1) A friend pointed me to this article/post by Joel Makower on whether or not there is a green business bubble. A few of his points about why green isn’t a bubble could be just as easily applied to the women’s market. For example, take Makower’s #3 (parens indicated … Read on >
1) Will switching ad agencies change anything for the Kmart brand? Though I have fond memories of the store from my Michigan childhood, thirty-plus years later, my local Kmart is drab, dirty and depressing. I race in there to buy the occasional Martha Stewart branded homegood, but that’s it. The … Read on >
1) Sarah Mahoney wrote a great MediaPost commentary on just how powerful the LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability) customer is in today’s marketplace. They are more attracted to smaller, more authentic, socially and environmentally responsible companies and - they are leading the way for a lot of … Read on >
1) I bet this USA Today article by Bruce Horovitz has already caught your attention, but just in case - take a look at "Alpha Moms Leap to Top of Trendsetters." My question: Is it really a particular type of mom, or is it, as I suspect, a type … Read on >
This just in: As per MediaPost, Forbes is launching Forbes Life Executive Women in October.
I am all for better serving the businesswoman reader, but am wondering if entire new magazines need to be created to do so. Forbes is an established, well-read publication. What about just working to … Read on >
1) Specifically with regard to its new Aura and Outlook models, Saturn has formed a cross-promotional relationship with the magazine publisher, Rodale, Inc. The brand, along with GM, … Read on >
This just in, as published in a MediaPost Research Brief (reg. required):
"According to research from the Radio Ad Effectiveness Lab (RAEL) released at the Radio Advertising Bureau’s (RAB) Management & Leadership Conference, recall of advertising is dramatically enhanced when a mix of Radio and Internet ads is used together … Read on >
Paul Parton wrote a great article for Media magazine (reg. required) about the general direction of the communication industry, based on a discussion session he attended with some industry thought leaders. In "The Consumer: New Media, It All Counts," Parton points out:
"The basic premise
underpinning the discussion … Read on >
There was a great article (reg. required) about the recent Gardasil television commercials in this past Sunday’s New York Times. In it, Claire Dederer writes how well the Merck pharmaceutical campaign reaches both the young women wanting to be hip, cool and rebellious, and their mothers, wanting to … Read on >
I am not a smoker, so there is a lot about what might compel someone to smoke that I cannot grasp. However, when I read Stuart Elliott’s recent article (reg. required) in The New York … 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."
