Long Live The Sisterhood

The Daily Mail ran a story today prompted by Sienna Miller’s recent comments that there’s no such thing as The Sisterhood. It told the story of Samantha Brick a TV Executive who – after tiring of misogynistic male colleagues, glass ceilings and old boys’ networks – launched her own female-only production company.

Ms Brick was horrified when her Utopian dream turned into a nightmare of hormone-fuelled bitching sessions, fashion spats and endless episodes of crying in the loos. She describes the office environment as ‘more competitive than a Miss World contest.’ No wonder she agrees with Sienna.

But here’s the truth… Some women can be bitchy. But not all of them are. (Just like some men can be bullies, but not all of them are.) Having worked in the PR industry for the last 15 years (a totally female-dominated industry), I believe The Sisterhood is alive and well. It certainly is in Guildford.

My female colleagues are supportive, funny and full of empathy. When things go bad, they are there to pick me up. I can have a rant about work or my personal life, and there they are, heads nodding, eyes full of understanding – calming me down and making me feel better. We share our frustrations about impossible deadlines, lazy husbands and the price of wrinkle cream. We don’t try to trip each other up. We look out for each other. And that makes us happier and ultimately more productive.

For some reason, Ms Brick attracted and recruited the worst examples of female insecurity – ladies that only felt good about themselves when sporting a Marc Jacobs handbag. Women whose self-esteem was so low they called each other ‘pigs’ in order to experience a fleeting moment of superiority. And Sienna has obviously encountered a few jealous women on her travels.

But let’s not write off The Sisterhood altogether. If it weren’t for the girls, work would somehow feel flatter, harder, and much less fun. And I’ve no doubt millions of women around Britain would agree.

Posted by Jacqui

Coors and Girls

I was interested to read about Coors developing a new clear lager aimed at women. They’ve set about trying to figure out why women in this country don’t drink beer. In the USA, one in four women are beer-drinkers whereas here in the UK it’s only one in 10.

So how will Coors up those stats?

It’s going to be a tricky one to get right. It’s true that women have been woefully ignored by beer-advertisers for decades. I worked for Budweiser for a number of years and at no point did our strategy involve talking to women. So a concerted effort to feminise the advertising will certainly be a good start.

But even then, it’s crucial to get the tone spot on. I don’t know what demographic Coors will be targeting although I suspect a lifestyle/mindset approach will be more appropriate. The brand needs to win the hearts of work-hard, play-hard kind of gals with a thirst for life and, hopefully, for beer.

The clever bit will be in the positioning of the product. These women won’t want to be seen as pint-swilling creatures on a mission to drink the lads under the table. Likewise going too fluffy is dangerous. Hearts and flowers will be seen as patronising. Pink bottles should be avoided at all costs.

So it’s the line between Geezer-Bird and Girly-Girl that Coors has to tread. But that’s OK. There’s still plenty of scope for marketing activity that’s fun, fresh and fabulous.

One idea would be to focus on drinking occasions. Let’s be honest, nothing tastes better at the end of a long, hot day than a long, cold beer. Going for a few beers after work doesn’t have to be strictly male territory. And beer tastes great with certain foods – sushi, or popcorn for example – so a promotional partnership with a relevant DVD would be ideal.

I think sport would be another great hook for the brand although not the obvious choice of women’s football (which, while delivering impressive viewing figures is arguably edging towards Geezer-Bird territory.)

Much more relevant would be an association with general exercise. I don’t know many girls who don’t go to the gym or do some form of physical exertion in the name of keeping trim. And while beer and pilates may seem incongruous initially, it could actually be an incredibly smart move. It demonstrates a sharp understanding of how modern women live. They aren’t just one thing. They aren’t just yoga and mung-beans. And they aren’t just beer and chocolate. Most women are a little bit of everything, and brands that recognise that are surely onto a winner.

Posted by Jacqui

Back in the Boardroom

So The Apprentice is back on telly and I’m loving it! The fact it’s set in such a familiar world – events, branding, advertising, etc – makes it all the more fascinating. Last night’s challenge saw the contestants desperately trying to impress S’Ralan by catering for an evening do at a swanky law firm. The brief was champagne and canapés. The boys turned it into a tacky toga party and the girls, despite winning, served up some of the ugliest food I’ve ever seen. (Have none of them ever been to a party? What was with those blinis?). I was laughing and cringing in equal measures. Although there is something rather more sinister going on…

I don’t understand why the women in the show feel they need to be so vile all the time. Last night’s team leader bragged about the fact her management style was ‘brash, rude and abrupt’. And in previous years we’ve seen the female contestants be far more condescending and ruthless than their male counterparts. Ladies – please stop! You’re giving women in business a bad name.

Be strong by demonstrating intelligent insights, not intimidation. Wow them with creativity – not catty put-downs. And whatever happens stay cool, calm and focussed. Those are the attributes of a good leader.

Just one more thing… It really isn’t necessary to dress like a man in order to succeed in business. Lose those heavy dark suits. A splash of colour or other feminine touches (remember the girl last year with the big flowery brooches and the jaunty purple berets – I miss her) won’t do you any harm. It’s OK to be a Boardroom Babe.

I’d love to see a girl win it this year, but to do so she’ll need to have more confidence in her own instincts and abilities, and not get suckered into bitchiness or bravado. Good luck to all of them.

Posted by Jacqui