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 >
“Gender stereotypes.” In and of itself, that topic can be a big downer, can’t it?
When simply saying those two words makes pretty much anyone, male or female, squirm (and think “uh, oh, here we go … Read on >
I came across this post, Word Revocation: “Men” and “Women” on Squashed - and thought it might be a great inspiration/exercise for men and women on marketing teams. Here’s a clip:
The gendered terms don’t fit perfectly or even very well. The words aren’t the cause of … Read on >
At a time when nothing seems to be heading in a positive direction (the economy and the political campaigns for two), interest in, and passion behind, making change has to start with some nugget of hope. In my latest Huffington Post piece, I consider a way to inspire … Read on >
1) A recent blog post by Dan Pink got me thinking, so I wrote up an eBrandMarketing post about gender differences in confidence levels and who/what is considered an “authority.” Interestingly, this is the first time I’ve ever been able to use a story about my grandmother … Read on >
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 >
There exists a distinct "WAF," or Wife Acceptance Factor, in the consumer electronics realm, according to a new (female) friend in that industry. It could be condescending or empowering, as she says, depending on how you slice it.
Perhaps not so surprisingly, the same factor appears to influence home purchases … Read on >
Who talks more? There is the gender stereotyped answer, and there is the research - which still doesn’t seem to add up. Case in point: Either women talk way more than men (20,000 words to 7,000 words - as cited in The Female Brain) or they don’t (16,125 to … Read on >
We live in a time of commoditization, where logic/linear thinking doesn’t necessarily help us differentiate or guide our decisions like it used to. This is no surprise.
In his already-classic book, A Whole New Mind (Riverhead Books, 2005), Daniel Pink addresses this as he writes of a new conceptual age. … Read on >
In yesterday’s New York Times Book Review, Joe Queenan wrote an hysterical essay (reg. required) about the glowing adjectives used to describe novels. The piece was called: "Astonish Me."
Queenan … 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.
