Who is iParenting Media?
What are the iParenting Media Awards?
Who evaluates the products?
How do you facilitate the awards program?
Why do you require four identical samples?
Are samples returned?
Why can’t the product samples be returned to me at the end of the reviewing process?
What happens to the product samples after the review process?
How do you determine an IPMA Award Winner?
How many questions are there in each survey?
How many submissions do you receive each year?
Who decides on the “criteria” for your awards process?
Do you mainly evaluate infant and preschool type products?
Are you a product testing or focus group service?
Do you require final packaging?
How long does your product evaluation take?
How many products win an IPMA Award each year or cycle?
What if I do not win?

Who is iParenting Media?

iParenting Media operates one of the largest online networks of parenting content with more than 40 Web sites in addition to producing content offline in video, radio and syndicated press formats.

iParenting Media offers multiple media platforms that reach millions of consumers every month and services thousands of clients every year. Clients range from Fortune 50 companies to small privately held companies.

What are the iParenting Media Awards?

The iParenting Media Awards is a process established as the result of iParenting Media receiving several thousand unsolicited products each year.

iParenting Media’s Award Program provides a credible and objective method of determining the best products and recognizes those products and promotes them to millions of consumers and trade organizations.

Who evaluates the products?

Product evaluations are conducted by a qualified base of hundreds of reviewers that complete a comprehensive survey.

We execute our awards process with an innovative technical platform that is supported with excellent customer service. All reviewers, including licensed childcare facilities, schools, product experts and parents are contracted exclusively for our company and paid for their services. A minimum of three sites evaluate each product, ensuring a fair and objective process.

How do you facilitate the awards program?

Once your submission is registered online and four identical sample products are received at our headquarters, we will match your products with our reviewers based on specific criteria and send your products to three reviewers which may include: a parent, a category expert and a group setting such as a school or licensed childcare facility. Three separate reviewers will have between 35-45 days to review your product and fill out an extensive survey online.

Why do you require four identical samples?

We require four identical samples because we facilitate three external evaluations on each product and one internal executive review.

Are samples returned?

No, product samples are not returned under any circumstances. Please be sure to send four identical samples of your product (i.e. same color and size).

Why can’t the product samples be returned to me at the end of the reviewing process?

The cost for iParenting Media to collect and return the four product samples would be cost-prohibitive. Additionally, once the items are evaluated, they have been used extensively over a period of 40 days.

What happens to the product samples after the review process?

The product samples remain with the three external evaluation sites. The fourth sample is retained in the iParenting Media office for editorial consideration should the item earn an iParenting Media Award. All other samples are donated to charity and worthy causes as designated by iParenting Media.

How do you determine an IPMA Award winner?

If your product achieves enough points from all three surveys you are eligible to earn an IPMA Award. Remember you are not in a competition with other products. You are being measured by our standards of excellence. The executive committee will review all eligible products for an IPMA award. We will announce who has earned an IPMA Award via our Web platform on your homepage and via a direct e-mail.

How many questions are there in each survey?

Each evaluator site answers a multitude of questions for each product entered into the iParenting Media Awards program.

How many submissions do you receive each year?

iParenting Media receives thousands of products each year from vendors of products within the infants', children’s, juvenile and parenting industries. Products received range from prenatal products to books, games, toys, sporting goods and related equipment. Therefore, the exact number of submissions is not released, especially because the IPMA Awards program is not a competition but, rather, a stringent evaluation of the quality of each item entered based on our criteria.

Who decides on the “criteria” for your awards process?

iParenting Media has evaluated products for more than 10 years. During that period of time our editors and experts have established a series of questions that identify when a product displays extraordinary and outstanding capabilities. The survey questions are proprietary to ensure distinction and to protect IPMA Award Winners; therefore, it is not publicly available. However, the series of questions are integrated into our scoring process. All products endure the exact same evaluation process, which is determined and implemented by product category.

Do you mainly evaluate infant and preschool type products?

No. iParenting Media facilitates one of the largest parenting content networks online. With more than 40 Web sites providing information to parents in addition to our offline media assets, we evaluate products for parents-to-be across all parenting industries. Products for parents-to-be, newborns, children, teenagers, mothers, fathers and grandparents are welcome and will be stringently reviewed.

Are you a product testing or focus group service?

We are not a product testing or focus group service. We are a media company that promotes outstanding products to millions of consumers, retailers and industry professionals.

As part of our evaluation program, however, multiple sites evaluate each submitted item and we do provide a snapshot of the evaluator feedback to you regardless of whether you earn an IPMA Award or not. This unique feature and benefit is included in your submission fee.

Do you require final packaging?

We do not require final packaging, only final product. Our philosophy is that some companies with outstanding products may have large marketing budgets or recognizable characters to influence a consumer’s purchase. Therefore, the packaging is not included in our criteria.

Consider entering your product(s) when it is in final form, but has yet to be mass produced, and consider the submission fee an objective investment in your product. Ultimately, if your product earns an IPMA Award, then it’s even that much more valuable to your marketing purposes.

How long does your product evaluation take?

The entire submission cycle takes approximately 90 days. This includes the 35-45 days the reviewers use to complete their extensive surveys and the administrative time we require to provide you with the appropriate feedback and/or your award certificate should you win.

How Many Products Win an IPMA Award Each Year or Cycle?

The iParenting Media Awards program is not a competition, but rather a measurement to our standards of excellence. Each item entered is evaluated on its own for an award. Therefore, there is not a specific number of winners each cycle. The number of winners is based on the number of products that prove to be outstanding when measured against our criteria.

Will I receive feedback about my product?

iParenting Media believes in providing valuable feedback to each person or company who enters a product. To that end, we provide a snapshot of the evaluator feedback for each product entered. This information is strictly confidential and available only to the person who submitted the title and is located in the submitter’s secure online user account. The snapshot or feedback we provide is as follows:

• Winners receive a snapshot statement about the most positive characteristics of the product as well as answers to their custom question. Winners may quote feedback in promotional materials with permission from iParenting Media.
• Non-winners receive a snapshot statement about the challenging characteristics of the product as well as answers to their custom question.

We hope you find the unique iParenting Media feedback feature valuable.