Friday, May 30, 2008
RE: As Social Media Use Among Women Grows, So Does Cyberbullying and Online Sexual Harassment.
In March, RE:INVENTION reported that women are ruling social media networks. Nearly 2/3 of all Facebook users are women. And according to a new study by Rapleaf, women between the ages 35-50 are the fastest growing segment on social networks, especially on MySpace.
This week, BlogHer and Compass Partners released new research about women and blogging.
The Headlines:
- 35% of women aged 18 to 75 participate in the blogosphere weekly.
- Among online women, 53% read blogs, 37% post comments to blogs and 28% write or update blogs.
- Of online women who contribute to blogs, 58% post entries at least weekly, and of those who actively read blogs, 80% do so at least once per week.
- Women bloggers report that they blog for: fun (65%), to express themselves (60%, to get information (46%), to stay up to date on friends and family (41%), to connect with others (40%), and as a diary (34%).
Sadly, in the online world, women can experience the same of level of
violence,
discrimination, hostility, and
harassment that they do in the real world. It can be relentless, systematic, and widely tolerated.
As social media use grows,
cyberbullying,
online sexual harassment (which can happen outside of employee-employer work environments), copyright infringement,
hacking, libel, & slander are issues which must be addressed - with clear resolution policy practices. Linkedin, Facebook, Secondlife, and even Myspace have policies in place with regard to these issues and privacy violations or abuses. Some social media platforms, such as Twitter, do not. The Hidden Communications Decency Act, substantive Cyberspace Harassment law, ISP user standards of conduct and liability, and First Amendment restrictions are increasingly being discussed. The availability of filters is becoming a requirement for all ISPs and social networking platforms.
It has been said that "
the virtual reality of online communication - and identity obscurity - exacerbates the problem of online harassment." There is
increasingly precedential support for even broader restrictions. In Illinois,
a soon to be passed law goes beyond cyberstalking and threats of violence to criminalize cyberbullying with a penalty of 1 year in jail after 2 separate instances of harassing someone online.
We will be watching with great interest to see how this all plays out.
Labels: BlogHer, compass partners, cyberbullying, Go Red for Women, online sexual harassment, Social Media, twitter
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Forbes and WSJ Continue to Court Professional Women
This week Forbes announced plans for a new social network directly aimed toward women executives. The Forbes.com Women's Executive Network will provide "a community where members can create profiles, network, post content, and share ideas and information." The Women's Executive Network will be similar to the Forbes.com site for C-level executives, the CEO network. The Women's Executive Network will also provide features from ForbesLife Executive Women's magazine. The site is scheduled to launch in the next few months. Membership to the site will be available by invitation only.
Likewise, the Wall Street Journal added its own women targeted section to its website called Journal Women. Journal Women, aimed towards "ambitious professional and executive women," features articles relevant to women professionals in categories ranging from politics to business to health and wellness. The site also includes videos, a blog, discussion boards, podcasts, and polls. Other noteworthy content on the site? WSJ's "Women to Watch" list, highlighting the 50 women the Wall Street Journal believes "have the potential to make a significant impact on business in the year ahead." The list debuted in 2004 and since has yearly featured women CEO's, presidents, vice presidents, and executive leaders from some of the nation's top business organizations.
We'll be monitoring both sites for content and community building ideas.
Do you know a woman who will be making a mark on the business world this year? The Wall Street Journal is currently accepting nominations for the 2008 "Women to Watch" list through July 7, 2008. To nominate a woman, or for previous annual lists, click here.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Powerful Words at the Women’s Leadership Exchange
This week I attended the Women's Leadership Exchange Conference held at a Chicago suburb IKEA.
The keynote speaker at the conference was Carolyn Kepcher, former EVP of the Trump Organization and a star on the hit television show, "The Apprentice." Ms. Kepcher's newest role is Internet Entrepreneur - founder of the community site, findingwhatmatters.com - a role that has helped her find greater work/life balance. During her keynote presentation, Ms. Kepcher shared experiences she had during her days at the Trump Organization.
Equally inspiring was the workshop presented by Beth Polish, President, The Critical Junctures Group and founding CFO at iVillage, Inc. Ms. Polish's expertise includes strategic planning and finance. Her workshop, "Hitting a Home Run with Your Company: Expert Strategies to Maximize Your Future," dissected the importance of analyzing opportunities. During her presentation, Ms. Polish suggested, "All good companies have plenty of opportunities. Great companies know which opportunities to seize." It's so true - we all have a world full of opportunities. Beth provided specific tips on how to evaluate and rank opportunities to enhance your business savvy.
Labels: beth polish, carolyn kepcher, critical junctures, FindingWhatMatters.com, IKEA, iVillage, trump, WLE, women's leadership exchange
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
RE: The "Women Open Doors, Men Close" Myth.
Back in March on INC's SOLD blog, sales guru Greg Winston launched a debate over whether women or men make better salespeople. Greg postulated that women were better at sales "because in their personal lives and in business they tend to create relationships better." They also "tend to sell based on personal input and business input rather than just business...listen...and don't have a sales history that they are tied to, so 'new' works for them."
On May 19, Greg Winston revisited the debate, with a new post titled, "Why Women Sell Better Part II."
LOL. Wonder if Greg Winston is ever told that he "blogs too much about women." Ahem.
This question isn't new. Neuroscience Marketing asked "Are Women Better at Sales?" back in 2007. And Marion Luna Brem has written an entire book on the subject.
Here's my take. Some folks BELIEVE that women are better than men at building relationships and ERRONEOUSLY CONCLUDE that women would make more effective salespeople. Other folks think men make better "closers" and "negotiators." What a bunch of bunk. Broad sweeping generalizations. Myth perpetuated by dated feminine and masculine stereotypes. Working women are statistically more likely than men to join social networking communities and belong to formal professional organizations, but that does not mean they are better at building profit-generating relationships in a professional setting. In fact, average EQ (emotional quotient) for men and women is on par. And most academic research (save a few random small sample size studies) has shown zero gender differences in perceived buyer-seller relationship effectiveness -- suggesting that there are more similarities than differences among men and women salespeople.
What DOES influence the outcome of a sales call? Trustworthiness (Plank, Reid and Pullins 1999), relationship quality (Crosby, Evans and Cowles 1990), and customer orientation (Brown, Widing and Coulter 1991). And with much respect, Guru Greg, those traits can be cultivated by anyone, regardless of gender.
Labels: gender, greg winston, inc, leadership, marion brem, neuroscience marketing, relationships, sales, salespeople, sold, women, women executives
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
RE: If you want your business to thrive...
Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.
- Kipling
Are you good at what you do but still struggling to build buzz and win customers?
Are you tired of seeing your competitor constantly quoted in the media?
Are you notable and quotable?™
If you want your business to THRIVE, you must MAXIMIZE your marketing efforts.
It's time to roll up your sleeves, get out those gardening tools, and plant the seeds. Register for RE:INVENTION Marketing’s "Grow Your Business" PR Package. You'll receive:
- A local media list, with full contact information for reporters and editors.
- A daily feed of e-mail queries from a database of 10,000 reporters and editors looking for story sources.
- A Package of 3 PR and Media Gardening Tip Sheets: The Power of Social Media, How to Write an SEO-Optimized Press Release, How to Become Notable and Quotable™.
- A list of local “must attend” networking events, where you can rub shoulders with media.
$795 for 12 months (a $2500 value). For a limited time only. Some restrictions apply.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
RE: Ladies Who Launch Set for This Coming Saturday!
We hope you are gearing up for the Ladies Who Launch Chicago Live Event! The all day event will take place this Saturday, May 10 at 9AM and will feature wise women entrepreneurs as guest speakers, workshops, and plenty of networking opportunities. Attendees can take a day to meet movers and shakers in the women entrepreneurial world.
Women from all business spectrums including jewelry makers, producers, artists, and founders of nonprofit will be under the same roof.
RE:INVENTION is pleased be a sponsor of this great event, offering a "Grow Your Business" PR package to attendees. If you’re attending, look for the little green plants – yours to nurture and grow. Much like a business.
Cost is $125.00 (pre-$165.00 at the door) and the event will be held at the Women’s Club of Evanston. A percentage of the proceeds from vendor sales will go to Dress For Success.
For more information on Ladies Who Launch click here. If you are unable to attend this Saturday, learn more about RE:INVENTION’s "Grow Your Business" PR package by clicking here.
Labels: Chicago, entrepreneurs, Ladies Who Launch, Women Business Owners
RE: Proving the Prevelance of Part-Time Women Entrepreneurs Working Day Jobs.
Media continues to buzz about the recent study from the Kauffman Foundation which suggested that the percentage of U.S. women who started a business last year dropped to its lowest level in a decade. According to the study, men are twice as likely as women to launch a business.
A look at the numbers (Sources: U.S. Census, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)...
Women's Entrepreneurial Activity:
0.23 percent in 2006
0.20 percent in 2007
Men's Entrepreneurial Activity:
0.35 percent in 2006
0.41 percent in 2007
"I don't have any explanation for why it dropped," quipped study author Robert Fairlie, an economics professor at the University of California at Santa Cru. "One possibility is that female entrepreneurs have more trouble finding capital than men, and maybe this worsened in 2007 as financing became tighter."
SBTV's Danita Blackwood is concerned, as are we. BlogHer and Womenentrepreneur.com have not yet posted about this study. Over at MinOnline, they question the Kauffman study, pointing out that the study did not take into account people who were employed at another business while launching their own venture. This makes the study results misleading, says MinOnline, since women are more likely than men to be multi-tasking, part-time entrepreneurs who launch their enterprise while working a day job.
Hmm. Interesting. This seems plausible. Women self-report that they launch enterprises for lifestyle reasons, not to build empires. But are they MORE LIKELY THAN MEN to launch their business while still working a day job? Surprisingly, we can't find any "part-time entrepreneur" gender studies or statistics to prove that hypothesis. But you can bet we'll be calling the Center for Women's Business Research tomorrow.
Labels: business, day job, entrepreneurs, gender, Kauffman Foundation, Ladies Who Launch, MinOnline, part-time entrepreneurs, SBTV, study, US Census, Women Business Owners
Monday, May 05, 2008
RE: The Power of Moms in the Marketplace – Beyond Mother’s Day!
Mother's Day is turning 100 years old this week (the First Mother's Day was celebrated on May 10, 1908 - although it wasn't officially declared a national holiday until 1914). Floral and restaurant businesses will be stimulated with people showering gifts on their special moms. It feels good to show appreciation to the women who do it all, but it is also big business. In fact, total consumer spending for Mother’s Day is expected to reach $15.8 billion.
By The Numbers:
There are 82.5 million moms in the U.S. - and 74 million kids under 18 supported by them. There are 4 million new births a year. And 11,000 new moms enter the market daily.
Not sure what to get the special mom in your life for Mother’s Day? $1.2 billion is spent on consumer electronics like digital cameras, digital photo frames and video cameras. Though many moms are increasingly online, it doesn’t always mean they are totally tech savvy. Popular mom blogger, Antique Mommy, appreciates consumer tech products that are easy to use. Like many busy moms, she describes herself as having “a low techno-IQ and little time/patience/energy to figure stuff out.”
Beyond Mother’s Day weekend, let us not forget the buying power of moms throughout the year. According to the CIA World Factbook, moms in the U.S. spend $1.7 trillion dollars in their homes and offices, which is 13% of the total U.S. GDP. Sixty-four percent of female corporate leaders have children and 44 percent of the more than 10 million women business owners have children under the age of 18.
How can companies reach this market? Research from BSM Media and Double Click reveals:
- 80% of moms have watched an online video in the last week
- 87% of moms read blogs
- 89% of household moms use the Internet at least twice a day
- 71% reported using online search to turn up product information
A new
Careerbuilder survey suggests many moms are hoping to receive the one present you can't buy at a store -- more quality time with their families:
- 25% of working moms are dissatisfied with their work/life balance
- Over HALF would stop working altogther if their spouse could support the family without their salary
- 43% would take a pay cut if it meant they could spend more time with their kids
- 34% would be willing to give up 10% or more of their salary to do so
Smart marketers are exploring: mom-daughter mixers, online media tours with
mom bloggers, Facebook Groups and YouTube for Mom, mom online communities like
WorkItMom and eMoms (now
Sparkplugging) and Marketing to Mom Immersion Days.
Marketing to moms is a powerful business strategy and it is crucial to think outside the box of traditional advertising. Moms are increasing online and highly connected to spread a powerful word of mouth message.
Labels: AntiqueMommy, DoubleClick, Internet, marketing strategy, marketing to women, moms, Mother Proof, mother's day, women
RE: Female Fever & Frequent Flyers.
Wyndham Hotels' "Women On Their Way" program is partnering with Martha Stewart's "Dreamers and Doers" Awards Program to celebrate women's successes and achievements. The "Dreamers Into Doers" program honors women who have "turned a specific passion into a career, a business or a philanthropic program, just as Martha did 25 years ago with her first book, Entertaining." Today through July 11, women can submit their personal 250-word nomination to: http://www.marthastewart.com/dreamers. The contest was announced this morning on the Martha Stewart Show. This year's grand prize winner will receive $10,000 and vacations for a lifetime, compliments of Wyndham Vacation Ownership.
According to Wyndham, 80% of all travel is planned and booked by women. Wyndham, now the industry leader in the female travel market, was one of the first hotel brands to dedicate an entire program and operating division to women business travelers with women-only floors with improved security, female-orientated reading materials and menus, improved beauty and clothing facilities (standing mirrors, powerful hair-dryers, skirt hangers), improved room service menus and discreet check-in procedures. Now sixty percent of Wyndham check-ins are women business travelers. Like-minded programs from Global Dinner Network, LadiesAway, FlyerTalk, and Lufthansa have since emerged.
Clearly, women travel differently than men, both here and abroad. In March, Saudi Arabia (!) opened their first women-only hotel. For more on women road warriors, see BlueSuitMom.
Labels: dreamers into doers, entrepreneurs, flyertalk, ladiesaway, lufthansa, martha stewart, road warriors, vacations, women, women on their way, women travelers, wyndham
Friday, May 02, 2008
RE: Miley-Gate: Bad Choice or Savvy PR Move?
Here at RE:INVENTION, we don't normally blog about celebrity’s latest PR moves. It's overdone -- but after a week of nothing but Miley Cyrus and the now infamous Vanity Fair shoot, I really can't help myself. I went back and forth, debated about whether our readers would care. My conclusion? Well, I'm not sure. But nonetheless, here it goes.
One does have to wonder, what all parties involved were thinking. It seems strange to me that the photographer, Miley's parents, the PR person, and even Miley (I know she's 15, but...) would think that the photos would be received well. But it is however, Hollyweird. I think that one thing is for sure the photos were no mistake. It just happened to backfire, which anyone could have probably told them (hindsight is however 20/20).
So that leads me to the age old question. Is any publicity good publicity? Well, as I try to live my life by some sort of moral code, I’m going to declare NO. If you are presented with an opportunity that is not in line with your identity, values, audience, etc., I’m going to say a “pass” might be the best option. While these photos have now probably introduced her to a new audience (A.K.A. creepy old men), the teenager has not been hurting for exposure. While I have never watched an episode of “Hannah Montana” in my life and don’t plan on it, I have certainly recognized the buzz that has been surrounding Miley for quite sometime now. Bottom line: her career would have thrived (at least for awhile) without it.
In closing, I don’t agree with these photos, don’t know what her people were thinking, and am saddened that a young girl was take advantage of for other peoples gain. But as always, I do believe in second chances and reinventing oneself. I still believe that moving forward, Miley’s career can continue to grow and that all can be salvaged --- as long as all parties accept responsibility and play it safe for awhile. At least until she is 18.
Labels: Miley Cyrus, PR, Reinvention, Vanity Fair
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