women on the web
In 1995 only 5% of internet users were women.
It’s easy to understand why there weren’t many female adopters in the early days of the web. It was just a massive store of information, in effect a huge library so why would we bother? Whilst men may (in a pub-quiz, top-five loving, Nick Hornby sty-le) enjoy delving through endless reams of information, there is nothing compelling about facts.
Whether gathering dust on shelves or whizzing about in the ether, facts on their own don’t spread.
Now the web has evolved and become an enabler, a connecting force and story creator - it has truly been given a place in the lives of women. And the stats reflect this, with us now accounting for 50% of Internet users.
In ‘Inside her pretty little head’ Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts identify key areas that motivate women. Under the guise of ‘codes’ they propose that to motivate women you must appeal to at least one of these to resonate with the female psyche. Specifically the four areas identified are Altruism, Aesthetic, Ordering and Connecting.
Bearing these four codes in mind, has there ever been a medium more suited to women than the web?
It provides freedom from hassle and the ability to save time with online shopping, reassurance through research and comparison sites (all appealing to the Ordering code), in-depth learning and detail (Altruism code), as well as enabling the quick and easy passing all of this information and opinion on to family, friends or anyone that’s listening (Connecting and Altruism codes).
The web is now seemingly built for chatting and sharing, gathering and exchanging – and that’s why women are thriving online.
As a result of this alignment of web-functionality and innate female drivers, a multitude of female sites are springing up.
Our primary view of the world is not a competitive but collaborative one – thus the connectivity, personalisation and sharing aspects of web 2.0 enable these to happen better, quicker and further than ever before. From shopping and chatting, to communities and gossip – these all serve a thread of the female codes. No longer are lone women sat isolated at kitchen tables; they are online, sharing, advising, commenting. In essence doing as they always have done, but on a wider, global scale.
Combining this with a growing awareness of the female influence on purchase decisions – us women as the purse holders - means we are driving innovation within the digital space, creating apps to further service our needs.
Taking the hassle out of the weekly shop and suggesting dinner menus was just the start, as the latest addition to online fashion retailer Zappos, MyZappos service shows.
It now provides a virtual closet of identified possible purchases, which friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter can view, comment and advise. Using social media groups to recreate the in-store ‘shopping with a friend’ reassurance – in an easy, accessible way. You get to virtually try before you buy.
One quote I heard (though irritatingly can’t remember where from) was ‘There will be no Web 3.0 – social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace will be the web’.
This places the web firmly as a channel to aid and be embraced by females – open, social exchange is where we thrive. The web is not a means unto itself but a channel through which our normal social behaviours can be amplified. It’s not changing our behaviours, just making them easier and faster to happen.
So keep a look out, for a continuing rise of women online not only changes marketing tactics but also the shape and functions of the space itself.
Becky
It’s not online or offline – it’s life
I’ve been reading many articles of late where online bashes offline and vice-versa. Be it paper based periodicals espousing the benefits of the press ad experience over the web, or internet media peeps squeaking on about the death of TV (again). I just want to say ‘Stop that and put your teddies down!’
Whilst I understand the temptation in these dark times of shrinking budgets, a knee jerk reaction may be to retrench, declare your stand and lob insults at your supposed ‘opposition’. But this thinking won’t get us, the client or the industry anywhere.
Now (particularly now) in these doom-riddled days, we should be offering value to our clients – suggesting holistic campaigns built around our audience to make every penny go further. Added value, with thinking recognising that people don’t see on or offline or know the meaning of ‘media channel’ but simply have a life.
By drawing together the threads of peoples lives, we stand a better chance of identifying new ways to engage and begin a conversation. It’s all about real people after all – people who enjoy meaningful conversations, be that on the phone, on the ‘net or in the pub. That’s conversations, con as in from the latin for ‘with’ and that means talking ‘with’, not ‘at’ people.
This calls for a change of model. We should eject anyone who justifies a brief with the words ‘Well that’s what we did last year’. Now is the time to make changes – evaluate the business requirements that kick-started the brief and look to a bigger picture on how to solve it. This not only has a good chance of making you and the client stand out from the crowd but may help your budget stretch a bit further. In cash-strapped times it is only innovative thinking that will get us out – and isn’t that what we’re paid for? Agencies and brands that are brave in these times will be leaps and bounds ahead when the country finally staggers to it’s feet.
Our thinking has to be people first, channel and media second – using each channel for precisely what they’re good at (so no mis-placed budgets or wasted pennies) and altering the message appropriately. We’ve all heard how it’s ‘all about the people’ now, most assume this means the end of ‘push’ media – but (as the song goes) that ain’t necessarily so. If we understand the differences and benefits of say, reading a paper and encountering an ad or receiving an email from a trusted company or a friendly face giving you freebies on the street – and deploy them according to the needs of the brief then all media has it’s place in the journey. Some may not be as relevant to the particular people we are speaking to at this time, others may be more and so spend can be thus divided. The point being it’s built around the people and our best opportunities to ask them to think and then do something connected with our brands. Then we’re really talking engagement – and not just from a brand to audience perspective but also how exciting it would be to have a brand that’s alive and fed by the people who are involved with it. Helping to guide and shape it - even to new product developments. Now we’re really getting engaging!
The key take-out is whilst the ways of talking have become many and varied, it’s still people we’re talking with. Put them at the heart of your brief and your choice of channels becomes clearer and your messages may begin to resonate more loudly – pushed ever onward by a group of truly engaged people.
Becky McOwen-Wilson
Creative Director
Geronimo
Hansel and Gretel and true word of mouth
I went to see Hansel and Gretel the opera (yes it does exist!) last week and what an experience!
The sets were amazing – contemporary, hyper-perspective, using projections and lighting to transform the simplest of boxes into an inviting forest, an imposing nightmare or angelic vision. The songs were surprisingly familiar (although I’m not sure where from) and the artistic direction at times bizarre (our first glimpse of the witch wearing comedy breasts with pneumatic nipples which she thankfully buttoned in to her cardigan). Amazing – I immediately came in to work the next day and told everyone about it.
Why am I telling you this? Well, it all comes back to marketing really – true word of mouth – engaging someone enough that they not only are captivated but tell others about it. And the ROH got it right – not only was I delighted with a exceeding of expectations (I knew it would be good, but hell, it was great) but it also surprised me (the modern sets, the comedy boobs).
What we do, the marketing, spreading the word about our clients and their products should attempt to abide by the same rules: Talk to people about the stuff they are interested in and then blow their expectations out of the water. Truly surprise and delight them. Make the brand or service relevant and allow people to interact as they wish.
Offer something of value, allow them to experience and people will talk. We always have. It’s only the ways we’re talking that has changed - it’s still just talking. The speed and potential for messages of worth to travel is vast (as anyone who experienced the avalanche of e-vouchers over the past few weeks will attest to). We all love to share, pass on latest info, trend, savings or just something cool.
It’s finding the relevant place for your brand or message that’s the thinking part – where is the personality fit and why? Make it an authentic experience – true to both brand and the audience. We can all spot a fake or where money’s been thrown at a problem and it doesn’t get respect or loyalty.
So, back to the ROH – an amazing experience that I’ll keep wibbling on about for a good few weeks to come, so stop me if you’ve heard this one before…
Women in Marketing
There does seem to be a renewed interest in ‘The role of women’ in the industry currently; who is where? how long have they been there? are they getting as good a deal as the chaps in the same position? (unfortunately a recent UK survey still said a resounding ‘No’ with a 22 percent difference remaining).
I think this fervour is more a symptom of the realisation that women are growing in consumer power and a panic reaction of ‘Oh golly, do you think the girls in our place think the same way?’
As a female creative director you are in the minority – the final bastion of testosterone remains to be the creative department and that means we women at the top have learnt to play the game to the satisfaction of the system. A male constructed, endorsed and supported system. What it doesn’t recognise is what else we are bringing to the role – not only inspirational leadership and dedication to the highest possible standard of creative work (as is expected of the position) but more female characteristics of building relationships, caring and nurturing environment (where people feel able to suggest ideas without being ridiculed or put down), an open, team-like department where everyone has a role to play and the ability to affect the direction we are taking.
One of the core traits of women (as everyone knows) is talking, or to put it professionally – communicating. We are constantly asking for comments, feedback, feelings, reactions (from all manner of sources) and use this information to inform the decisions we make. Once made, the decisions are open to constant re-evaluation – using the information we get to address and re-consider, searching for an ever-more appropriate solution. It is a much less linear approach to traditional male strategies and may well enable us to keep up with the ever-changing play-field of today’s markets and increasingly demanding clients.
Once the ‘added-value’ elements of female leadership have been recognised we may then be able to hope for a more understanding and valued progression – god forbid that one day we can get to the age of mid-thirties and not have the sucking of teeth over the potential costs of maternity. The benefits of dynamic, non-linear thinking and the changes to environment and culture should well out-weigh any potential mathematics.
There are definitely many opportunities for women in the sector – we just need to develop a better understanding and support for those who may not feel as at home within the ‘boys club’ environment. I recently was asked to speak at SheSays, an exciting venture encouraging young women within the industry by allowing them to meet other women/girls for advice and mentoring. It’s a great initiative, which I’d be proud to be a part of (and kick myself I didn’t think of).
We need more, ground-up assistance for confident young female creatives, rather than an industry endorsed ‘take it easy on the girls’ approach. Historically it has been harder for women to battle to (and remain at) the top but with an increased awareness of the benefits of female thinking in an ever-changing media environment and initiatives like SheSays there’s a strong and attractive future ahead.
Becky McOwen-Wilson, Creative Director, Geronimo
Many awards to my name - ISPs, IDM, MCCAs, DMAs and Frontier - as well as having the pleasure of judging DMAs 2005 & 2006.