advergirl

A shared new years resolution for women in advertising?

I haven't watched much TED in a while. I blame it on inspiration overload. Too many exceptional people with exceptional aggravations pounding at pulpits.TEDWomen may bring me back, though - the talks I've seen so far are a lot more practical, filled with insight and action.

My friend Jude actually sent me my first TEDWomen talk. It's Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg exploring why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions. You've seen these numbers - Of 190 Heads of State around the world, only 9 are women. In the corporate world only 15% of the top leadership positions are held by women. (Those numbers haven't moved since 2002.) There are more examples - all that either suggest that women drop out or don't have access.

Sandberg didn't want to talk about the problem, though. Instead she focused on the practical ways to change it. What should we focus on as individuals? What messages do we share with the women who work with and for us? What do we tell our daughters?

And, before I get to her advice. I want to talk about her "but": What do we tell our collegues and daughters in a world where there will be sacrifices they have to make for their successes that their brothers will not?

One example of that sacrifice is reputation. The data clearly shows that success and like-ability are positivity correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. Sandbeg pointed to a case created Professor Frank Flynn at Columbia Business School known as The Heidi/Howard Roizen Study.

Flynn had Heidi Roizen, a powerful entreprenuer and venture capitalist, speak to his organizational behavior class in previous semesters. She spoke about networking, her business successes and the challenges of being a woman in Silicon Valley. One semester, he distributed two versions of her bio to the class. Half got Heidi's real background and half got that same bio with one word changed: Heidi became Howard.

Before the lecture, Flynn had students go online and rate their impressions of "Roizen" on several dimensions. The results showed that students were much harsher on Heidi than on Howard across the board. Although they thought she was just as competent and effective as Howard, they didn't like her, they wouldn't hire her, and they wouldn't want to work with her. They disliked Heidi's aggressive personality and rewarded Howard's entreprenuerial one. The more assertive they thought Heidi was, the more harshly they judged her (but the same was not true for those who rated Howard)

(Jump to minute 7:27 if you want to hear Sandberg talk about this story)

That's a powerful caveat. And surely one of the reasons women drop out.

But if you don't - here is Sandberg's advice: practical steps for women to get ahead in the workplace (serious highlights of things I'm not doing well in my own career, by the way). It's followed by my own ideas about what we can do together to get rid of a little bit of that "but" (which is really what all new years resolutions are about anyway, right?)

1. Sit at the table. Don't sit on the sidelines
   That means doing things that are really hard for women - like owning our successes (instead of sharing them with everyone who helped us along the way); negotiating for our salaries and promotions (50% of men negotiate for their first salary; 7% of women do - that's a cause of the salary gap right there); and driving our careers forward
2. Make your partner a real partner
   Women with a significant other and children do 2x the housework and 3x the childcare as their partners. In households where partners evenly split the workload, divorce rates are lower and, um, sexual satisfaction is higher
3. Don't leave before you leave
   If you're planning to take time off of your career to have a child, don't leave before you leave. Keep going full speed ahead until you get there. Too many women take their foot off the gas years in advance (while the men keep moving ahead)

That all sounds great. Except the more of it women do, apparently the worse they're seen. So, here's my idea for our shared resolution (because if women support each other more, the rest will come):

1. Check your gut reactions: When you think something negative or dismissive about a female colleague, take a minute to consider why. If the same statement were made or action taken by a male collegue, would you feel the same way? These gender issues are deep and cultural and tough to change - but we can be more aware of how they effect us as individuals. (Is she really being a bitch when he would just be assertive? Is she a snob where he would be considered a professional? Maybe. But, maybe not.)
2. Recognize success from your female colleagues out loud: Men naturally claim their accomplishments. The data shows that men tend to overestimate their performance while women underestimate theirs. Let's dial it up a little bit. Congratulate each other in open court. Mean it. And, don't shrug it off when the compliment is coming to you.
3. Make soft skills part of your career and network development: Dig up articles about negotiating for salary or running a presentation or sharing constructive criticism. Practice what you learn. And, pass it on to your colleagues and friends.
4. Ask for something you want (and have been waiting for someone to offer): Just doing good work often isn't enough. We need to get good at career planning and setting a path and asking for that next promotion. People aren't waiting anxiously to help you up the next step - they're looking to see if you'll take it.

We're likely among the last generations to live in a world run so decisively by men. Wouldn't it be great if we enjoyed some of that equity and opportunity instead of simply being on the slightly wrong side of history. Wouldn't it be great if there was no "but" in wanting to succeed?

ePatient conference: Ten most memorable quotes and stats (Day 2)

Another set of fantastic quotes from the floor of the ePatient conference. Read the best of Day 1 here.

1. “The idea that I can pretend I know everything is just wrong. There is huge power in being willing to say I don’t know. Let’s look it up together.” - Danny Sands, MD, on how medicine needs to open up to empowered patients


2. "“I wanted to understand the literature as well or better than any physician I would go to see” - Craig Lipset, Pfizer, on his own experience as an ePatient


3. "...And expect the patients, now informed and comprehending,
   To sit idly by awaiting your instructions?" - part of a poem delivered by patient advocated Regina Holliday


4. "Health activists are the top 10% of epatients, reaching 15,000 patients on average." - Jack Barrette, with WEGO (Cool quote but I'm a little dubious of his overall POV - one of his slides showed the "1% Rule" - data date: 2006. Forrester has updated that to almost 25%)


5. “Our generation of physicians was never satisfied not communicating well with people. These tools give people choices and an ability to be there with patients.” - Ted Eytan, MD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente, on why better tools make practicing medicine more fulfilling


6. “Because of this site, now I know what my doctor is talking about”- Jeanne Barnett, CysticFibrosis.com on what community members say to one another


7. "Are we expecting them to broadcast that they like their herpes medicine … and then someone to comment back?" - Jonathan Richman, Dose of Digital Blog, Bridge Worldwide, on the limits of what pharma can really expect from social sharing


8. “I’m not in the business of changing systems; I’m in the business of helping people use the system as it is.” - Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent, on what it takes to navigate the healthcare system today


9. “It would be nice to talk about sex and stuff with a doctor who hasn’t known me since I was seven years old” - one simple, but really powerful line, from Novartis' Becoming Christopher film


10. "Instead of trying to tell an entire story in one commercial – what about a series of three?"- Jonathan Mayberry, author of Patient Zero, on how to make better connections in advertising

ePatient conference: Ten big ideas (Day 2)

Seth Quillin (the EVP of innovation in GSW's digital lab) and I were in Philadephia this week for ePatient 2010 - a conference that brings together lots of people like us who are dedicated to reaching, engaging and educating epatients and caregivers. Who are they? Patients and caregivers who’ve become empowered and engaged advocates for their own care through the social web and connected communities.

We were both live blogging from the conference floor on WhatsYourDigitaliQ.com, but of all the great talks we heard, these are the essential ideas -

Ten big ideas from Day 2:

1. Medicine is moving online (fast). Kaiser Permanente has over 3 million people enrolled in its online health management system. In the second quarter, those people sent over 2.6 million emails to their physicians. 


2. Pharma's selling cycle hurts digital investments: Product launches inspire big investments, but they're often quickly abandonned once a list is built or a product matures. Patients don't trust that pharma-sponsored destinations will be/stay there.


3. Big trend in wellness = powerful sensors. Products like Zeo let engaged patients be active participants in their own health. More engaged patients need better tools.


4. Medicine will only change by example. Docs have four years of medical school. That sounds like a long time until you think – the amount of medical information doubles every 3-5 years. Docs have a lot to learn and keep learning. New skills (like writing, video conferencing, sharing) can't be taught that way (what would be left out to teach them?)  We need to get to a critical mass of doctors who think this way and practice this way to teach by example.


5. We're ready for quick response: Kurt Mueller at Roska Digital said that 45% of US is QR ready; 95%, Japan; 75%, Europe


6. Your competition online isn't other products. It's everything else on the internet. People are watching the Family Guy on Hulu, not camping out on your competitor's new blog.


7. Medical journalism is "sideways." Twenty years ago, medical journalists tended to open their advance copies of JAMA and New England Journal of Medicine to write stories. The medical news was top down. Now personal stories reflect bigger challenges in navigating the healthcare system.


8. Nonspecific guidance IS coming. Barabara Chong from DDMAC reported that the agency will release multiple rounds of online and social guidance - the first of which should come out this year. But, the guidance will be general, not targeted to specific destinations, like Facebook


9. We need to think about ePatients when we design clinical trials. The big opportunities are making them more participatory (enroll from anywhere) and more patient centric (share clinical data back with enrolled patients to allow them to increase their own health and wellness or decrease their medical costs)


10. Storytelling breaks through. Novartis reported that 78% of docs were motivated to change their behavior after seeing a film about life with cystic fibrosis. The difference? Real storytelling that followed the three-act format of compelling entertainment (The three acts)

Also see: Ten big ideas (Day 1)

ePatient conference: Ten most memorable quotes and stats (Day 1)

What's a conference without great turns of phrase and new buzz words that you can totally make you own?

Here are some of the sticky little maxims that I know I'll be borrowing:

1. "Mobile has a multiplier effect" - Susannah Fox, Pew Internet & American Life Project on the activating effect of mobile (People with mobile devices are more likely to comment, to contribute, to participate in the online conversation)


2. "The interface of healthcare is broken" - Ben Sawyer, Digital Mill, on why the frontend interactions (in person, online, in game) we have with healthcare, in short, suck


3. "Pervasive equals persuasive" - David Rose, VItality GlowCaps, on why we need to spread information thinly throughout people's lives


4. “The obligation of the cured” – Lance Armstrong’s oncologist Dr Craig Nichols on Lance’s role post remission. In short: if you can make an impact, you must make an impact


5. "In August, 28% of visitors to health and wellness websites were 55+" (Index 129) - hot little fact from Heather Dougherty, Hitwise. Yeah, you read right - people of all ages are digital.


6. "We call ourselves social anthropologists – a lot of artifacts can lead to insights" - Reid Connolly in an otherwise very awkward presentation about evoke interaction


7. "Advice doesn’t change behavior" - Victor Strecher,  HealthMedia, on why storytelling matters


8. "There's a huge disconnect between our long-term aspirations and moment-to-moment choices" - Margaret Morris, PhD, Intel Digital Health Group on the tension between diet and health (or: why we have no collective resolve)


9. "Laugh, Sing and Eat Like a Pig" e-Patient Dave's self Rx for fighting cancer


10. “There’s an opportunity to make interactions with healthcare devices a lot more delightful” - just another well said moment from David Rose

Favorite ad fad: Branded vending machines

I love a pop up store, a taco truck, a breakthrough bit of outdoor. But, I'm an even bigger fan of the branded vending machine. They're iconic and quirky and an entirely accessible way to try a brand. Here are a few of my favorites:

I want one: Rollasole

Tell me this isn't the most brilliant marketing idea you've heard of lately - Rollasole sells their delightful little black and silver flats in small, medium and large in night clubs, train stations and airports around the UK and US for ~$10. They come rolled in a little box and are the perfect excuse to toss your heels in your carryon.

 

I would totally try it: Robot pizza

If I ever find myself in Milan's airport ... well, honestly, I'll be so packed with local cuisine that I'd never try this. But, if they put one in Atlanta, I'm totally in. This full service pizza vending machine kneads the dough, adds toppings and cooks up the pie for you in about 3 minutes.

 

How cool is this: Bicycle dispenser

In the Netherlands, you can rent a bike all day for $4 right at your closest bike machine. Brilliant design. Much more trial worthy than your average street vendor.

 

Why isn't this in Vegas: Gold to go

Why change your chips for cash when you could trade for a gold bar? In Abu Dhabi, Frankfurt and Milan, you can buy your gold a gram at a time - for as low as $50 (fluctuating with the market, of course)

 

I wish I would use it, but.... : Bananas on demand

I totally admire this move by Dole to offer good stuff on the go. If only I wasn't such a bad eater on the road ... something about an airport gives me tacit permission to eat things like butter-slathered pretzels, nachos and full-size bags of Combos. (Gross)

Bookshelf: Five Must-Buy Marketing Reads

My office is piled high with books. Kind of unexpected for a woman who can't get through a single day of work without her delicious tags, RSS feeds and twitter archives. I get inspired online, but that's never slowed my appetite for books. Industry books, fiction books, culture books. I like the ones that go deep on how to think about an idea, that give a clear and fresh perspective.

There are a lot of new and old marketing tomes on my shelf (and more on my boss's shelf ... he's very sneaky with nabbing those things), but five really stand out this year:

The Next Evolution of Marketing.

This one was the reason I started this post. I've followed author Bob Gilbreath for years. He's the wicked smart chief strategist at Bridge Worldwide and he's written the MarketingWithMeaning.com blog since its inception.

Bob looks at how break-through brands are connecting with today's sophisticated customers. What he finds is that to really make an impact, the marketing itself has to add value to our lives. The case studies are all entirely repeatable (after all, why buy a business book if you can't quote it later and sound brilliant in a meeting??) and the insights are, well, meaningful.

Get a free chapter: I got a note from Amanda Hill asking that I pass on word that you can download a free chapter to preview the book today. They'll even make a donation to a good cause (ok, the cause is making more advertisers, but still) if you do. Get yours.

Four more faves:

   
 
Igniting the Brand
This skinny volume by Jonathan Cahill is full of ideas that worked. Quick sketches of marketing strategies that paid off big for large and small companies the world over.

Here Comes Everybody
Clay Shirky is a natural storyteller. His enthusiasm and curiosity come through in every story about how technology is changing our culture. The examples go deep on how our expectations are evolving and how that's changing the way we see the world - from where we spend our time to who we trust to what we shop for.

The Whuffie Factor
Tara Hunt makes one of my favorite arguments brilliantly - that the currency of the social web isn't revenue, it's reputation. Her native look at how people and brands use it concentrates on the basics of how to socialize your brand: authenticity, listening, engaging, and trusting.

Putting the Public Back in Public Relations
Social media has changed no industry more than public relations. The last few years have represented nothing short of a revolution of the model. Brian Solis takes a thoughtful approach to what public relations means now, with lots of real-world examples on where communication and expectations are going.

Creative Columbus: Mark your calendars

Hey readers. This post is for Columbus. I know, I know, you're not all from here, living here or planning to travel here. But, Columbus is increasingly becoming a magnet creative city, one that's drawing artists and innovators from around the world to create events and projects that can't be missed. There's a lot to talk about.

So, if you are here - or are coming here - mark your calendars for these six can't miss Fall and Winter art events in our city. Most are new (within their first few years), a few are just all-time favorites of mine. These are literally some of the best creative, innovative and inspirational events going on in the Midwest, I hope to see you there:

September 19, beginning at noon
Independents Day

In the words of the founders, this is a day-long explosion of creative spirit. I believe it's destined to be as big as SxSW and twice as cool. Over 200 booths line Gay Street, Lynn Alley, and Pearl Alley and feature Columbus artists, organizations, and restaurants.There are multiple music stages featuring new and favorite acts. Plus, there are multiple performance and innovation spaces where people are doing literally everything from displaying strength and grace on a trapeze to diving into deep discussion on Zappos' customer-focused marketing model. Evcerything that gets the juices flowing is going on here. Learn more.

September 25 - 27, various times
Junctionview's C-Note Art Sale

Columbus' premiere independent arts collective hosts this source-for-all-my-holiday-shopping once a year. 300 artists. Over 600 pieces. All selling at a price point affordable to all: $100. Plus, my favorite treat vendors are always on hand: Raddog with his gourmet meatless hotdogs and Pattycake Bakery with their yummy vegan sweets. (For the record, I'm a carnivore ... what can I say, their stuff is  just delicious.)
Learn more.

October 3, 8 pm
Art Fusion

You've probably heard of Art Ball - the see and be seen event where Columbus' most glamorous raise money for the art museum. As cool as it might be to go and mingle there, at $1,000 a plate, it's a little more than most of us what to pay - even for an awesome dressed-up, pampered night out. Art Fusion is the event for us. It's the same night as the Ball - and you still get to wear a cocktail dress - but it's only $100. Young professionals get to check out the amazing new Chihuly exhibit and get access to all the makings of a good time: food, open bar, music by DJ O Sharp, dancing, good people-meeting and people-watching. I hear you even get to hobknob with the fancy people at the end.

Learn more. Read my interview with Sarah Pirtle, Art netWork president on the event.

October 17, 11am
Craftin Outlaws

The midwest's very own alternative craft fair is in a new location this year: The Lodge Bar in the Arena District. Over 60 vendors upcycle, knit, weld, build, paint and otherwise craft some of the coolest never-knew-you-needed-it-but-must-must-have-it stuff you've ever come across. Oh, and there are usually some cool live crafting demos - try your hand at making a handbag live on stage with whatever happens to be sitting on the table.
Learn more.

November 5 - 15, 8pm
[How to] STAY HUMAN

It's a local theater sequel. Back in April, Available Light Theater wrote and produced the very best play I have seen: Dirty Math. Literally, I saw it three times. And, if it were playing again right now, I'd stand in line for tickets in a hail storm. Dirty Math was a look at how the heck we got ourselves into this current economic crisis. It was a race through time that look at how greed and gluttony shape our economies. The peaks and crashes that are always predictable and always a surprise. It was full of brilliant soliloquys, hysterical raps, and I think even a dance number. STAY HUMAN is the much anticipated followup. Don't miss it.
Learn more

December 5, 9am
CCAD Holiday Art Sale

This one may not need the long writeup. It's reputation preceeds it, but no one ever seems to know the date. So here it is. If you haven't been to one before, CCAD's spring and holiday art sales bring together the outstanding work of their current students with the more accomplished work of their graduates. You can buy anything from a print to an apron to an elaborate sculpture, but I recommend the glass work. I hope William Ortman is there this year.

Learn more (sorry, there's no landing page for this event)