Which is why we have witnessed such a phenomenal growth in women entrepreneurship over the last two decades, from likes of Arianna Huffington to Cher Wang and Jessica Alba, inspiring many more women to define their own path.
Being an entrepreneur and woman within the marketing world can bring its unique challenges, which only drives us further. One of the first steps on the journey that I have found essential is to let go of self-doubt and truly believe in oneself. Doubt in your own expertise, so common among women, can often lead to missing out on opportunities; in contrast, being stubborn and passionate about what you do, can help to keep you on track.
Working closely on developing brand strategy and communication, understanding female nature is the key to success for brands today, where women control $18 billion in global spending. They are the key drive behind purchasing decisions, and missing out on the right way of communication to them can be detrimental to any brand. And unfortunately, as we can see from the global statistics, general market media and messaging is no longer working: more than 80% of women say they no longer trust brands.
Within the industry, understanding the multidimensionality that we represent is essential to brand development which opens a plethora of opportunities. We learned that brands that embody feminine traits, such as openness, relevance, empathy, emotion and experience, have 10% higher revenue than those that don’t. In contrast, brands that are driven by and express old-fashioned and “traditional roles” continue to lose loyalty across female sector.
From the product packaging to brand experiences, women have greatly influenced the rise of design as a consumer phenomenon. Looking at marketing and communication, brands today, have a great opportunity to celebrate the versatility, flexibility, multi-tasking and productivity women bring, showcasing diversity of women in leadership roles.
Looking at the regional dynamics, and as an expat for 15 years, I am truly inspired by the UAE Government and the way they promote, educate and open opportunities for women across various sectors within a region, often seen as heavily male dominated. With nine female ministries announced last year as part of the country’s Cabinet, you can see a strong support and drive to promote equality within the region.
Also, this years Super Bowl, which often sees an entire brand’s annual budget being spent on just one commercial, and, where frequently in the past, women have been objectified rather than celebrated, have taken notice of female brand power. We noticed double the number of female celebrities in adverts in the 2019 compared to last year. The ad that stood out for me was the Toyota commercial featuring the 22-year-old athlete, Toni Harris. Showcasing a young athlete in a male dominated sport, with the voiceover: “They said she was too small, they said she was too slow, too weak. They said she’d never get to the next level…”, Harris ends commercial with: “But I’ve never been a fan of assumptions.”
Believing in yourself, understanding the role women play today in the modern market, while keeping your self-confidence in tact, helps to achieve a lot, no matter which market or industry you are in you, will define your own path in life.
