Although, while I realize that Johnson & Johnson definitely messed up, do you think there is anything the bloggers could have done differently. Doesn’t some blame fall on them for not accurately communicating their needs?