Your assignment, should you choose to accept it:
1) Please read this book.
There will be more from me, once I’ve had the chance to read it myself, but in the meantime (and if you are game), I strongly suggest you take … Read on >
1) Trendsspotting.com (yes, two “s’s”) gives a good look, including a comprehensive list of resources, at whether or not podcasting is the tool it has been cracked up to be. On the gender side of things: Men continue to be more likely than women to download podcasts; … Read on >
I spy a clever ad campaign and a brand that is taking the lead in addressing an industry-wide problem. Sony Electronics is re-using images from the 1970s, of quaint products like turntables and Beta video … Read on >
Marketing can be an overwhelming topic. Do you focus on marketing to women? Do you focus on becoming more green and reflecting that side of your products/operations? Do you forget about the mature market and put all your budget into young men, age 18 - 34? … Read on >
My latest eBrandMarketing post looks at some of John Zogby’s new consumer trends (as per his latest book, The Way We’ll Be) and relates those to the women’s market. Here’s a clip:
Interestingly, if marketing to women is your task, you have likely long been using this … Read on >
Elizabeth Woyke wrote a great article for Forbes about gender trends in mobile phone development and marketing. Limelife’s chief executive Kristin McDonnell is quoted - and her words of wisdom can be applied much beyond the technology realm:
“In the beginning of any media format, a … Read on >
These are interesting and lean times - and marketing is one of the first budgets to get hit for most businesses. In such an uncomfortable holding pattern, normally creative/idea rich marketing pros must face months with no more new ad campaigns, no more consultants, and no new research. … Read on >
Management consultant and Treasure Hunt co-author, Michael Silverstein (who I interviewed a few years ago for 9 Minds On Marketing), is studying up on women for his next book,The Female Economy (due out Sept. 09). It is interesting that respected, thought leading, and male, management consultants/experts (like … Read on >
It is now generally acknowledged that women make or influence upwards of 80% of consumer good purchases. Yet, marketers are still in the dark on how to serve them. Should they rush to "pink" or spend a little more time researching what really makes them different as shoppers?
To market any product well, brands must understand the nuances and subtleties of their own unique, dynamic and powerful female audience (which goes much beyond understanding "all women everywhere"). If you are ready to invest in and commit to the women's market - never fear - you don't have to alienate men to do it. I'd love to help.
Take a look around this site, drop me a note or call me at 802-658-8319.
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Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow
by Chip Conley
I'm a big psychology buff, so this application of Maslow's hierarchy of needs to the business realm fascinated (and resonated) with me. As Conley mentions, psychology in business has long been about "fixing it," but that won't necessarily "offer the opportunity for transformation to a more optimal state of being or productivity." Everyone can learn from this discussion.
The Sexual Paradox: Men, Women and the Real Gender Gap
by Susan Pinker
A fascinating examination of how sex differences play out over the life span. One interesting quote: "For most women it's less a question of who's able to win. It's whether competing feels good and is worth the cost."
Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes
by Katya Andresen
Andresen writes that causes can learn from traditional marketers, but after reading this, I'd argue that traditional marketers can learn from the causes profiled. An interview with Andresen is included in my eBook, 9 Minds On Marketing.
