Mom, Dad and technology

Those of you who are, as I, generation-Xers (or generation-Y), will no doubt be able to relate to the following scenario:

It's 9:30pm on a cold monday night. You're snuggled up on the couch after a hard day at work, totally engrossed in the latest episode of Heroes, when suddenly, your mobile rings....

A little miffled to be disturbed just as the hero-guy is about to paint another future-predicting mindscape, you consider not picking up. But then you glance at the phone's display and see it's Mom calling...so you think that, Mom being almost 60, it must be urgent and decide to pick up.

Me: "Hey Mom" (one eye and ear focused on the TV)
Mom (with a stressed voice...bad sign nr 1): "Sabine, it's Mom"
Me: "Hi Mom......"
Mom: "Sabine, I have a problem." (no chit-chat to start...bad sign nr 2)
Me: "Hmmmm" (still watching the TV)
Mom: "I'm sitting infront of the computer..." (very bad sign...)
"and I can't send and receive mails. I've tried rebooting the pc, I've checked my connection to the internet....I've been to the hotmail website...I don't understand...I keep getting this message that says 'send and receive error'."
Me (very worried because I can sense this is going to mean the end of Heroes for me): "That's strange..."
Mom (in a very stressed voice now): "I urgently need to send an email (at 9:30pm????) and I don't know what to do. Can you please come over...I've tried everything and really can't solve this."

So much for Heroes tonight then.

I'm sure many of you will relate to this scenario. As our Boomer parents have discovered the wonderful, wonderful world of the world wide web, email and all things affiliated, we, their Gen-X and Y offspring, have become their personal IT departments. My mom and dad truely believe my brothers and I can answer all their internet/computer-related questions, fix all their problems (even at 10pm) and buy them the perfect computer. Without me knowing, my parents have promoted us to network specialists, hardware analysists/troubleshooters, not to mention software programmers or IT purchasers.

One thing's for sure: Boomers have discovered what technology can do for them in a big way and they are here to stay (and consume). According to Imago Creative's article Boomers 2.0 "Baby Boomers currently account for one-third of the 195.3 million Web users in the U.S., making them the Web's largest constituency". I bet Europe's boomers aren't far behind...

According to the article "...despite their size, purchasing power, and experience with all things digital, Boomers remain one of the most underserved technology audiences when it comes to customized destinations, products and services."(I smell opportunities for many companies in many, many different sectors here...)

Suggestion from a gen-X daughter: 24-hour telephonic support hotlines.

Women don't ask - how to succeed at negotiating

It seems that we women have a problem negotiating...Apparently we're not as vocal or as demanding as men when it comes to asking...for a promotion, a raise, or even a 'golden handshake' (also read 'Get Fired like a Man').

According to a new book called 'Women don't ask - negotiating and the gender divide', women fall into one of three categories:

- "I don't knows" - women who unaware of opportunities and their rights
- "I don't asks" - women who think asking will jeopardize getting the job or promotion
- "I don't boasts" - women who feel it is impolite to spotlight their accomplishments

Most of us will recognize ourselves in one of these profiles. But that's not the point really. The question is: what are we going to do about it?

There are lessons to be learnt here:
- Know your market value before you negotiate a new job
- Ask while you still can. It is a well-known fact that you are in the strongest position to negotiate your pay-check, perks, etc BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. Once you're in, negotiation becomes even harder...
- Keep on knowing your market value...even after 2 or 3 or more years in a job. Experience and proven performance are worth money to companies. Know your evolved market value as well as your internal value!
- Sh*t happens. If you are retrenched, don't take it lying down. Don't take the first offer you are presented. Negotiate your severance package until you are happy with it too.

A well-known female executive puts it so well:
"We often take what we can get. We compromise instead of negotiating."

Compromise vs negotiating...that's a thought to ponder...

Surviving (and having fun) in the corporate jungle

Today I discovered an interesting blog that I can recommend to all professional women out there. It's called The Ladies Room and contains lots of funny and interesting information on the challenges we face as professional women today.

Also well worth a visit: 'Barrieremeter voor Vrouwen' - a simple 10 minute test that analyzes wether your work/life balance is still in the green...(yeah, right...sure!)

Children and advertising

I found some interesting statistics on advertising aimed at children and the influence it has, both on the child and on the economy.

As vehement McDonals opponent it is especially children's recognition of the company's logo that scares me...

Did you know?

• The average American child may view as many as 40,000 television commercials every year (Strasburger, 2001).


• Children as young as age three recognize brand logos (Fischer, 1991), with brand loyalty influence starting at age two (McNeal, 1992).


• Young children are not able to distinguish between commercials and TV programs. They do not recognize that commercials are trying to sell something (Comstock, 1991).


• In 2001, teenagers, ages twelve to nineteen spent $172 billion (an average of $104 per teen each week), up 11 percent from $155 billion in 2000 (Teen Research Unlimited, 2002).


• In 2002, children ages four to twelve are expected to spend an estimated $40 billion (McNeal, 2002).


• In 2000, children 12 years and under, directly and indirectly, influenced the household spending of over $600 billion (McNeal, 2001).


• In 1997, $1.3 billion was spent on television advertisements directed at children. Counting all media, advertising and marketing budgets aimed at children approached $12 billion (McNeal, 1999).


• Children who watch a lot of television, want more toys seen in advertisements and eat more advertised food than children who do not watch as much television (Strasburger, 2002).


• The market sales of licensed products for infants increased 32% to a record 2.5 billion dollars in 1996 (Business Week, 6/30/97).

Marketeers don't understand women

Europe may be starting to catch on to the 'smart marketing to women' trend at last.

An interesting article on the topic appeared on express.be, one of belgium's leading online sources of business information, recently.

Although the article doesn't reveal anything staggeringly new on the topic of marketing to women, it does dare to address one of the most crucial elements of addressing women in communication: political correctness.

A touchy subject, you may think...Not true, and that's just what the article, or more correctly Phillippa Roberts, the author of 'Inside her pretty little head' wants us to understand. (Also see my post 'unashamedly woman', January 2007)

What Ms Roberts wants marketeers to understand is that political correctness toward women doesn't work when you want to communicate with women. Don't get confused...bear with me for a moment...
Political correctness, expressed in statements such as 'women are the same as men' are very, very, very passe. Women don't want to be 'the same as men'. Women want to be women. They enjoy being women. They want to be addressed as true women - in all their fullness, their complexity and their own right.

So how does one translate this to marketing, or communication?

Simple.

What do we want?
Let us enjoy being women. We like the fact that we have 32 pairs of shoes. We can laugh at sexy jokes just as much as guys can. We admit to crying over silly love-scenes in films. We know we really shouldn't have that third glass of wine, but oh what the hell! Oh, and we giggle with our girlfriends about men and sex too.

What don't we want?
We don't want to take ourselves too seriously all the time and we don't want to be portrayed as 'women trying to be men'. We don't want to be boxed into neat little categories like 'mother' or 'career woman' or 'housewife' or 'partner of'. We are all those things and more.

I couldn't agree more with Ms Roberts! Let's hope marketeers take us seriously. I'm certainly ready for a dose of realistic, good-humoured communication I can relate to!

...I feel a 'Women in the 21st century for dummies' list coming on...Watch this space...coming soon!

Word-of-mouth: David versus Goliath

Yesterday, I experienced the arrogance some big companies display toward their customers first-hand. As a young start-up agency, I had to deal with a big, established agency - a self-professed 'market leader' - for one of my prospective clients. The experience again drives home the impact one single bad experience can have on the way female consumers will view a brand in the future.

Let's take a real-life example of what women do when they have a negative brand experience.
One of my clients - a female marketing manager at a multi-national - had a negative experience with a research agency whom she retained recently for a very high-profile project and who's performance was below-par to say the least. I was not involved in the project, and as such was not on a 'need to know' basis regarding the ins and outs nor the results of the project. My client however, fuming about the lack of service, attention to detail and quality of the supplier's work, did not miss a single opportunity to share her story with others. I heard it at least 3 times in meetings with different parties. Not only did she mention the brand by name, regailing the flaws of the agency in detail, she also explicity said "Let me give you some good advice: don't ever work with them!". Most of those present were women in managment positions. Women who have the decision-making power to choose suppliers and who went back to their respective companies with a very clear impression of the company in question in mind. No doubt this company was never going to be included in the short-list of possible suppliers for any of these women. What's more: when their companies in turn need to retain a research agency, these women are very likely to proactively warn their colleagues about the supplier.

Here are some important lessons brands can learn about women as customers:

1. Women bond with each other by exchanging stories and personal information. If your customer has had a bad experience with your brand, you can bet your bottom dollar on the fact that she will tell her family, friends and colleagues about it. Repeatedly.

2. Women remember the advice they are given or the stories they are told by others. (I've never considered buying an Alfa Romeo because two of my friends - both Alfa Romeos drivers - told me that they tend to have mechanical problems and advised me never to buy one).

3. Word-of-mouth between consumers has a credibility factor no advertising campaign can match. It is the most powerful influencer of your brand's image. As marketeers, we can tell our customers whatever we want about our brand. Ultimately, it is what consumers tell each other that carries the most weight. Word-of-mouth will determine whether a prospective consumer believes our communication or is willing to try our product.

Word-of-mouth: it's the 21st century battle of David versus Goliath.

Career tips - not for the faint-hearted

There are thousands of people and sites and blogs that will give you advice on how to survive in the corporate jungle. I've just discovered a posting on the re:invention blog that takes the 'blah-blah' (or yaddela-yaddela as Jerry Seinfeld would say) out of all those nice politically correct tips and hints.

"Nancy" an anonymous Marketing Exec cuts to the chase and dares to put down the tips we all know are true but most of us don't dare to admit to ourselves, let alone voice in public.

Without further ado - men and women alike - be prepared to hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Warning: "Nancy's" 10 Tips are not for the faint of heart...

1. Getting a good education is totally not necessary, especially if "The Head Boss Man" is the guy you sit next to at the Moose Lodge/Rotary/Kiwanis, etc.

2. Work hard to win is a fallacy. A minimum level of work will suffice. Simply giving the impression of being busy will do.

3. Working extra hard (i.e. weekends and evenings) makes you look desperate.

4. Forget the old adage: "See what needs to be done and do it." If it's not getting done, there's a reason. No one cares! And neither should you.

5. Complain if you want results and you want someone to take action. Apply the squeaky wheel rule here. Or, put another way: You don't ask, you don't get.

6. For most of women, the mantra "ask for forgiveness, not for permission" is laughable and a sure sign of career death. Charging ahead will only yield a long diatribe from your boss about how you really don't have the authority to do whatever it is you were trying to do.

7. Don't worry about being on time. Again, no one cares.

8. The ROI on attending awards dinners, banquets, etc. is extremely low. Don't bother.

9. Innovation and change is bad. The status quo and standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be maintained.

10. Watch your back, because no one else is. Forget about being a team player.

The power of networks

Every day, I take my alloted 30 minutes to surf the web to see what's happening in the world of marketing, communication and of course, marketing to women. Every day, I am (pleasantly) surprised to see the number of women who are really going for what they believe in and the initiatives they take to help other women realize their dreams. Blogs, websites, forums and advice...it's all there, if you just look for it! But I often get a little frustrated too...Why are all these initiatives being made by women in America? It's a clear sign that there is much work to be done on this front in Europe.

Today I discovered "StartUpPrincess" - What a wonderful name for a blog that focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs!
And what a wonderful support network StartUpPrincess provides to female entrepreneurs! The blog also features something called(and here's another wonderful term..) 'fairy godmothers'. In the words of Kelly Anderson, founder of StartUpPrincess: "Fairy Godmothers are Women in Business and/or Start Up Princesses that have been successful and have reached a level of expertise in their field and want to share tips and insights to bless the lives of other women entrepreneurs."

Kelly's blog really drives home the fact that in Belgium, we should be making a greater effort to unite professional women - those with experience and those just starting out - to support each other. We should develop a community that helps us promote our businesses to each other and to the community at large. I know that I always try to bring my clients in touch with each other if I think they are complimentary in reaching their goals. Isn't this what creating a win-win situation is all about?

Kudoz to Kelly for her wonderful initiative! Here's hoping that next year this time we in Belgium will have similar networks and initiatives that will benefit women across the country!

Unashamedly Woman

When I tell people that I run an agency specialized in marketing to women, they often think I'm a feminist. And a feminist, I discovered throughout many conversations, is still defined by many people as a woman who 'wants to be equal to a man'.

I would like to correct this persistent misconception about what it means to be a 'feminist'.
It is not about being 'equal to men'. Nor is it about being 'more like a man'. Women are women, and they will always be different from men in many ways, with their own strengths and their own weaknesses.
And no, modern feministic girls don't burn their bras or hate men. That is soooo sixties, my dear!

But the best way to dispell any misconceptions there may be about what it means to be a strong, independent and if you want to add the label 'feministic' woman, is to introduce you to one.... Murielle Scherre, founder/owner of the lingerie label "La Fille D'O". Now this girl is unashamedly woman! No excuses, no nice girl demeanor, no safe and unconfrontational image. This girl is who she is: sexy, daring, outspoken, revolutionary.

Some may find her style just a little too confrontational, her imagery and language just a little too explicit, but I put my money on this: this girl is no doubt a role-model to many generation-X and Y women out there...Mark my words!

The Cluetrain Manifesto...Lest it be forgotten

What I'm about to tell you is nothing new, but if you haven't heard about it yet, it will change your world - guaranteed!

It's a document called 'The Cluetrain Manifesto'. Although it was first posted back in the dark ages (1999) it is still a document that any company executive, marketeer or sales person simply MUST read.

It starts like this:

"If you only have time for one clue this year, this is the one to get...

We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers. We are human beings - and our reach exceeds your grasp. Deal with it."

If you haven't read it: www.cluetrain.com/

What makes The Cluetrain Manifesto so relevant - even seven years after it was first posted, is this:
a) It is written from the consumer's point of view - without any marketing lingo, statistics or self-absorbed analysis to block our view. It says what we as consumers (for we as marketeers are consumers too)think and feel about the way in which companies and brands communicate with us.
b) It is the strongest unspoken plea for the power of Word-of-Mouth marketing to date.

As marketeers, we can do, say or package things any way we want to, but if we don't connect with our consumers in a real and believable manner, if we don't make sure that we actually care about our consumers and the society our company operates in, then no matter how pretty our packaging or how slick our advertising, people will tell each other what they really think about the company, the brand, the product,...and it may not be pretty.

We must learn to recognize the unbelievable power of what people tell each other about our brand & product. We can try to 'harness', 'capture', 'influence' these conversations, but that will never really change what people say about us. What we need to do instead is contribute to these conversations - in an open, respectful and believable manner. Only then will people begin to really value our brand.

Food for thought...