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| Announcing the launch of ClubMom ... I was thrilled to be invited to the national launch of ClubMom. I was invited as a life coach for mothers which qualified me as someone who understands (and is living) the unique challenges faced by moms. ClubMom was co-founded by Meredith Viera (the co-host of "The View"), Andrew Shue ("Billy" from Melrose Place among many other things!) and Michael Sanchez. A delicious three course meal at the Rainbow Room with Meredith Viera and Andrew Shue sitting at the next table. It's a tough job, Mamas, but someone's got to do it and I am so grateful that that someone is me! Meredith spoke about how the idea of ClubMom came from Andrew Shue when they met for coffee at Starbucks almost 4 years ago. Now, I'm not an envious woman but can you imagine a life where you have coffee with Andrew Shue? No really, just stop for a moment and imagine it ... Over their coffee, Andrew was expressing how hard mothers worked and how undervalued they were in so many ways. He said he was surprised how little voice they had considering what an enormous responsibility they bear. He thought out loud as he wondered how mothers could be given a voice and be rewarded for what they do every single day. The seeds of ClubMom were planted ... Meredith told a great story of a day in her life. She explained that her alarm goes off at 4.00am as she goes to the gym in the morning. If she doesn't go then, she simply doesn't go (note to self: this completely shatters my "don't have time to go to they gym" excuse). This particular day, she got up at 4.00am, went to the gym, came home and did the whole breakfast and taking kids to school routine. She then did grocery shopping and unpacked the groceries. Drove her youngest daughter to her violin lesson. Returned home. Washed and folded laundry. By this time, it was around 7.00pm. She was outside grilling lamb chops on the barbecue thinking to herself "Wow, I really am one hot mama!" She called her children out for dinner and couldn't understand why her youngest daughter wasn't coming out to join them. Suddenly, she was flooded with the horrible realisation that she hadn't picked her daughter up from her violin lesson! A mad dash in her car and twenty minutes later she's at her daughter's violin teachers. She said that her daughter gave her this lingering look that seemed to say "after many years of therapy, I might forgive you for this, Mom." The featured speakers at the lunch were Meredith Viera, Shelly Lazarus, Chairman and CEO, Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide, representatives from two of ClubMom's anchor partners, Dodge and Unilever, and, finally, Andrew Shue ... Below you will find an outline of what ClubMom hopes to achieve and the rewards and benefits you can receive as a free member. Enjoy! CLUBMOM UNITES MOMS ACROSS AMERICA Already more than a million strong, ClubMom, the Free National Membership Organization for Moms, launches nationally Just in time for Mother's Day, moms have an opportunity to come together and harness their collective power through the national launch of ClubMom, the free national membership organization for moms that is already more than a million members strong and expected to grow to tens of millions in the coming years. By bringing together millions of moms, ClubMom attracts some of America's best companies, including anchor partners Dodge, Unilver, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola and Verizon Wireless. These companies recognize moms as "CEO of the household" and are eager to provide valuable rewards (such as free housecleaning and spa services, movies and dinners out, vacation packages, etc.) and savings - just for mom. ClubMom also paves the way for moms to meet other moms through community events and online, access timesaving tips and advice, and provides a platform for moms' voices to be heard. "Moms have one of the most important jobs in America. On a daily basis, they raise our nation's kids, strengthen our neighborhoods and drive our economy," says Meredith Viera, moderator of the daytime talk show "The View", and ClubMom co-founder. "Moms' job is 24/7. They're often so busy doing for others, they rarely have time to reward themselves. ClubMom responds by recognizing and rewarding moms for their priceless contributions. I think of it as the AARP for moms, without the poltics." Moms are a force to be reckoned with! There are 82 million moms in America (28% of our population) who control 80% of all personal and household spending in the country, totaling a whopping $1.7 trillion per year. ClubMom brings together this powerful economic force to attract top companies that are eager to provide rewards, valuable discounts and savings to win moms' loyalty. In addition to ClubMom's anchor partners, other participating partners include Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys"R"Us, RadioShack, Nine West, Easy Spirit, grocery chains (Tops, Giant of Maryland, Farmer Jack and Vons) and more than 100 retailers in ClubMom's online mall (such as The Gap, Sephora, Lane Bryant, Old Navy and Orbitz). As part of it's commitment to providing a platform for moms' voices to be heard, ClubMom commissioned the first annual ClubMom "Voice of Mom" Poll in March 2005 that uncovered a new portrait of the American mom. They love being moms, even though they recognize theirs is one of the most difficult jobs - 88% of moms believe it is hard to be a mom - that leaves them with little time for themselves. They may live in uncertain times, but their main challenge is instilling good values in their children, according to 42% of moms. Family life in America is strong. Moms report being happy with their lives and 90% believe their husbands or partners fully recognize and appreciate the job they do as moms. When it comes to sex, moms have no complaints. A surprising 43% of moms report having sex several times a week and 64% are satisfied with their sex lives. And only 15% of moms are worried their husbands will cheat on them. Kids have made their marriages sstronger, say 69% of moms. An overwhelming majority (92%) believe companies should adapt their policies to help working moms. In addition, 72% say companies and retailers should do more in terms of discounts and deals to help moms. The toal of the study was to establish a benchmark of moms' opinions and beliefs so ClubMom can track the "Voice of Mom" on an annual basis. In addition, the poll was created to provide moms with a platform for their opinions to be heard. ClubMom plans to distribute the findings to Fortune 1000 companies, the President, members of Congress and leaders in the media, and challenge them to do more for moms. "After three years of piloting the organization in about 10 local markets and talking to moms about what makes them feel appreciated, we're ready to take ClubMom national," says actor, social activist and ClubMom co-founder Andrew Shue. "No one else is bringing moms together as a group like ClubMom to do more and get more for mom." ClubMom Member Benefits ClubMom recognizes and rewards moms in a variety of ways: * Earn rewards and save money - just for being a mom. ClubMom's partners recognize mom as the most important consume and each one is participating in a unique way. Some partners reward moms for the dollars they spend - moms earn points for their purchases, redeemable for items from the ClubMom catalog including housecleaning and spa services, dinners and movies out and vacation getaways. Other partners participate in mailings with special offers to members while some mom-indulgent companies provide everyday savings and discounts. * Tips & time-savers anytime, online. Because moms are so busy, clubmom.com is filled with mom-to-mom recipes, tips, and time-savers that cut through the clutter and make life easier - so tha tmoms can have more time to spend on the fun things. * Meet other moms. Moms with shared interests connect online, anytime, on ClubMom's message boards. And moms who live near each other meet at ClubMom events, raning from ClubMom's "Day of Indulgence", a special 12-city tour kicking off this summer, to informal gatherings at local coffee shops. * Have their say. Because moms' opinions matter, ClubMom's Opinion & Research Center helps ClubMom members' voices be heard. Members can participate in more than 100 online ClubMom polls and compare their answers to other moms. Plus, ClubMom's groundbreaking "Voice of Mom" Poll takes the pulse of moms across the nation on the issues that matter most to them, and shares the results with policy-makers, business leaders, top media outlets, and the nation as a whole. ClubMom conducts exciting annual sweepstakes giving members a chance to win big prizes. This Spring, ClubMom's "At Mom's Service" sweepstakes is offering $100,000 in prizes and 1,001 winners. The grand prize includes a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, spa treatments, home-improvement services (a $10,000 gift card from The Home Depot), a personal trainer, housecleaning services, shopping sprees, and more. "We're constantly soliciting feedback from our members to find out what they think and what kinds of benefits they want and need," adds Alexandra Aleskovsky, ClubMom Chief Mom Officer. "When we ask moms for their feedback, they're not shy about giving it to us. Moms are the ones who will ultimately drive the member benefits they receive from ClubMom." The Mom Challenge As part of the Mother's Day launch, ClubMom challenges moms to go www.ClubMom.com to do three things: 1) register for their free ClubMom membership; 2) take the "Voice of Mom" Poll so their opinions and beliefs can be noted and moms' collective voice can grow even louder; and 3. vote on potential member benefits and recommend new ideas. ClubMom in 2005 and Beyond: More Benefits for Mom In addition to the valuable benefits that all members receive in 2004, ClubMom is piloting several programs in select markets that will establish ClubMom as a powerful advocate for all things mom! These programs include national and local events and mom networking opportunities: * "Mom's Night Out" - The goal of "Mom's Night Out" is to create a nationally recognized annual event where millions of moms can leave dad and the kids at home to be rewarded and indulged in recognition for all they do. According to the "Voice of Mom" Poll, 32% of moms only get to spend time with their friends about once or twice a year. That's why ClubMom is introducing "Mom's Night Out" this fall, an opportunity for moms to have a night on the town with their girlfriends and receive special rewards and discounts at participating partners including local restaurants, retailers, movie theatres and more. * In Mom's Neighborhood - Club Mom is helping moms realize even more benefits right in their own community at the places that they frequent and by building mom-to-mom connections. - Mom's "City" Guide - Moms always look to other moms for advice. Beginning this summer, moms will share their opinions and ratings on local stores, pediatricians, pre-schools, restaurants, after-school programs, handymen, etc., with other moms in their community. Moms post their ratings on the ClubMom web site. Once posted, moms can search results by category and zip codes and access the thousands of ratings available to them. The goal is to make this guide an invaluable resource to moms as they make critical decisions regarding their children, families and shopping. - "Special Shopper Status" Around Town - Kicking off this Mother's Day, ClubMom is bringing on board hundreds of merchants that will provide discounts and deals right in moms' neighborhood. Moms can find a list of partners online by category or zip code, or can look for the ClubMom sticker in retail partners' windows and show their ClubMom Membership Card to receive valuable rewards such as discounts at restaurants, beauty salons, gyms and cultural institutions (museums and zoos) and many more. The goal is for every merchant in America to provide special mom deals as recognition for all they do. ClubMom is free and easy to join. Moms can sign up by logging on to www.ClubMom.com where all member information is secure and confidential. Members will earn points and receive discounts on the shopping they do every day, and can also take advantage of other membership benefits like tips and timesavers, mom-to-mom connections and having their voices heard. Click here for ClubMom Q&A Click here for "Mom 2004: New Poll Shatters Myths About Today's Moms - ClubMom Announces Finding of First Annual "Voice of Mom" Poll Click here to return to Stand Up, Mama!'s "Dare to Be Yourself" Ezine, May 2004 |
| Any questions, please contact Sally Robertson Toll-free (877) 628-0708 E-mail: Sally@StandUpMama.com Copyright: Sally Robertson 2004 |