06/29/2004
Linda Wolfe, ceo and Cheryl Berman, chairman/chief creative officer at Leo Burnett get it! Reinforced with research results from "girl friend groups" (a way too cute name for, I assume, focus groups. Yuk!) they told a standing room only audience at the International Advertising Festival that women have money...lots of money and want to spend it. However ........
"Women as a group are underserved by our industry, at least in terms of being approached with advertising that motivates and moves them in ways they find relevant and meaningful, Increasingly, they're tuning out ads that don't present women in realistic and believable ways." Berman
Most of the findings reinforce concepts that seemed fairly obvious
-Women don't like to be seen as mere objects
-Women are bothered by expectations to live up to physical standards
-Women want to be communicated in ways that are relevant to them
-Women are becoming increasingly skeptical
Other results revealed a few surprises
-Strong women are not afraid to play the sex card
-"The mentality behind" some blatantly sexist ads "doesn't bother women"
-One in four wives is making more than her husband
-Ad firms and their clients are not using enough sexuality, humour, emotion or honesty when targeting women
Suggestions For Marketers From Leo Burnett
1.Make it funny
2.Make it real
3.Follow the money (acknowledge women's new financial strength)
4.Try a new position: sex sells, but it has to be approached with a distinctly female point of view
Play the sex card, but keep in mind that women who carry "real" Fendis won't show you the money unless you speak their language with humor, style and sophistication.
Any creative directors who still don’t get it, take a cue from Diva Texas artist Janice Joplin’s work. I laughed out loud and showed her my money! Click on the photo to enlarge... ... guaranteed to bring a smile to your day.
06/25/2004
I just found out that my friend Mitch Arnowitz's blog, Tuvel: Mitch Arnowitz is up and running! Among other talents, Mitch is the guru of building and maintaining successful online communities. He was/is? the voice of Netpreneur's AD Marketing.
Great way to close out the week... passing along a smart, fun and exciting additon to the blogsphere!
Congrats! Mitch.
06/25/2004
This week privately-funded SpaceShipOne made aviation history when it flew beyond the Earth’s atmosphere into the Final Frontier or what scientists consider to be the boundary of space.
Not only was it an exciting time for the aviation industry, but for marketers as well. Space Tourism. Marketers, we have a new niche to explore. [Well...perhaps not that new. A search on Google for "Space Tourism" produced 6,790,000 pages/] But still ... there will be new opportunies. New ads to develop. New research to conduct. New loyalty programs to create. Who will blog the first commerical suborbital space flight? With a first-class ticket expected to sell for from $20,000 to $100,000 I sure hope there will be more than those teeny tiny pretzels to munch on while watching the earth, moon and stars pass by.
Although the suborbital space flights are not quite ready for customers, a few companies have launched promotional strategies and websites and there's even a Space Tourism Society (gotta love those marketers)! Space Adventures, positioned as the world's premier space experiences company (only a marketers could write that!), has packaged trips including a Suborbital Space Flight scheduled for 2005. And no need to worry about the pretzels, it's a first class production all the way.
Do Quasars and Quicks and make you Quiver? Do Quirks and Quarks and make you Quake? If you're on a Quest with Questions about science you're in the right place! In celebration of SpaceShipOne and Space Tourism, Friday Fun, brings you one of the coolest science sites on the Web....SciQ. SciQ is innovative, interactive and fun...complete with games, videos and articles from space to the deep blue seas.
06/24/2004
More women are going after the prize in the corporate America Cracker Jack box...the title of CEO...than ever before. Research by Catalyst indicates that 55% of top female executives and 57% of their male counter parts strive for the top spot. Not much of a difference.
However, when it comes to the balancing act of professional and business lives it was a slightly different story. 51% of the study's female respondents want more work-life balance vs. 43% of the men who were interviewed. [Would be interesting to know what percentage of the women and men on the fast-track were concerned about work-life issues.] Management consider more telecommuting, flex hours and job sharing opportunities if you want to attract and retain your women employees.
One more point - Women cited seeking out high-profile assignments and networking as their most successful strategies for advancement, though they did report struggling with gender-based stereotypes, lack of female role models and exclusion from informal networking opportunities. A study by Demos, Girlfriends in High Places, reported similar findings. Boston.com article
Though more and more women are shattering the glass ceiling, it can be a costly undertaking. An inspirational read - Freda Diamond, Estelle Ellis, Dorothy Shaver and Brownie Wise – four women who made it to the top during a time when most women never even thought of attending college.
06/24/2004
Have you heard about Generation C? Nope, it’s not the next demographic niche but a concept from Trendwatching.com.
C = Consumer Developed Content. “Instead of asking consumers to watch, to listen, to play, to passively consume, the race is on to get them to create, to produce, and to participate.”
Reminded me of what John Seely Brown talked about several years ago. (By the way JBS' views are innovative and well...brilliant.) Stay with me on this one Diva, like the the first wobble in your new Bruno Magli is worth the walk, this is worth your read. First, consider the Internet as a medium that has both reach and reciprocity.
For example:
-Broadcast technology - tremendous reach but no reciprocity
-Phone calls - limited reach, one on one, but a lot of reciprocity
Now think about the Internet as a medium that allows for both fluid vs. fixed boundaries and one in which consumption and production become blurred. For example, when you bought those new shoes you might have donated your old Pradas to the charity box at the store. Or in a marketing example, a customer may leave behind a recommendation or testimonial.
One of the best examples, of course, would be our friends at amazon.com.
-Began as…a fast way to consume books 24-7…>
-Led to…customers producing recommendations which built a strong online community...>
-Etablished...affiliate programs which created a new concept in sales...>
-Developed...a review and recommendation systems which constructed more communities ……>
-Which led to more customer recommendations and more communities and more content for the website the company (amazon.com) did not produce.
Which blurred the lines between who was creating the "product"....amazon.com or the customer.
Impact On Marketing
-Redefines the concept of the relationship between customer and brand
-Blurs the lines between brand…customer…product..service…brand…customer
-Results are stronger relationships between customer and brand
Of course, corporate blogs are a great strategy!
Trendwatching.com ideas on how to profit from GENERATION C
- Make sure you not only provide consumers with the means to create and distribute content (from USD 999 professional cameras to the free global distribution network that is the internet), but also acknowledge deep human needs for control and for exposure.
-Get your customers involved with the design of your goods and services
-Have your customers deliver input on your processes (perhaps a focus group)
-Allow your customers to customize and personalize your offerings
And above all, never underestimate how much creativity is hidden deep down in all of them!
06/22/2004
The little boy who was called a poet and peacemaker died today at age 13 from dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, a genetic disease. Mattie Stepanek captured the hearts of many, from presidents, to children to celebraties, with his humor, bravery, compassion and zest for life. In a world that often moves too quickly Mattie's innocent but wise poems brought hope and joy. The Baltimore Sun's article.
Matties's too brief story. At the age of 3 Mattie began writing poetry to help him cope with the death of his brother. A Virginia publisher took a chance on Mattie and in 2001, issued Heartsongs which quickly made it to the top of The New York Times best-seller list. Mattie wrote four other books: Journey Through Heartsongs, Hope Through Heartsongs, Celebrate Through Heartsongs and Loving Through Heartsongs continuing his stance as a best selling author.
When your days feel too long, your road seems too rocky and your clients are definately too demanding... here's one of Mattie's poems that seems to be written especially for us marketers.
On Being A Champion
A champion is a winner,
A hero…
Someone who never give up
Even when the going gets rough.
A champion is a member of
A winning team…
Someone who overcomes challenges
Even when it requires creative solutions
A champion is an optimist,
A hopeful spirit…
Someone who plays the game,
Even when the game is called life…
Especially when the game is called life.
There can be a champion in each of us,
If we live as a winner,
If we live as a member of the team,
If we live with a hopeful spirit,
For life
September 1999
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
06/22/2004
If you hop on a jet plane you can still attend most of the 51st Cannes Lions Festival. The Festival (20-26 June) is positioned as “the only annual gathering of the world's advertising, creative, direct marketing, interactive, media and marketing communities.”
It’s a Diva’s paradise for networking and partying! This year up to 8,500 industry figures and 600 international press from 80 countries are expected to view 5,081 commercials, 9979 outdoor and print ads, 1,561 websites and online ads, 875 media solutions and 1,209 direct marketing entries. The winning ads are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions. The Grand Prix are awarded to the best of the Gold Lions.
In between viewing, networking and partying participants can attend seminars. P&G is sponsoring a panel discussion with creatives and outside agencies. The topic: “What Women Want: Creativity that Connects. Wish that someone was blogging that session. Actually, why isn’t someone blogging the Festival?
Just in case someone from P&G stumbles across Diva Marketing Blog here's my 2 cents...
1. There is no such thing as “the women marketplace.” Drop the stereotype thinking.
2. Investing in segmentation research is critical. Surpise one! Not all women 25-55 come with 2.5 kids, an SUV and a husband. Surpise two! Some women 25-55 do have 2.5 children, an SUV and a husband. However, what is important to understand, is that what matters is not the same.
3. Treat women with respect and dignity. Please remember that thought when creating your next ad or marketing campaign. If you do we'll bake you cookies and brownies...not!
A few resources to help uncover what women want!
-Center for Women’s Business Research
-Lipsticking/Author - Dickless Marketing
-Reach Women/Authors - Don’t Think Pink
WonderBranding
-What Do Women Want by Rebecca Lieb
re:inventioninc – Smart divas know not to waste energy recreating. Wonderful comprehensive list of resource links.
One last thought. June 21st, USA Today ,included an article about the bright, accomplished women whose work is included in the Cannes Lions Festival . However, I thought it a bit odd that the article concentrated on how difficult it was for women to understand the male market. I sincerely hope that the quote attributed to the director of marketing for Bayer, was taken out of context. “"We've sat in on hours and hours of research. It's so critical for women marketing to men to listen to them. What we've learned is that it might be the greatest challenge, but it's also the greatest opportunity." Gosh darn and I thought that was the purpose of research…
06/20/2004
Going to be in HotLanta this week? (And it is hot here...'90's weather this weekend!) The folks at The Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association (AiMA) have invited a panel of industry experts to lead a discussion on Interactive Campaign Analytics Tools & Analysis. Traffic quality is the key to success. Find out how to start capturing this information with campaign analytics tools and achieve better ROI from online campaigns and websites.
Moderator:
Tom Daly, President, Relevant Ventures
Panelists:
Wayne Ussery, Director of Internet Marketing, Jim Ellis Automotive Group
Kelley Mitchell, User Experience within Interactive Communications, UPS
Tim Messier, Director of Business Analytics, Weather.com
WHERE & WHEN
Campaign Measurements and Forecasting -- Throw out your Magic 8 Ball
Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Time: Networking - 6:30-7:30 pm
Time: Panel Discussion - 7:30-9:00 pm
Place: GLCC 84 5th ST NW
Members: $15
Non Members: $25
Food and 1 beverage included.
Event sponsored by ValueClick
06/19/2004
The latest issue of the Alf Report, NCG's eNewsletter, has arrived in my in-box. The Alf Report is packed full of marketing stats, trends, resources and the famous Mind Candy! Alf recently added a resume posting page. Well worth a read. This month includes an interview with Gareth Jones, JetBlue’s VP, Corporate Communications. Jones lets us in on the marketing strategies that have sent JetBlue soaring high while other airlines are trying not to crash and burn.
“The airline industry is a customer service business, which a lot of people have forgotten. It's not just about TVs and who's got the newest planes and the biggest engines. It's also about who can look after you better.” Jones
Ultimate Strategy and Guiding Mantra: Bring humanity back in terms of friendliness, flexibility and caring.
Product Differentiating Tactics
-Invested in new planes
-Better seats
-In-flight TV
-In-flight yoga (The exercises are great in between blogging!)
-And the snacks are unlimited!
-Future plans: XM Radio and 100 channels of satellite radio
Brand Differentiation Tactics
"People hate airlines. They're right on the list with lawyers, the post office, telephone companies…it's one of the ten most hated industries. How do we solve that?" Jones.
-Be nice
-Be flexible
-Be on time
-Be comfortable
-Be surprising.
-Try new things
Q: What can a marketer learn from the airline that out of the gate made Vanity Fair's "It List?"
A: INNOVATION! INNOVATION! INNOVATION!
06/18/2004
Was watching Sex and the City last night. Thank you TBS! (By the way if you're looking for a quick break the TBS SITC website is lots of fun.). Interesting episode including a storyline about fake Fendi bags.
Here's the jist: Even thought it's a great deal, Carrie decides not to buy a fake Fendi bag. Why? Although most people will never realize it's not the real thing, she'll always think of it as a fake. The glitzy outside will never compensate for the false inside lining.
Got to thinking brands are like Carrie's fake Fendi. Slick ad campaigns or cool graphic logos cannot replace quality when it comes to your brand. Oh sure, some people will buy for the bargain but is it worth the reputation risk if you're positioned as high-end?
