-By Della de Lafuente

Multimedia parenting company Todobebé has successfully completed its second customized outreach initiative dubbed "Viva la Familia," a one-day event for Hispanic moms. It had attracted 171,335 participants in 10,000 homes across 43 states, growing 12-fold since the initial launch event last year.

"Viva la Familia" celebrates families via an in-home fiesta hosted by Hispanic moms who sign up online at Todobebé's Web site. Party hosts also serve as brand ambassadors responsible for introducing and sampling products (provided by brand sponsors) to other Latina moms with children under the age of five.

In its second year, the outreach effort has increased 1,219% from the 12,987 moms who participated last year in 1,000 homes, per Nielsen New Media Services, which audited the turnout and generated research on brand awareness, buying preferences and other data related to the event held nationwide on June 21.

Marketers that signed up as brand sponsors of this year's event include Procter & Gamble (Pampers), Nestlé (Nido Plus-One milk supplement) and the March of Dimes awareness program. Promotional opportunities are extended to marketers on an exclusive basis by category. Pampers, for example, served as the sole diaper brand for the program, per Todobebé.

For marketers, the large-scale event provides a significant number of brand impressions via a promotional push, including branded TV promotions. The program also provides statistics outlining brand lift and awareness of featured products and a list of moms opting to participate in a brand's own CRM initiatives, said Cynthia Nelson, COO, Todobebé.

"'Viva la Familia' is a way for our sponsors to reach into the minds and hearts of our consumers," said Nelson. "Sponsors are looking to become the trusted voice and adviser, as we've become to this audience. And the closer that they can get to these consumers in [the] home, they are able to get a peer-to-peer endorsement, which is what everyone is looking for."

Interested moms must complete a 25-point questionnaire that asks demographic and psychographic information, as well as whether the women are pregnant, have children younger than five, how many children and whether they have friends who also are in this demo. The target for the outreach program is a woman that is planning a pregnancy, pregnant or has kids under age five, and typically 18-34 years old, per Todobebé.

"We want the mom [as party host] who always has a party at her house because she is the most viral," Nelson said. "She's going to bring the most people to the party and she's going to be that key influencer for our brand and for the sponsors' brands that are in the sampling and promotional program."

Fiesta participants receive Todobebé and sponsor-branded 'celebration' boxes that are filled with products, special offers, party favors and DVDs.

Todobebé generated buzz for the fiesta and invited Latinas to become party hosts via TV spots, radio, out-of-home outreaches and digital promotions in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix, garnering 95 million total consumer impressions, per Nielsen.