Super Mom

During a retreat a few weeks ago, we had a couple speak to our group of MBA students regarding the balance of relationships, faith and children. The "couple balance presentation" was followed by a key note presentation from a former executive and entrepreneur, who gave us his "Top 25 Pearls of Wisdom" that he wishes he would have known at the start of his career. Following the second and final presentation I asked the speaker how he was able to balance his family and professional career. He responded saying the that concept of balance meant compromising either one or more aspects of life. Over the past few weeks I have been thinking long and hard about the concept of balance and am hypothesizing that this may be a gender difference in American society.

The concept of balance for a Mom who is working full-time, taking care of the kids and managing the house and family is a constant struggle. At times the expectation seems to be that of "Supermom." While balance for men seems to be the ability to provide for the family, and make it to children's sporting events.

There are "Super Mom" workout programs, articles about "Super Moms" who raise children and run marathons, programs to help "Super Moms" manage stress, along with paraphernalia, and even a "Super Mom" action figure. Clearly the concept of "Super Mom" is prevalent in our society, and seen as a standard to many.

Today's generation wants it all, we want the best for ourselves and our families and we want instant gratification for all that we do. This mentality does not differ from men and women, in my opinion. As a women in business school, I think about the future and how I will be able to manage my career, my family and hopefully, children one day.

Some of my role model's in business are "Super Moms," owning their own businesses, raising four children, serving their community, being active on boards, etc. I admire such women and hope to be able to "balance" as well as they do someday. Many people are able to come to family arrangement with either the mom or day staying home, or a parent working part-time. With that then I struggle with the concept of "balance" as short changing one or numerous aspects of life.

As a marketer its is vital to understand this tension and understand what parents, mom's in particular are doing these days. As discussed in class, whole industries have been designed around this cultural phenom. The concept of making dinner has turned into meal assembly, ingredients, seen as mere steps in a process of serving dinner.

When discussing this topic with a mentor I was told, "you can have everything, just not at one time." As a society, I think we'd be happier looking at a more holistic view of career, family, balance, children, and not trying to do everything and be everything to everyone.

Sexting?

Over 75 Billion text messages are sent in the US per month as of November of 2008, per CellSigns.com statistics. Per the site the number of text messages have increased 37% every six months since 2003! The number of text messages sent or received by the average person, now out numbers the number of phone calls a person makes, or receives.

Personally, I first consistently used text messages during my study abroad trip to Madrid, Spain in 2002. Today as an MBA student in the States, text messages are a vital way of communication for me, personally, for my friends, family and colleagues. During a recent class trip to China, it was extremely hard to make plans and communicate without the use of text messaging or cell phones.

With a limit of 160 spaces, its truly impressive how much one can communicate in a text message. As mocked in the above comic, the language of texting, is truly its own language. By abbreviating, neglecting spaces, punctuation and full words, whole conversations can happen with just a few words.

Just the other week in conversation, I learned of the term, "Sexting." Combining sex and texting, or "sexting" was even featured on ABC news as "A Dangerous Teen Trend." In the spirit of "sexting," is it not uncommon for millennials to get to know each other, and plan dates through text messaging, rather than phone calls. For me personally, the over usage of text message in a dating scenario can be a deal breaker. However, I am on the older age bracket of the millennials.

The applications for texting and business are endless. From marketing to employee communication texting is and will continue to be an interface for companies to and from employees and customers to and from "their" brands/companies. Per the New Learning Playbook website, Ernest and Young is capturing on text messages and using it as communication device between upper management and new hires. There are advertising and promotions agencies with texting as their business model. For the exchange of free text messages, consumers can now agree to received advertised text messages for certain products/service they are interested in.

With text message charges driving cell phone company profits, and customers texting more than talking, it seems that "prosumers" (producers and consumers) have and will continue to evolve how we communicate through technology.

http://www.cellsigns.com/industry.shtml

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0508/520195.html

The 80's Are Back!

Over the weekend, I went to the University Park Mall just miles from Notre Dame for an outfit to wear to the upcoming MBA 80's party. I did not expect that nearly every women's clothing store was chalk full of clothes from the 80's. I purchased an 80's type plastic beaded necklace from Claire's with a "Gem and the Hologram's" type star, featured black, pink, orange, purple and red on sale for $3.50. From Old Navy, I purchased a pink and navy horizontal stripped top with a boat neck line for a pricey $4.98. To complete the look, I hit up Forever 21. Not only did they have stirrup pants, which I bought, they even had items for sale for $19.80.

The point is not that I'm looking for clearance items for an upcoming costume party, but that 80's fashion is back in full force. Since 2006 is has been reported that 80's fashion is back in fashion with models and celebrities sporting legging on covers of magazines and just simply wearing them around Hollywood.

It has taken 3 years to go from the Cover of Teen Vogue, to most women's, teens, girls, store in South Bend, IN but the trend of clothes of the 80's is back. From scrunchies, to hot pink jeans, to t-shirts featuring boom boxes, to "mix tape" inspired wallets the trend is full force. There are now groups of social networking sites, such as Facebook, dedicated to the style of the 80's, first started around leggings.

I myself purchased my first pair of leggings, this century, last year. Often when I wear them, I get asked by my guy friends, if they are pants, or tights, with a friend even calling them "Pants Things." Although more inspired for a costume party than for everyday wear, I have to admit I have been a consumer, therefore supporter, of the trend.

It it always interesting to see fashion from 20 or 30 years ago, come back in full force. In the 90's it was the 60 and 70's and now approaching 2010, its the 80's. I guess its true that what some find in their mothers closets, come back into fashion and that like I was taught in 7th grade history class is true, "History repeats itself."

From a marketing perspective, its important to note that nostalgia sells. As showcased in the book the Culture Code, PT Cruisers connected on a nostalgic level with consumers. The same was the case with the design of the relaunched VW "bug" and the round lights of the Jeep Wrangler.

The nostalgic bug catches those who remember what is was to own a '69 "bug," but the greater opportunities often lie with the younger generations. The large market is for the tweens now shopping for clothes that were first trendy before they were born, when mixed tapes were the way to get more than one artist on a cassette player, way before ipods, or even burned CD's.

What do Obama and Lululemon have in common?

When I was debating what topic to choose for my blog, I first started with Mr. President Barack Obama. Just yesterday he was sworn in as the US President with an unprecedented 2 million people watching in person with millions more watching on TV. Last night on TV on an entertainment show a commentator was discussing how DC used to be the ugly version of Hollywood, and now it is Hollywood.

However, as I figured everyone would be writing on Obama I thought I'd switch it up and do my journal on Lululemon, one of my favorite retail experiences. When I went to the lululemon website and there was a cartoon of Obama in a yoga outfit, I had to go back to Obama the pop culture icon. Obama in a yoga outfit, really?

Watching Beyonce, Hannah Montana, John Legend, Aretha Franklin and hearing about Oprah over the past few days of inauguration, has truly shown me the star power of Obama. There is in fact a sense of Obama as a movie star. To me, Obama has turned Washington DC from a stuffy white mans metropolis to the diverse, forward thinking, capital of our country.

Whether the government will continue to run fragmented or foreign policy will change, I don't know. All I know is that I respect the new way of thinking, leading, and connecting with the citizens of our country and that Obama will bring change to this country.

So what's the "so what" of all this? For business? For politics? I guess the message is connecting to your customers. I went to the lululemon website today, because it has connected to me in a retail environment. I voted for Obama, although traditionally Republican, because he has connected with me through a message of hope and change. The message of connection must span more than a speech, a store, a website, a campaign, an article of clothing, it must be woven through all aspects of a brand.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/18/obama.cool/

http://www.lululemon.com/

DeBeers Right Hand Diamond- My Favorite Thing

Quotes from DeBeers Advertisements- 2006

"Your Left Hand Thinks Twice.Your Right Hand Doesn't Believe In Second Thoughts.Your Left Hand Follows The Instructions. Your Right Hand Follows Your Intuition. Your Left Hand Stays Within The Lines. Your Right Hand Knows When Lines Are Meant To Be Crossed. Women Of The World, Raise Your Right Hand."

In 2001 De Beers launched the "Right Hand Campaign" capitalizing on the philosophy that a women's left hand is for the sacramental wedding ring, and the right hand is for a more self indulgent piece of jewelry. With the declining percentage of the American population married, therefore falling wedding/engagement ring sales, and the increase in divorce rates, and less diamond gift purchased as relationships were no longer lasting decades, De Beers saw an opportunity.

The campaign was centered around the concept that a women needed a diamond on her right hand for her, with or without a special man in her life. The campaign was seemed to connect with a women's independence and sense of accomplishment.

Not coincidentially, the ring I wear on my right hand is my favorite thing. I guess the campaign worked, or at least it resonates with me. When doing the exercise for class on what "Our Favorite Thing" is, I chose my buckle ring. With diamonds around the shape of a buckle it is classy without being too much, it is noticeable in a unique way and looks nothing like an engagement ring. It may be interesting to note that the ring is not a De Beers ring, however with a "lions share" of the category, it may be a De Beers diamond.

The ring given to me by my parents represents the love in my family, hard work, and Independence. Independence from a man, independence from a particular job, and in a way frees me from the "shoulds" in life. I have been thinking about this since our in class exercise, and believe I have laddered my way to "Freedom," as strange as that may sound that a ring represents freedom.

So what does my experience mean to the market including corporations, as well as customers? To me it demonstrates the evolution of the consumer of the modern women. No longer are women waiting to get diamonds as presents, and waiting to by a house until until marriage. She is working hard and spending her money on making an independent life for herself. Not to say that she doesn't get married, have a family and make a life with others, its just that the sense of waiting is not in the picture.

To marketing managers the opportunity is there to continue to capitalize on this sentiment. De Beers is a great example of a company that understood the modern, independent women and connected with her on a meaningful level.