Looking back over the past year, I’d say it’s beginning to look that way.

I originally posted the follow prediction on JessicaKnows.com (the url now redirects here) on August 19, 2009.  Yes, 2009.  Since Ron Mattocks of Clark Kent’s Lunchbox referenced my prediction yesterday I thought it’d be a good time to repost and reflect.

Here it is:

2009 has clearly been the year of the mommy blogger.

Brands have recognized this through their engagement of these influential women.

Mainstream media has brought mom bloggers and their stories of  buying power and word-of-mouth success stories into the folds of newspapers and on television screens across the country.

We’ve also witnessed the notoriety lead to controversy, drama, and some may argue, scandal…if only just perceived.

However, I’ve been noticing a quiet trend.

The stealth mode of the “Daddy Bloggers”.

And I’m paying attention, not only as a fellow blogger but in my role as a public relations practitioner and a digital strategist.

Here are my top five reasons why I think 2010 will be the year of the Daddy Blogger:

1. GRIT. From personal observation, I’ve noticed that Dad Bloggers tend to be more gritty than glossy when they do product reviews.  This leads to very authentic blog posts and inclusion of cons right along with the pros.  The results?  More compelling conversation in the comments of the blogs that extend to conversations within various social media communities.


2. REACH. Almost every study out there shows that moms command the checkbooks when it comes to household spending.  So obviously, working with influential mom bloggers makes the most sense.  However, most marriages are partnerships and large purchases, especially in these economic times, are usually discussed before they’re made as a couple.  The beauty of working with dad bloggers?  Both moms AND  dads read them.


3. MARS AND VENUS. Now I’m no psychologist, but let’s face it.  Everyone knows that men and women communicate differently.  As brands leverage social media more and more, the importance of not getting lost in the “noise” will be important if not totally necessary.  While women tend to connect with each other emotionally and through story telling, men tend to be more direct and therefore provide instant gratification when providing their information.


4. FRESH VOICES. I’ve tweeted this recently, but my intuition (which to be fair, has failed me sometimes) tells me there’s about to be a shift in the blogosphere when it comes to influence and blogger relations.  While risky, at the end of the day, an independent and authentic voice trumps a expected and scripted.  ‘Nuf said.


5. READY TO ROCK AND ROLL. After a handful of conversations I’ve had with some of the Dad Bloggers out there, I can tell you this:  they want to work with the brands.  But not just any brands.  Just the ones they’re passionate about.  What does this mean?  It means that Dad Bloggers, in my opinion are more likely to say yes to a pitch because they’re pumped about the product or service, not because of the trips involved, the perks, the swag, the list they’ll make.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that Mom Bloggers will continue to dominate the space.   However, let’s not forget that there are a lot of Dads out there that mop the floor, do the laundry, drive the kids to school, and cook dinner.  And now they’re blogging.

And we’re reading.

Of note:  I’ve been thinking about this post for the past several weeks.  At first I was going to say that 2010 will be the year of the Women of Color Blogger, but I have to say…we’re just over halfway through 2009 and I have a feeling that Women of Color bloggers will already be influencing the consumer space in a major way before this year ends.  In fact, with Blogalicious Conference coming up, it wouldn’t surprise me to see representation from more diverse mom bloggers than what we’ve traditionally seen increase significantly over the next couple of months.  (In my opinion, this should have happened sooner, but I digress).

Remember this was posted a year ago.  What do you think?  Has 2010 been the year of the Daddy Blogger?

And keep an eye on this space because I will soon be making my prediction for 2011 in the next couple of weeks.