Full Article Here:
http://www.mediavillage.com/jmr/2007/07/12/jmr-07-12-07/#continue
Popular AOL and iVillage veteran Tina Sharkey, who was named CEO of Babycenter last January, advised Jack Myers Media Business Report the company plans to launch a completely overhauled site and name a new ad sales chief in the next two weeks. (Mary Jo Romeo continues to head NY ad sales.) Babycenter.com, which is wholly owned by Johnson & Johnson, captures nearly 80 percent market share in the online pre-natal and early parenting space and hosts more than 250 advertisers.
"The next generation of mothers are already engaged and involved online. They display their belly rings prominently. There is a fundamental seismic shift in how this new generation thinks about motherhood."
"The new site will be designed to engage would-be and early-stage parents..."
Babycenter is preparing to launch the site in China and Sharkey believes much of the company's growth will be spurred by international expansion. Babycenter is currently in 10 countries. Contact Tina Sharkey at tsharkey@babycenter.com.
10 comments:
I'm technically what they're wanting to market to, being that I'm 18 years old, married, fairly hip, and having a baby.
That said, I find it ridiculous that they're wanting to market toward me! I can't afford anything in their stores on a whim, I hate the new BBC community set up, and I find it completely unprofessional that they're not answering any of our questions! They're feeding us a bunch of BS to try to shut us up, as if that would work!
I've been a marketing student in various programs since my 8th grade year, and now I'm in college studying for marketing, so I'm pretty familiar with advertising and trying to reach out to certain demographics. This DOES NOT APPEAL to the younger crowd any more than before!If even I'M too old to market to, then they seriously have some morality issues.
Hi, I'm the blogger and I didn't get an invite...where's my pacifer.
I understand why they started with invites only -- to make sure it works before it goes public. I'll be honest, I like the new community. It's much more interactive and I feel like I'm more involved in the same kind of conversations I had in the old version. By the way, I'm almost 34 and using the site.
I'm sorry you feel this way. I just found your blog spot.
I'm 43 (almost 44) so technically not a young, hip mom...but I love the new BBC.
Hope we see you over there. change is not all bad!
Let me tell you, BBC, that the "young demo" loves the older moms. For the most part, there are some (one) older obnoxious know it alls who batter other people with their weirdo parenting ideas but the majority of the older moms hang right with the young moms. It is the idea of a blended community that appeals to most new moms, I think. You can compare your parenting ways with others. And I agree with Cerra, it is primarily the older moms who can afford the fancy baby gear-they have graduated college and ideally worked a year or two and have money stashed away. Or more established credit,lol.
Get a life
I am appalled that BBC is doing such a drastic change. I will NOT be switching to the new format. If I wanted to be on a facebook, myspace type group, I would be. i can't believe that BBC is so willing to make changes to something that is working so well for all of us.
Actually I am the blogger and I got an invite when they first started them....and I do not like the "new" board at all.
I am appalled that BBC is doing such a drastic change. I will NOT be switching to the new format. If I wanted to be on a facebook, myspace type group, I would be. i can't believe that BBC is so willing to make changes to something that is working so well for all of us.
Boo hoo
It seems as if many of the team at BabyCenter agree with you - or should I say ex-team members.
According to a friend of mine, since Tina Sharkey joined the company from AOL, almost the entire executive team has left for greener pastures. Seems as if they didn't share Tina's "myspace for mom" view of the future.
This, by itself, is not a bad sign.
The really bad sign is that, according to my friend, almost half of the BabyCenter staff, the core team that built my wonderful friend called BabyCenter, have left the company as well.
One could conclude that the rank and file employees of BabyCenter may not agree with the new direction or leadership of the company. Maybe they know what we know - it's not about myspace, it's about mom.
It's really sad. :-(
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