There’s a new online publishing company in Toronto targeting the ‘mom market.’ The first edition of SavvyMom Media’s permission-based e-mail newsletter, SavvyMom Today, launched last Thursday. The publication counsels busy moms on everything ‘from diapers to dinner parties.’ SavvyMom Media cofounders and directors are Minnow Hamilton and Sarah Morgenstern. Hamilton says they have no paid advertisers as yet but have allied pro bono with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and are in talks with agencies, media buyers and clients. Sponsored e-mails are available. She adds: ‘With women making 80% of the purchase decisions, the newsletter is attractive to most categories so we’re trying not to limit ourselves and are looking at things that mums would buy for themselves and their families – everything from toys to cars.’
The newsletter is issued Tuesdays and Thursdays. As to readership, Hamilton says: ‘We put together a small database of own personal contacts and depended on word-of-mouth. Readers have to opt in because it’s permission-based.’ Hamilton says after three business days of operation, SavvyMom had 700 subscribers, including clusters in Alberta and B.C., despite the company’s plans to focus initially on the Toronto market. She hopes to achieve 5,000 readers by the end of the year and roll out to other major cities in 2006.
