Archive for July, 2008

Women in Science and Academia

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008


“I just read an article about how academia can’t get and keep talented women professors in the scientific areas. Rice received a multi-million dollar grant to revamp their current process. Many thought it was a poor use of money and criticized the efforts.

According to the article, published July 28, 2008 in the Houston Chronicle:

The results are small, but real: 14 additional female faculty members, new hiring and mentoring practices, and a bank of 1,300 resumes from women with doctoral degrees in the sciences and engineering open to university hiring committees from around the nation.

“If we’re not taking advantage of women’s education, we may be losing a resource we’ve invested in,” said Jessie DeAro, director of the National Science Foundation’s Advance program.Advance will spend about $19.5 million this year on gender-equity programs at 28 universities, including Rice. (The University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Tech University are the only other Texas schools involved in the project.)”

Any thoughts on how Rice and other universities can reach their goals?

Right now, it doesn’t seem like the have a very viable program, but at least it is a start. They realize there is a problem and that is a good first step. Attracting and keeping talented women should be a goal of all institutions. Diversity is a very powerful tool.
 

Posted in Recruting, Retaining and Promoting Women | No Comments »

The Holistic Approach

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

For years I have worked with corporations on marketing and selling their products more effectively to women. I have also helped them learn to recruit, retain and promote women within their organizations.

After years of experience, I realize the need to convey to clients that to get the best results, both processes should be integrated. The synergy created by the whole is definitely greater than when either piece is done separately.

By helping women in your organization climb the corporate ladder and develop sound leadership skills, the culture will change and many paradigms of the past will shift. This will allow for more open communication between the genders and a better work environment for all employees. Meanwhile, women consumers will be more attracted to your company and marketing plans will be adapted to better fit their needs.

Create a win-win for your organizations.             

 

Posted in Recruting, Retaining and Promoting Women, Sales and Marketing | 1 Comment »

What’s Your Buying Experience?

Monday, July 14th, 2008

After a brief break, we are back blogging and will be writing new posts every Monday.

What I find intriguing is the number and variety of companies and industries that have figured out women are the growth market for a number of reason. In the process they also discovered that following the money trail often led to women.

Advertisers and marketers are also realizing that one size doesn’t fit all. Some are marketing heavily to mothers, while others are targeting single women. From Gen Y to baby boomers to retirees, women are becoming the sought after market by businesses.

I recently read an article on Harley Davidson. You probably wouldn’t pick them out as a strong marketer to women. However, they have a number of initiatives they are doing to attract more women. Leslie Prevish, Harley-Davidson’s women’s outreach manager, says the company has been marketing to women for years, but has ramped up efforts since 2003. They recently created a designer ring for women who buy one of their bikes and complete the Rider’s Edge training program. Their 680 dealerships are hosting events for women and they have added a micro website to their regular site, which is geared strictly to women.

More than half of today’s tire showroom customers are women, and dealers are adapting to that growing audience with a diverse selection of marketing entrees. Smart dealers are realizing that women focus on much more than the tires and price. Cleanliness, warmth, comfort and plenty of amenities, keep female happy and coming back.

Media venues are also trying to increase their female viewership and help their advertisers reach more women. One such venture is NBC Universal. “The project kicked-off in May and provides advertisers access to female-friendly assets of the company,” said Laureen Zalaznick, president for the women and lifestyle entertainment networks at NBC Universal.

In a recent survey of chief purchasing officers of major corporations, it was revealed that women make more than 80% of the buying decisions in U.S. households today. They’ve become nearly every family’s chief purchasing officer. Women are buying the majority of consumer-electronics and home-improvement goods today, as well as the weekly groceries. They also make more of the vehicle and car-maintenance decisions.

Women are dramatically changing how products and services are designed, packaged and marketed.

What have you noticed recently in your buying sphere?

Posted in Sales and Marketing | 2 Comments »