Soleil Moon Frye, Moms Get a Web Series from Kraft

Seven years after he moved out of Melrose Place and Alison Parker’s life, Andrew Shue started a website with his 30-something soccer buddy from New Jersey all about supporting, informing, and connecting moms. Five years after that, CafeMom is now one of the internet’s top destinations, with over 7.6 million unique visitors a month (and 20.6 million across its network of mom-focused sites) and $30 million a year in revenue.

Shue and CafeMom co-founder Michael Sanchez owe their success to what Alyson Shontell at Business Insider calls a “brilliant strategy.” The company targets the CEOs of families. “They drive the economy, they drive media consumption, they drive word of mouth,” Shue explained to Shontell in an interview. “When you talk about aggregating and creating real value with the gatekeepers and CEOs of America’s families, it’s a huge, exciting opportunity.”

It’s an opportunity that new media studio Deca is trying to seize as well. The four-year-old startup that once provided production, distribution, and marketing services to a diverse portfolio of online video properties – including Smosh and BoinbBoing TV – recently narrowed its focus and rebranded itself as the “leading women’s digital media company.”

Five distinct original web series reside under the umbrella of Deca TV, plus a syndication network that provides mom-focused sites with mom-oriented programming. The company’s latest offering launched this week. It’s called HerSay and stars a Punky Brewster who’s all growns up.

Mother of two, mommy blogger, and very popular social

networker (all of which, certainly made for an easy casting decision) Soleil Moon Frye hosts the daily talk show alongside Deca programming regular Jennifer Brandt. The two gab about pop culture and current events (e.g. Ashton joins Two and a Half Men, Arnold and Maria split up, Did you know you could charge your cell phone by screaming?) like they’re Linda Richman and company on the set of Coffee Talk except 20 years younger and without the accent (even though Frye’s a M.O.T.).

Deca owns, operates, and produces HerSay, which it created along with Kraft Foods and the team at Kraft One (an arm of advertising agency Digitas and media specialist agency Mediavest dedicated to Kraft Foods initiatives). “This is a unique opportunity that leverages branded content to reach a specific audience, opening their eyes to experiences and brands they’ll want to be involved in, and then share,” says Sam Chadha, EVP, Managing Director, Kraft One. “We’re thrilled to partner with Kraft and DECA to ignite real-time conversations among women in the online community. Harnessing the collective power of their voice will fuel valuable content for this audience and impact for our client.”

Frye is signed up to host six months of the series for a total of 72 episodes that HerSay creators are predicting will deliver upwards of “140 million views across brand messages and branded content integrations.” Check it out and add a few numbers to those view counts at HerSay.com.