McDonald's releases “Meet the Mom Blogger Series” on MOMTV filmed at Blogalicious 2009

Watch Blogalicious 2009 attendees on MomTV as they support Ronald McDonald House Charities’ (RMHC) commitment to children, their families and to making the world a better and more caring place. The on-site interviews sponsored by RMHC were conducted by Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media. Ms. Bailey views the interviews as "an example of engaging moms in a 2.0 way that creates a relevant dialogue and allow these moms to continue the conversation." Ms. Bailey spoke with influential women bloggers of color such as novelist, Denene Millner of My Brown Baby, and Ms. Latina of Latina on a Mission about their perspective on mom blogging.

For 35 years, RMHC has supported programs that directly improve the health and well being of children by providing a bridge to quality health care. With the approach of McHappy Day on November 20, RMHC is endeavoring to spread the word about the Charity using social media. On Facebook, fans can download the “Give a Hand® for Ronald McDonald House Charities” online widget application, and McDonald’s will donate $1 for each of the first 35,000 Hands shared online. Followers can link to the RMHC web site, or follow the Charity on Twitter using the #McHappyDay hash tag.

Product Recommendations come from friends, not networks?

MediaPost published an article today discussing a survey of 583 moms with kids under 12 conducted by MomConnection entitled "Product Recommendations Come From Friends, Not Networks."

The gist of the the study is that that "despite all of the attention being given to the relationships that moms form online through social media...they do not use social networks as a resource when it comes to product decision-making. Moms are four times more likely to turn to their personal offline network of friends and family than online social networks for product recommendations and buying advice." (Read the MomConnection release here).

I could NOT relate to this story at all because I find myself relying on online recommendations for certain products, especially products related to my daughter. Don't get me wrong, I have not bought products based purely on Twitter entries, but I rely on my "trusted mom" sites/blogs to look for information.

I think the study misses the mark a little because it fails to appreciate that in many instances our online network (especially in the blogosphere) is personal and true friendships are made and that it's not just about being social.

What are your thoughts? Do you rely on social media for information about products or do you view your online relationships as purely social? Is this survey correct?

Follow @SantaClaus on Twitter!

[Actually you really can.] A recent survey found that 17% of adult shoppers will use social media in some aspect of their holiday shopping, and 19% will rely on their mobile phones.

Deloitte's 24th Annual Holiday Survey polled more than 10,000 adults in the U.S, and says that of the nearly one in five who plans to use social media sites, 60% say they will do so to find sales, discounts, and coupons; 53% intend to use sites like MySpace and Facebook to research gift ideas, and 52% say they will check the wish lists of friends and family.

No surprise there right? As social media increasingly becomes a routine part of our everyday experiences, it only makes sense that the trend spills over into traditional activities, such as holiday shopping. As we enter into the wonderful, dreadful holiday season, how does social media factor in to your plans?