Friday, July 20, 2007
RE: SuperHeroines Leap Onto the Lips of Hollywood Execs
Women superheroes have as much power as male superheroes, there are simply fewer of them.
Superhero comic readership has traditionally been male. Up until the last decade the majority of comic book authors were men. So it's no surprise that many women superheroes were just under-developed knockoffs of male superheroes with over-developed physical assets (Ms. Marvel, SpiderWoman, Savage She-Hulk, Supergirl). Knockoffs usually don't elicit knockout writing or movie scripts. To make matters worse, superheroines were often relegated to "just a girl not yet a woman" status - BatGIRL, PowerGIRL, even PowerPuff Girls.
We're excited by this latest trend! Flying in the face of New York Times' predicted dearth of Hollywood female power, women superheroes are leaping onto the lips of Hollywood executives. It began with CatWoman and Electra. And last year's unhinged G-Girl. On the horizon?
- Supergirl (soon to be added to the Smallville t.v. series)
- Universal's Barbarella
- A big screen version of Wonder Woman (2008)
- A TV version of Bionic Woman (Fall 2007)
What's Behind the Women Superheroes Trend?
- The New Hollywood Girls Club. Yes, Nina Jacobson (Disney), Gail Berman (Paramount), Stacey Snider (Universal), Sherry Lansing (Paramount) are gone. There are still more women decision-makers in Hollywood than in previous decades.
- Savvy male studio executives. They know that movie attendance has dropped among women over 25, the demographic already least likely to go out to see a movie.
- There are also a growing number of women comic book authors creating modern day women superheroes (Rebecca Dart, Mikhaela Reid, Renee French, Julie Doucet).
- Superheroes have always reflected culture. Today's woman can be smart and ambitious as well as pretty. As the status of women has changed, so has their iconic superheroine status. "Super Alba" is taking the world by storm in this summer's blockbuster Fantastic Four. Heck, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss even wore a Women Superheroes T-Shirt during a "New Adventures of Old Christine" episode last season.
Marketing To Women OpportunitiesWith the resumed interest and enthusiasm for iconic superheroines, we may see a superheroine licensing boom targeting pre-teen and teen girls. Girls have tremendous buying power, and they need smart superheroines. The
girls shine in Harry Potter. Just look at
the new Nancy Drew. Think cutting edge (even edgy) merchandise from toys to apparel. The right superheroine could teach girls self defense, interconnectivity and tech-power, even self esteem.
Real world women often feel pressed to be "Wonder Women" - holding themselves to a lofty near impossible goal of work/life balance. But we are rarely given our due in media. Women make up
only 21% of people featured in the news. We are twice as likely as men to
be portrayed as victims. It's high time we were given strong wonder women role models in media -- even if fantasy figures -- to motivate us.
Technorati tags:
women Marketing PR superheroes Hollywood Wonder Woman Barbarella G-Girl
RE: Best Buy, Courts, and Chick-Chat.
Best Buy has promoted Julie Gilbert to SVP Women's Marketing. Julie, former VP of Customer Initiatives, has (reportedly) single-handedly directed Best Buy's feminization - and will continue to head WoLF (Best Buy's Women's Leadership Forum).
"We were a boy's toy store designed for boys by boys."
- Julie Gilbert, whilst Vice President of Best Buy.
Under Julie's leadership, the company has increased the number of female job applicants by 37 percent, and reduced female employee turnover by 5.7 percent. A University of Minnesota MBA, Julie is also a CPA.
CLICK HERE for Julie's full bio.
BEST BUY OF YORE (AS IN "2005")...Best Buy began
courting working women in 2005, after the company
was charged with violating federal and state laws against sex discrimination in employment. At that time,
more than 80 percent (!) of Best Buy store managers were white men. According to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Best Buy,
female employees were told they could not be on the sales floor because "girls can't sell."
THE NEW WORLD, ACCORDING TO BEST BUY...- women prefer
sound over sight.
- women love
shopping for and pleasing their man.
- women are
drawn to flat-panel TVs.
- women spend
more on technology then men.
- women consumers are seeing
a lot more women in stores (25% of Best Buy employees are now women!).
- And Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson says "
he would be thrilled having a woman succeed him."
Earlier this month, Best Buy also
promoted Julie Owen to SVP and leader of their Entertainment Business Operating Group. Owen reports to
Shari Ballard, Best Buy’s executive vice president of entertainment, multichannel and human capital.
In
re:invention's humble opinion, SHARI (
"Never Outsource Your Own Point of View") BALLARD (age 40) is
the woman to watch. Forbes kinda agrees.
Technorati tags:
women Marketing PR Best Buy WOLF Julie Owen Julie Gilbert televisions technology
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
RE: Meet Me Tomorrow - Tell Me You Love Me.
According to a 2005 Catalyst study, women leaders face three "damned if you, damned if you don't" contradictions:
- If women business leaders act consistent with gender stereotypes, they are considered too soft. But if they go against gender stereotypes, they are considered too tough.
- Because women leaders face higher standards than their male counterparts, they must work doubly hard to achieve the same level of recognition for the same level of work to "prove" they can lead.
- When women exhibit traditionally valued assertive and aggressive leadership behaviors, they tend to be seen as competent but not personable or well-liked. Yet when they adopt a more stereotypically feminine style they are liked but not seen as having valued leadership skills.
This week Catalyst released new research suggesting the world could overcome these contradictions through formal organizational solutions.
Pardon me if I laugh. Not planning on holding my breath.
Many thanks to brilliant HUGH MACLEOD, for
my wonderful birthday gift which arrived today via DHL.
kindly,
kirsten
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
RE: From IHOP Waitress to Formidable Franchise Empire CEO.
Tired of hitting the glass ceiling? Sit down and build your own empire like Julia Stewart.
Yesterday IHOP announced plans to buy Applebee's. IHOP Chairman and CEO Julia Stewart, former president of Applebee's domestic division from 1998 to late 2001, will lead the combined companies (3,250 restaurants, estimated combined sales of $7 billion). Applebee's market cap is double IHOP's, so the acquisition will be financed by debt, liquidating real estate and selling company-owned stores, streamlining operations, and building the combined brand via franchises. Yes - we know about that stuff at RE:INVENTION (we're MBAs!).
Back in May-06, re:invention tipped readers to Julia's greatness. Under Julia's leadership, IHOP was investing in innovative training for fledgling women franchise owners. We also made mention of Julia Stewart's early career chance meeting with mentor Carl Karcher, founder of Carl's Jr. (and inside stock trader). We predicted big things for Julia. Ahem. You never know you might meet on a plane (or on Facebook). :)
(Julia's)...first professional job was with a local advertising agency, a two-year stint that ended because of a serendipitous plane ride. "I was flying to a presentation with a client, and I ended up sitting next to Carl (Karcher, founder of Carl's Jr.) on the plane. The man kept trying to read my Wall Street Journal," she laughs. "We are dear friends to this day - and he said, 'You are just the type of person I need to meet. I very much want to have you come to work for me.' From that moment forward I have done nothing but be in the restaurant business."
On the marketing and PR menu, says Julia, at the combined companies?
Crystal clear brand focus.
All this from the former
single mom Wonder Woman who once waited IHOP tables in high school. OH - and she
got married last month! For the curious, Applebee's (like life) can indeed be done
LOW-CARB.
MORE.
Technorati tags:
women Marketing PR IHOP Applebee's Julia Stewart Karcher Carl's Carbs
Friday, July 13, 2007
RE: She-Heroes and Fantasy Leagues.
Fantasy Football League 2007 is open. Women now have their own fantasy leagues...
"Tabloid Fantasy League (tabfl.com) and Fantasy Fashion League (fantasyfashionleague.com) are hot. Players choose celebrities or designers to be on their team, then they get points depending on how much publicity members of their roster received each week."
- Melissa Lavigne, The Intelligence Group, a division of Creative Artists Group.
The world desperately needs more
She-Heroes. The
effect on spectatorship? It won't likely ruin the game.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
RE: Woman Road Warriors.
From today's WSJ...
Reduced-travel deals rank among the top three nonfinancial concessions sought by new hires, says the Association of Executive Search Consultants, New York. Some 48% of men and 67% of women said they are more likely today to negotiate for less travel, compared with five years ago, says a 2006 survey of 477 executives by the association.
According to a
recent article on 4Hoteliers.com, the hospitality industry continues to focus on the following issues to better appeal to women business travelers:
- Comfortable bed
- Adequate lighting
- Complimentary phone calls and Internet access
- Security
- A comfortable public lounge
- Color schemes and artwork
- Large bath areas
- Amenities
- Interesting locations
- Family life appeal (for women travelling with children)
- Budget
For More on Women and Business Travel:
-
The Woman Road Warrior- "
Women Entrepreneurs Take Off & Travel," re:invention blog, 2.27.05
RE: Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Business.
"Men are from mars, women are from business..."
quips Brent Bowers in yesterday's NYT..
In Brent's own words:
...Women, especially mothers, have several advantages over men in the small-business world...
They are better listeners.
Consequently, they pick up details and nuances men often miss.
They are more active networkers.
They are better motivators.
Having to juggle home and workplace duties, they are better multi-taskers.
They are more patient, and thus better able to stick to long-term strategies.
They are more tenacious.
Worth a read.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
RE: My Heart, Heart Go Boom Boom Tap.
- Adolescent girl athletes are 8 times more likely to injure their knees than boys... (Source: NYPresby)
- Doctors estimate that one in 100 high-school girls and one in 10 college women in such sports will hurt an ACL during the four years they play... (Source: Meriter Healthy Living)
- And Baltimore-based sports apparel company, Under Armour, announced today that it plans to court women. New company ads will spotlight young "team girl" athletes and the tagline, "Boom Boom Tap (BoomBoomTap)."
Previous Under Armour efforts to market to women have failed to capture women's hearts, although according to Steve Battista, Under Armour's Marketing VP, "more female collegiate teams wear the brand then men's teams do." Women represented just 25 percent of Under Armour’s total business in 2006.
The new Boom Boom Tap (BoomBoomTap) ads will debut during the
2007 ESPY awards.
Can Under Armour fit into the women's field, delivering stylish and sturdy apparel and leveraging their existing assets to cross-fertilize between the women’s sportswear market and the urban fashion world? Could Under Armour gain competitive advantage by creating endorsement contract opportunities for up and coming urban girl athletes turned role models?
Under Armour's executive management team?
All men, save their brilliant VP of HR, Melissa Wallace. Of note, Steve Battista, Under Armour's marketing VP, was a 2003
Stevie Award "Best Marketer" Winner.
"
My heart, heart go boom boom tap...I gotta tell my mom about you."
Technorati tags:
women Marketing PR heart UnderArmour Under Armour Battista Boom Boom Tap BoomBoomTap Baltimore
Monday, July 09, 2007
RE: Blasting Those Pesky Myths.
Do women gossip more than men? Nope. (Breaking News Source: Social Issues Research Center)
Talk more than men? Nope. (Breaking News Source: Science)
In the end, it all depends on the quality and count of your survey sample.
Andrea Learned weighed in over the weekend with her take on the new myth-busting news at Huffington Post.
RE: See Jane Run! See Jane Jump! Shame on Jane!
Long on death-watch Jane Magazine, a publication catering to young working women in their early and mid-20s, has finally expired. Earlier this year, Jane Magazine had to cancel a "Guide to Boobs" picture spread because a staffer mistakenly unveiled the identities of the anonymous photograph subjects. Sweet, sweet Jane.
Fearless of failure and completely unrelated, Jane Out of The Box soft launches today. Select "JOIN" on the top navigation bar.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
RE: Women Corporate Board Appointments
News on Women, a blog edited by a former woman executive for Chase Bank, reports a 36 percent increase in women appointed to corporate boards in the first 6 months of 2007. Mastercard, Weyerhauser, Manpower, Berkshire Hathaway, Viacom, Avis Budget Group, International Paper, CBS, Conseco, Krispy Kreme, Guess?, CNET, Walt Disney and J Crew have made recent women board of director appointments. Eight of the companies appointing women were located in California.
MORE.
RE: What Would Diddy Do?
Well, well, well. Appears rappers are "freshening up their handle."
The Great Geoff Williams (who seriously makes us swoon!) recently wrote an intriguing Entrepreneur Magazine article ("Rappers Delight") characterizing rappers as entrepreneurs.
Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, is worth a whole lot more than two bits. Some business and rap observers estimate he may be worth close to $1 billion, not because of his music hits, which are substantive, but because in 2004, he invested in Glaceau, the company that produces and distributes Vitaminwater and Smartwater. It was just purchased for $4.1 billion by Coca-Cola, and some have speculated that 50's 10 percent stake in the company will translate to $401 million. Suddenly, it becomes clear: Gates who?
USA Today posed a similar question back in 2003, when they reported on rappers and fashion/accessories lines.
For his part, Geoff concludes that ANY ENTREPRENEUR can learn from "rapper entrepreneurs." It all boils down to:
- Taking advantage of opportunities that come your way
- Merchandising and licensing (as soon as possible)
- Selling IMAGE, not a PRODUCT
- Diversifying and multiple streams of revenue.
Public message boards
are mixed. Interesting discussion. Are rappers really entrepreneurs? Or just "new money rich" investors and marketers with
rap sheets? And does an entrepreneur need to deliver anything of intrinsic value?
Capitalizing on celebrity name power, licensing, and investment is quite different than rolling up one's sleeves and launching one's OWN COMPANY. For instance,
Brian Maxwell, once the world's third best marathoner, launched and built the PowerBar company (with his wife). Maxwell is an entrepreneur. But 50 Cent?
FOR MORE.
Technorati tags:
rappers entrepreneurs Marketing PR Diddy Entrepreneur 50 Cent Coca-Cola
RE: How Constant Contact Connects with Entrepreneurs
Constant Contact, "the leading Do-It-Yourself Email Marketing service," recently announced it will begin hosting a series of email marketing workshops for entrepreneurs.
Back in June, Constant Contact launched ListenUp!, an online survey tool with 40 pre-written survey templates. Gail F. Goodman, Chief Executive Officer of Constant Contact, has served as a business coach on the Entrepeneur.com Business Coaches channel since 2005. And the company also co-sponsors the Email Marketing Resources for Small Business website in partnership with the SBA.
YET EVEN WEB SAVVY CONSTANT CONTACT has something to learn about online social networking norms and ORM-PR. In May-07, the company exhibited a little bad form blog behavior (so noted by iContact CEO Ryan Allis). Tsk tsk, Constant Contact. ;)
Hey - nobody's perfect.
Technorati tags: women entrepreneurs Marketing PR Constant Contact Ryan Allis email ListenUp! Gail Goodman
Monday, July 02, 2007
RE: Microsoft Marketing and PR: Startupcenter.com.
New on the scene? Startupcenter.com - a free site designed to make startup simple for people who want, but don't yet have a business.
The site, created in partnership by Microsoft, Mastercard, FedEx, and Bank of America, is divided into 8 sections (The Rules, Office Setup, Your Brand, Marketing, Sales, Finances, The Details, and Employees).
Special partner features include:
- free downloads of Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 software (recently named one of the 15 Best Free Services and Software for Business by PCWorld)
- $50 credit from Microsoft AdCenter to find new customers
- cash-flow management solutions
- business intelligence
- a "Find-the-Right-Credit Card" tool
- small business checking accounts, online invoicing and bill-pay
- an online health insurance platform
- direct access to FedEx's Express and Ground shipping
Back in May, Microsoft launched
www.biztechconnect.com -- a free website to help women and minority entrepreneurs use the Internet to grow their businessees -- in partnership with Cisco, AT&T, and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). And compliments of
Microsoft Office Live, "a set of tools that helps small businesses establish web presence,"
high growth entrepreneurs can participate in free
SBTV-created
"how-to" webinars.
This is all part of Microsoft's big plan to spend $10 billion (!) thru 2008 to develop software for the small business market. Thank you, Microsoft.
Technorati tags:
women entrepreneurs Marketing PR Microsoft SBTV Mastercard FedEx OfficeLive
RE: Gender based beverage marketing.
Since girls who sip sodapop suffer from high blood pressure and face a higher risk of osteoporosis and diabetes, we're pleased as spiked punch to report today's NEW TREND in gender based beverage marketing and PR...
From Cocktails by Jenn to Nuvo, apparently more alcoholic beverages are being marketed to women, while men are now being marked for diet- or energy-drink marketing.
"Sippies for Chickies"
- Think: palatable alcopop beverages. Bright, feminine packaging, lighter calories and fruity flavors are key signals that a drink is made for the ladies.
- Brands: Cocktails by Jenn, Nuvo (Diageo's Pink and Perfume Inspired Bottled Vodka Drink), Michelob Ultra fruit flavors, De Boomgaard fruit beers, Smirnoff Ice Raw Tea
- Do-Gooders: Some of these brands, like Nuvo, are demonstrating their commitment to women by donating a portion of sales of each bottle to women's causes.
- By The Numbers: Women now make 58 percent of all liqueur purchases, 49 percent of all vodka purchases and 59 percent of all champagne and sparkling wine purchases. (Source: Courant)
"Guy Guzzlers"
- Think: Male-marketed drinks that feature darker bottling, macho emblems and to-the-point packaging.
- Brands: Coke Zero, Coke Blak, Vault Zero, Gatorade Fierce, No Fear energy drink, Monster energy drink, Glacial Icelandic bottled water, Propel Vitamin Enhanced water packs
MORE.
Hmm. To sum up this new gender based beverage marketing trend: Get the girls giddy, and be sure the boys can giddy-up.
Technorati tags: women beverages sodapop alcohol Coke Michelob Business Marketing PR
Sunday, July 01, 2007
RE: You Don't Always Get What You Give.
While the rest of the world was busy buying Apple iPhones...
On Friday, Microsoft's Business Division announced a software donation worth $150,000 for the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation's leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to corporate America. The announcement was made by Business Division VP and Acting Microsoft Dynamics Group Leader, Tami Reller. Reller, a working mom, was once dubbed "Baby Bill" in the Oct-03 issue of Business 2.0. Visit the blog of the woman who began her career as a receptionist at Great Plains Software. Reller is a real champion for working women.
Although Reller suggests that the $150,000 software donation "will find its way into all aspects of the WBENC activity in 2008," specific plans and details were not made public.
Also ironically announced on Friday, Reller was surprisingly passed over for Microsoft's top Business Solutions position. That honor went to Mr. Kirill Tatarinov. Reller didn't get the role, even though she co-led the search team. Sigh.
Technorati tags: women entrepreneurs executives Microsoft Reller Tatarinov Business Marketing PR
RE: Noi guerrieri siamo fieri e coraggiosi...
"Sorrow happens, hardship happens, the hell with it, who never knew the price of happiness, will not be happy...."
- Yevgeny Yevtushenko
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