There is a marketing undercurrent gaining momentum as I type. Men are getting comfortable with the opportunities to walk a less linear path toward their purchase decisions, and more men’s brands are leveraging two strategies that have been so successful with women - engagement and community.
As per a r… Read on >
The economy doesn’t look good these days, to state the obvious, but should marketers just throw in the towel? How can we continue to promote goods and services in a time when everyone (including you) is choosing to more wisely and carefully consume?
Target Corporation’s Senior Public Affairs … Read on >
I’m just back from a hopeful and exciting conference on homebuilding and how to create vibrant community, and am gathering my thoughts to share in a future post. In the meantime, I wanted to make sure you all saw this MediaPost commentary by Hugh Hough of … Read on >
No surprise here - you really can’t “think pink” (and you shouldn’t be anyway) when marketing to parents. Men are more involved in the caretaking/raising of kids than ever before, and what used to be a gender difference question is now really a generational difference question. Here’s a … Read on >
We feel like we’ve come so far as a culture, don’t we - and yet… the gender debate continues. While gender equality has been legislated into much of the public arena, the problems on the private side - how each individual experiences or deals with gender roles or stereotypes … Read on >
1) The Fortune 50 aren’t so good about their online environmental reporting, and it’s apparently a question of that thing that is so important for reaching women: transparency. A recent Greenbiz article cited research by Brigham Young University and KDPaine and Partners that points to an … Read on >
Sometimes the stars just align and consumer trends come together in a way that seems so natural. Consider, for instance, the women’s market and sustainable business practices. If you’ve been struggling to pursue each as a separate initiative, take heart. In many ways, you will come to powerfully reach today’s … Read on >
My eBrandMarketing post on the new book by Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen just went up. Whether you THINK “social change” concerns your brand or not, it does. Mark my words - and read The She … Read on >
Holly Brubach wrote a great piece for the most recent NYT Style Magazine on how “manhood in America has an image problem.” In it, she looks at three new books on various aspects of that topic - Guyland by Michael Kimmel, Brocabulary by Daniel Maurer and Hysterical Men by … Read on >
There is no way you haven’t come across bits and soundbytes of blog discussions/news reports on the McCain campaign’s choice of Sarah Palin for VP. If it’s just too much for you to read one more thing, I understand. But, if you might be interested in the perspective … Read on >
The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- And How to Reach Them (BK Business)
by Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen
Social change driven by women - how much more hopeful about our world could you get? This book is well-written, and its nonprofit advice also applies, for the most part, to corporate marketing.
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.
You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation
by Deborah Tannen
Men have a more asymmetrical, positioning approach to communication, while women have a more symmetrical, connecting approach. This is a classic worth revisiting frequently.
