As 2007 ended and “top trends” for 2008 were released by every marketing consultant and his/her brother, I reflected a bit. How far have we come? Has marketing to women, as a field of business study, evolved as quickly as its subject has? Are there any big new trends that … Read on >
In my most recent HuffingtonPost piece, I write about the trendiest trend ever: holistic buying. Today’s consumers are taking the “it all matters” perspective, so integrating your marketing channels or emphasizing linear facts or ignoring their environmental expectations won’t work. They are looking for more: more … Read on >
"We don’t target women first." That was one of Lauren Zalaznick’s (President of Bravo Media at NBC Universal) responses in an interview for TV Week magazine… and it caught my eye.
Here’s the specific question posed, with more of her answer (which I only used part of, and which … Read on >
1) Morning television is all about women, as we’ve all long known, but there does come a point of no return in the fluffy factor. In “Morning TV Veers from News to Frills,” (December 4th, reg. required) New York Times writer Alessandra Stanley wonders how/if viewers will … Read on >
Thirty shopping center development, leasing and marketing specialists heard my take on the broader trends in marketing and gender at a NYC dinner event. Conceptual age marketing, with an emphasis on not making assumptions about what women like or respond to, were among the points I covered. This is … Read on >
Did anyone ask if you wanted to add a life to your current one? No one asked me, or I would have said no thank you. So, I now ponder the differences between those who were dying for a Second Life and those who’d be happy with just the one. … Read on >
When the research starts to show what many of us have been hoping/intuiting for a while - that consumers will up the ante to purchase goods with more socially or environmentally responsible approaches - it’s a good day. As Ray Fisman reports in a recent Slate article, Harvard … Read on >
Rather than try the latest gadget or jump into the trendiest social network, I am someone who has to wait and see. Perhaps it is my “midwestern literalness,”( an oh-so descriptive term coined by author Richard Ford in The Sportswriter), but in the same way, I still think … Read on >
Two very interesting resources crossed my path recently, so I wanted to share them with you.
1) Barbara Olsen wrote a great article on exploring women’s brand relationships for the Women’s Voices for Change blog (a blog worth knowing about - as well). In it she … Read on >
Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business
by Barbara Annis
"The future of corporate success (especially with women occupying 50 percent of the workplace) lies in women and men both becoming gender intelligent in negotiations." This book is HR/leadership-focused, but there are significant implications for marketing team effectiveness and the understanding of today's consumers.
Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men
by Michael Kimmel
Kimmel offers incredible insights on how young men view their own masculinity (and why). The way men think, in general, will be key to the broader gender trend conversation of the 21st century - with some major marketing implications (if you ask me).
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."
