Millennial women have realized what worked for previous generations of women will not work for them. Finally after decades, the fight is over, and she can focus on what truly matters. Visit our site to download a copy for free.
Over the past 10 years men have been portrayed as idiotic, coddled, domestically challenged buffoons, never to be trusted (especially with their own children). However, considering recent reports and failed brand efforts targeting contemporary men ... we thought we'd take a closer look. Check out our latest contextual piece exploring contemporary masculinity.
Boomers are single-handedly re-defining what it means to age, giving rise to a brand new lifestage, 'The Second Act'. If you'd like a free PDF of BOOM! visit our site.
Inspired by an excerpt of Amy Poehler's book, "Yes, Please", about "women-on-women crime" and driven by out insatiable curiosity to study human behavior, we've decided to dig into the subject of modern-day parenthood.
Who are Baby Boomers today? This is the question that this annual report tries to answer. By summarizing and highlighting the most compellingconclusions of academic research, polls,and media on the subject of Boomer
trends, Sabi’s annual BOOMer Report attempts to define key characteristics of the Boomer generation, as it
stands, today. Taken together, we hope these trends will paint as clear a picture as possible of the Baby Boomer generation in America in 2015.
Tired of hearing "Millennials have been decoded, debunked, everything you need to hear" then "everything you've heard is wrong"... This isn't that at all. See why we think this generation deserves more than a few statistics and bold claims to tell their story. There’s a lot contradictory info on this generation, but that’s because they’re full of contradictions themselves.
Welcome back to The Generation Edge series, our monthly magazine exploring the identity, values, and lifestyle of the post millennial generation. People born after about 1995, the eldest of which are 19 now. We call them Generation Edge.
In this edition we explore how Gen X parents are shaping this new generation. Because, like it or not, our parents exert tremendous influence on the people we become...
Over the past 10 years men have been portrayed as idiotic, coddled, domestically challenged buffoons, never to be trusted (especially with their own children). However, considering recent reports and failed brand efforts targeting contemporary men ... we thought we'd take a closer look. Check out our latest contextual piece exploring contemporary masculinity.
Boomers are single-handedly re-defining what it means to age, giving rise to a brand new lifestage, 'The Second Act'. If you'd like a free PDF of BOOM! visit our site.
Inspired by an excerpt of Amy Poehler's book, "Yes, Please", about "women-on-women crime" and driven by out insatiable curiosity to study human behavior, we've decided to dig into the subject of modern-day parenthood.
Who are Baby Boomers today? This is the question that this annual report tries to answer. By summarizing and highlighting the most compellingconclusions of academic research, polls,and media on the subject of Boomer
trends, Sabi’s annual BOOMer Report attempts to define key characteristics of the Boomer generation, as it
stands, today. Taken together, we hope these trends will paint as clear a picture as possible of the Baby Boomer generation in America in 2015.
Tired of hearing "Millennials have been decoded, debunked, everything you need to hear" then "everything you've heard is wrong"... This isn't that at all. See why we think this generation deserves more than a few statistics and bold claims to tell their story. There’s a lot contradictory info on this generation, but that’s because they’re full of contradictions themselves.
Welcome back to The Generation Edge series, our monthly magazine exploring the identity, values, and lifestyle of the post millennial generation. People born after about 1995, the eldest of which are 19 now. We call them Generation Edge.
In this edition we explore how Gen X parents are shaping this new generation. Because, like it or not, our parents exert tremendous influence on the people we become...
In 2014, we asked 60 young people around the world to show and tell us about their generation. We set them the challenge of photographing their lives and describing why the images are important to them and illuminating to us.
The photographs and stories they produced are beautiful, inspiring, and informative – just like the best research should be.
The Generation Edge photography project reinforces The Sound’s belief that Insight is Art.
Diverse Millennials find themselves up against a trifecta of pressures... however it is what they do under that pressure that defines who they are and where they are going. Meet the Hyper-Millennial... Visit our site for a free download.
Baby Boomers: The sweet-spot demographic in the middle of the actionBOOMbox Network
Marketing lessons about talking to the baby boomer audience. Where are they? What are they doing? What do they think? How can you tell them about your products and services?
A little over a year ago we introduced the world to Generation Edge, the generation after Millennials and one we feel is unlike any other...
...this generation are resilient, self-starting reformers. They’ve got a view of the way they want the world to be and understand that they are going to have to be the ones to change it!
We like to think of 2014 as the year of Edge and the talented, tenacious, tech-empowered guys and girls you’ll see over the next 20 pages exemplify what Edge is all about, they are....quite literally, changing the world as we know it!
Originally prepared in 2006. Are Generation X a lost generation?
Introduction to generations: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/the-generations-presentation-1-introduction
Boomers: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/presentation-2-boomers
Millenials: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/presentation-4-generation-y
Generational Marketing: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/presentation-5-how-understanding-the-generations-benefits-marketing
Generational cohorts in India are never homogenous. In such a complex and diverse country, there are clear distinctions in the context and attitudes of urban, “small-town” and rural groups, even from the same generation, and understanding that is a story unto itself. However, understanding the attitudes and aspirations of the urban young is a great starting point, as these eventually find reflection in the larger groups throughout the rest of India.
India’s urban young aren’t the same as their western counterparts. Yes, living in an increasingly globalised world engages them in similar debates about geopolitics, draws them towards the same content and even leads them towards the same social and environmental causes. But that’s only scratching the surface.
To truly understand this generation, we must understand the context they come from….
It is estimated that by the year 2014, 36% of the workforce will be composed of Millennials, rising to nearly 50% in 2020. Born between 1981 and 2000, Millennials are a generation of individuals raised with technology and motivated by progress. Unlike previous generations, these individuals are disrupting traditional business models and demanding products that connect them with the world. Speed, innovation and collaboration are the key tools needed by organizations in order to keep this generation engaged. This presentation will examine the factors that differentiate Millennials from other individuals, offer insight into the unprecedented impact this generation is having on the enterprise, and detail strategies that companies may employ to transform Millennials’ unique abilities into a competitive advantage in today’s workplace.
The Sound explores the perceived fringes of culture to illuminate how emerging ways of being are shaping mass culture and changing the human condition.
FRINGESTREAM is a new way of thinking about mass behaviours and values.
FRINGESTREAM is when fragmentation becomes the new normal.
Mainstream culture used to represent the majority story..
In the pre-digital and pre- globalized world, mass culture dominated with fringe cultures existing only on the, er, fringes...often in direct opposition to mainstream values and behaviors.
Now things have changed. Living in a globalized and digital age, mass culture is now heavily inflluenced and shaped by fringe behaviors and ways of being.
FringeStream is the new Mainstream

As part of our monthly presentation on the post-Millennials, we're exploring Gen Edge's philanthropic spirit, social consciousness, and entrepreneurial attitude towards making the world a better place.
Right now, Gen-Xers are doing something utterly revolutionary that is going unnoticed: They aren’t getting “old” and they’ve flipped the entire aging paradigm on its head.
You've no doubt heard about Millennials (also known as Generation Y, born after 1980) for years now. ... Born after 1995, members of the emerging Gen Z are expected to become the dominant business influencers of tomorrow
Every generation has a shared set of experiences, values, and cultural flash points that come together to form distinct expressions of identity. To brush up on your generational differences, check out our latest guide.
Gen X were the slackers, the latchkey kids, the middle children of generations...but a funny thing happened on the way to Gen X at 50. They became the new middle, holding political and purchase power for themselves and their Millennial and Boomer relatives. Ignore them at your peril.
www.reports.sparksandhoney.com
The power of the image: Contemporary art, gender, and the politics of perceptionDeborahJ
The relation between visual representations and the identity of the human subject.
The ideas and research that have informed this lecture are grounded in the areas of queer theory, gender studies, critical race theory, and feminist studies.
In 2014, we asked 60 young people around the world to show and tell us about their generation. We set them the challenge of photographing their lives and describing why the images are important to them and illuminating to us.
The photographs and stories they produced are beautiful, inspiring, and informative – just like the best research should be.
The Generation Edge photography project reinforces The Sound’s belief that Insight is Art.
Diverse Millennials find themselves up against a trifecta of pressures... however it is what they do under that pressure that defines who they are and where they are going. Meet the Hyper-Millennial... Visit our site for a free download.
Baby Boomers: The sweet-spot demographic in the middle of the actionBOOMbox Network
Marketing lessons about talking to the baby boomer audience. Where are they? What are they doing? What do they think? How can you tell them about your products and services?
A little over a year ago we introduced the world to Generation Edge, the generation after Millennials and one we feel is unlike any other...
...this generation are resilient, self-starting reformers. They’ve got a view of the way they want the world to be and understand that they are going to have to be the ones to change it!
We like to think of 2014 as the year of Edge and the talented, tenacious, tech-empowered guys and girls you’ll see over the next 20 pages exemplify what Edge is all about, they are....quite literally, changing the world as we know it!
Originally prepared in 2006. Are Generation X a lost generation?
Introduction to generations: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/the-generations-presentation-1-introduction
Boomers: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/presentation-2-boomers
Millenials: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/presentation-4-generation-y
Generational Marketing: https://www.slideshare.net/Steve_Mellor/presentation-5-how-understanding-the-generations-benefits-marketing
Generational cohorts in India are never homogenous. In such a complex and diverse country, there are clear distinctions in the context and attitudes of urban, “small-town” and rural groups, even from the same generation, and understanding that is a story unto itself. However, understanding the attitudes and aspirations of the urban young is a great starting point, as these eventually find reflection in the larger groups throughout the rest of India.
India’s urban young aren’t the same as their western counterparts. Yes, living in an increasingly globalised world engages them in similar debates about geopolitics, draws them towards the same content and even leads them towards the same social and environmental causes. But that’s only scratching the surface.
To truly understand this generation, we must understand the context they come from….
It is estimated that by the year 2014, 36% of the workforce will be composed of Millennials, rising to nearly 50% in 2020. Born between 1981 and 2000, Millennials are a generation of individuals raised with technology and motivated by progress. Unlike previous generations, these individuals are disrupting traditional business models and demanding products that connect them with the world. Speed, innovation and collaboration are the key tools needed by organizations in order to keep this generation engaged. This presentation will examine the factors that differentiate Millennials from other individuals, offer insight into the unprecedented impact this generation is having on the enterprise, and detail strategies that companies may employ to transform Millennials’ unique abilities into a competitive advantage in today’s workplace.
The Sound explores the perceived fringes of culture to illuminate how emerging ways of being are shaping mass culture and changing the human condition.
FRINGESTREAM is a new way of thinking about mass behaviours and values.
FRINGESTREAM is when fragmentation becomes the new normal.
Mainstream culture used to represent the majority story..
In the pre-digital and pre- globalized world, mass culture dominated with fringe cultures existing only on the, er, fringes...often in direct opposition to mainstream values and behaviors.
Now things have changed. Living in a globalized and digital age, mass culture is now heavily inflluenced and shaped by fringe behaviors and ways of being.
FringeStream is the new Mainstream

As part of our monthly presentation on the post-Millennials, we're exploring Gen Edge's philanthropic spirit, social consciousness, and entrepreneurial attitude towards making the world a better place.
Right now, Gen-Xers are doing something utterly revolutionary that is going unnoticed: They aren’t getting “old” and they’ve flipped the entire aging paradigm on its head.
You've no doubt heard about Millennials (also known as Generation Y, born after 1980) for years now. ... Born after 1995, members of the emerging Gen Z are expected to become the dominant business influencers of tomorrow
Every generation has a shared set of experiences, values, and cultural flash points that come together to form distinct expressions of identity. To brush up on your generational differences, check out our latest guide.
Gen X were the slackers, the latchkey kids, the middle children of generations...but a funny thing happened on the way to Gen X at 50. They became the new middle, holding political and purchase power for themselves and their Millennial and Boomer relatives. Ignore them at your peril.
www.reports.sparksandhoney.com
The power of the image: Contemporary art, gender, and the politics of perceptionDeborahJ
The relation between visual representations and the identity of the human subject.
The ideas and research that have informed this lecture are grounded in the areas of queer theory, gender studies, critical race theory, and feminist studies.
@00444984
Professor Ursula
Theory, Text, Writing- Level 7
January 2016
Simon de Beauvoir
In France 1949, Simone de Beauvoir published "The Second Sex" which is considered one of the most fundamental publications that discussed the status of women in the modern era. She believed that women suffer from oppression that is practiced upon them by a patriarchal society. According to Beauvoir, "One is not born, but rather becomes a woman" (293). Women are artificially socially manufactured by men. There is no biological, psychological or economic evidence that identifies a woman. Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence that shows how a woman should act and react. A female becomes a woman based on how society defines a her. "The word sex for what Beauvoir says one is born with, and the word gender for what Beauvoir describes as what one becomes" (Parker 159).
In order to discuss The Other Sex, and Beauvoir's statement, fundamental questions need to be explained and answered. Those question are how the human mind was structured to understand the difference between sex and gender. Another question that Beauvoir raised is why woman are considered to be the 'other'? This research will discuss many literary and philosophical concepts such as: existentialism, sex and gender, situated freedom, patriarchal ideology, the other and the idea of passive and active.
"Feminist theory usually sees gender as constructed product of culture rather than the natural, enviable product of biology and anatomy" (Parker 159). The short story "Mannequin" by Jean Rhys explains how the protagonist Anna is seen as a constructed product or in other words how Anna is a victim of patriarchal programming of men. Anna fought to be a model and when getting this position, she acknowledged that she is a man's' creation where:
"In the mannequins' dressing-room she spent a shy hour making up her face-in an extraordinary and distinctive atmosphere of slimness and beauty; white arms and faces vivid with rouge; raucous voices and the smell of cosmetics; silken lingerie… a depressing room, taken by itself, bare and cold, a very inadequate conservatory for these human flowers" (Rhys 150).
This extract explains how woman are viewed as ill-suited, and to be fit to society they need to be submissive to men. Men wanted woman to wear makeup and convinced them that it is the way to be "good". And when wearing makeup and concerning too much on their looks, men attack woman claiming that women issues and concerns are trivial thus claiming women as passive objects. Basically, beauty is defined from the point of view of men. Men construct the rules of society and "Women measure themselves and each other according to socially constructed and variable standards of beauty, behavior, activity, and sexuality" (Scholz 69). Today, women are trying to change the stereotype that man have reinforced upon them.
Patriarchal programming created certain myths about woman. One of t.
The headlines tell us about how Covid-19 has impacted businesses and the boardroom...but what about the bedroom? What's the number one biggest sexual behavior change expected post-COVID? Our quantitative exploration (inclusive of a proprietary survey) has illuminated an eye-opening new reality that is equal parts startling and hopeful. Enjoy our exploratory film and article here: https://www.thesoundhq.com/sex-in-the-time-of-covid-19/
How many Jobs-To-Be-Done exist when it comes to beauty and grooming? Turns out all those showers, shaves and new hairstyles really add up! Find out how The Sound can help simplify it all for you and your brand, using the Jobs to be Done method.
We know creative development research can sometimes feel like a way to kill great ideas. And we think that sucks. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t ever happen to you (again). Read on to learn how!
Human beings went from never sleeping in the same place twice to having home become the center of our lives.
Throughout this journey, home has steadily evolved – from a threadbare shelter to a high-rise penthouse, with each new cultural and technological development changing the meaning of what home is.
Now, home is changing again.
In the 20th century, the home became modern and took on quasi-utopian qualities. It moved from a structure built to ensure the survival of the family unit into a private oasis that separates what is yours from the world. A place where we can be our true selves and have some measure of control over our surroundings.
It is a place of rest and a respite from chaos. It is secure, private and above all else – dependable.
But over the last decade, the modern home has become destabilized, elusive, evasive, more constricted, less secure and broken.
At The Sound, we place individual experience at the heart of our work and expand outwards. So we put our feet on the ground on four continents, immersed ourselves in a wildly diverse range of households, explored the minutiae of home life and bore witness to inspiring stories of struggle, success and adaptation.
We’ve put our learnings into a lovely 50-page report for your reading pleasure.
Over the past year we’ve been taking notes on some fringe trends that have recently emerged or resurfaced. They relate to everything we do: what we eat, how we live, the technology we use and the culture we embrace.
Some have huge implications. Others are just incredibly weird. But all have some potential to disrupt the brandscape and make an impact on our lives.
It’s not good enough to simply understand the nature of disunity or recognize the value of empathy. We need to put our ideals and insights into practical action.
In FringesStream: Food India, we understand the latest movements impacting eating habits, ingredients and food occasions. Check this piece out to find out how India is exploring regional cuisine, reviving a more spiritual outlook towards food consumption and much more.
This month in our ongoing FringeStream series, our monthly magazine exploring how the fringes of culture are shaping mass behaviors, we're digging into the a topic that tempts us all: FOOD. In gaining an understanding of FringeStream Food, we've unearthed some interesting findings that recognize how the simultaneous celebration of food culture and turmoil of traditional food systems have led to mainstream confusion over what to eat. Find out how empowered groups are moving beyond our over reliance on over-processed convenience food to create new opportunities and an increasing Appetite for Conviction.
This month in our ongoing FringeStream series, our monthly magazine exploring how the fringes of culture are shaping mass behaviors, we're digging into the a topic that tempts us all: FOOD. In gaining an understanding of FringeStream Food, we've unearthed some interesting findings that recognize how the simultaneous celebration of food culture and turmoil of traditional food systems have led to mainstream confusion over what to eat. Find out how empowered groups are moving beyond our over reliance on over-processed convenience food to create new opportunities and an increasing Appetite for Conviction.
Welcome to our FringeStream series, our monthly magazine exploring how the fringes of culture are shaping mass behaviors. What happens when fragmentation, diversity and the choice to live differently becomes the new normal?
This month we explore Fallout Families, which challenges us to think about family structures differently and brings to life what new family norms look like, moving beyond the traditional - and increasingly outdated - model of the nuclear family.
Welcome back to The Generation Edge series, our monthly magazine exploring the identity, values, and lifestyle of the post millennial generation. People born after about 1995, the eldest of which are 19 now. We call them Generation Edge.
In this edition we explore Gen Edge's rebellious attitude. This is a generation that fully intends to speak out and shake things up. But it's not rebellion as we know it - Gen Edge has redefined it...
Welcome back to The Generation Edge series, our monthly magazine exploring the identity, values, and lifestyle of the post millennial generation. People born after about 1995, the eldest of which are about 19 now.
In this edition we explore Gen Edge's critical point of view on education and its impact on their future and the future of the world.
Because these days reading, writing and arithmetic don't add up to anything...
What lessons can we learn from the people that are at the forefront of the creative revolution? What lessons can be gleamed from the cutting edge of modern day innovation? and how can we harness these lessons to improve our own companies, brands, advertising and marketing?
The Sound attended this years Fast Company: Innovation Uncensored event looking to find the answers to questions just like these. We heard from visionary speakers, creative masterminds and Fortune 500 CEO's. They spoke and we listened.
We got inside PepsiCo's playbook, heard about the new customer experience and learnt the secrets to building a cult brand. We heard about how to lead a creative company, why innovation is everything and how crowd funding will continue to disrupt well established industries - better yet, we synthesized the learnings and implications to share with you all.
Here they are, 10 carefully crafted lessons we think will benefit companies and professionals in any industry.
More from The Sound: Exploration Strategy Innovation (17)
2. STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
A TEAM OF 25 STRATEGIC RESEARCHERS BASED IN ...
VANCOUVER . TORONTO . CHICAGO . NEW YORK . LONDON
A BOUTIQUE GLOBAL
Insight Inspiration AGENCY APPLYING
LEADING EDGE
Text RESEARCH
TECHNIQUES,
TECHNOLOGIES AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL
MODELS TO
Strategy UNDERSTAND THOSE
WITH SOME ‘GROWING
UP’ LEFT TO DO
2
3. RESEARCH APPROACH
OUR INNOVATIVE APPROACH CONSISTED OF 3 STAGES ...
- We met with pre-family women (18-29) in New York, London and Vancouver
EXPLORE > IMMERSE > SYNTHESIZE
6 x 2 hour focus groups
10 Video Diaries Report & Documentary
2 x 1.5 expert interviews
Text
3
4. INTRODUCTION
Text
THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A WOMAN IS CHANGING ...
... BRANDS ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”
- Cheris Kramarae & Paula Treichler
4
5. INTRODUCTION: CULTURAL PAST
1940s &1950s: Women = the opposite of men
LIFE FOR WOMEN IN THE 40S AND 50S WAS
DEFINED IN OPPOSITION TO BEING A MAN
“Humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as
relative to him.” - (Simone de Beauvoir, 1949)
Emotions - Women are care-givers and therefore emotional,
men are breadwinners and therefore strong
Behaviors - Women are demure, modest and behind the
scenes whilst men are confident, assertive and run the front
of house
Courtship - Men are the suitors, women the pursued
Text
Work- Men go out to work whilst women stay home - with the
exception of WWII when women became a major part of the
labor market, only to return to the domestic sphere once men
returned from the army
Women’s fulfillment comes from serving their husband
The good wife’s guide and the obligations this entails
“Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity
where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit ... .Don't ask him
questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember he is
the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and
truthfulness. You have no right to question him.”
Housekeeping Monthly, May 1955
8
6. INTRODUCTION: CULTURAL PAST
1960s &1970s: Women Challenging Men
THE SECOND WAVE OF FEMINISM LEADS TO HUGE
CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND LEGAL ADVANCES ...
Protests and demonstrations based on gaining the same rights
and therefore strengths as men
- Equal pay, affirmative action
- Access to education
- Sexuality
Explosion of new women’s organizations, initiatives and
publications
Text
- NWLM, NOW, ERA
- Spare Rib, Off Our Backs
- Many conflicting ideas amongst organizations and feminist
thinkers
Women were attempting to deconstruct inherent masculinity
of society, culture, even language Redstockings, Radical Feminist Group (1970)
“I’m sick of pretending eternal youth. I’m sick of belying my own intelligence, my
own will, my own sex. I’m sick of peering at the world through false eyelashes ... I’m
sick of the Powder Room ... I’m sick of going to films and plays when someone else
wants to, and sick of having no opinions of my own about either..”
Germaine Greer, The Female Eunuch
8
7. INTRODUCTION: CULTURAL PAST
1980s &1990s: Women as Men
THE THIRD WAVE OF FEMINISM BROUGHT US
POWER SUITS, THE SPICE GIRLS, ELLEN RIPLEY
AND THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES ...
Through this period, female progress meant co-opting male
traits; aggression, competition, sexual empowerment
- Pop culture awash with examples of feminized machismo
- Girl power messaging more easily distributed via
technology, the internet
Shift to focus on the equality of ALL women, regardless of race,
Text
sexual orientation or religion
But femininity still being defined by, and constantly compared
to, masculinity
Women were playing men at their own game
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power.
You just take it.” Roseanne Barr
8
8. INTRODUCTION: CULTURAL PAST
00’s: Better than Men
THE RECENT PAST HAS SEEN WOMEN CONTINUE
TO UP THE ANTE, ACHIEVING EVERYTHING THAT
MEN HAVE, WHILST MAINTAINING THEIR
EARLIER RESPONSIBILITIES ...
Being fulfilled is about having the whole package, being a
mom, having a great job, leading a busy social life
Managing conflicting identities - women are still the care-
givers but are also required to be strong and assertive in the
work place, where being emotional is seen as a weakness Text
Being successful is about having all of this and managing the
tensions that the whole package brings
‘The present generation of working women have had opportunities that previous
generations did not dream about ... high salaries, entered into public life, long-term
relationships, shared children, an active social and cultural life, attended to our
appearance, health, home and garden. In short it has become possible to have it all.”
Paula Nicholson, Author of Having it all: Choices for Today’s Superwoman 2003
8
10. CULTURAL PRESENT...
“The goals of feminism are carried
out by every day women ... You're
sexy, a wallflower, you shop at Text
Calvin Klein, you are a stay-at- "I think that feminism can only
home mom, a big Hollywood move forward now if we
producer, a beautiful bride all in acknowledge the differences
white or an ex-wife raising three between women, and that women
kids ... In reality, feminism wants want to lead their lives in all
you to be whoever you are ...” kinds of different ways."
Jennifer Baumgardner, Author (2000) Feminist writer, Natasha Walter (1999)
A CHANGING WORLD, A CHANGING MINDSET ...
Yes, she can have it all but the real question is whether she wants it all?
But that’s not all, the advent of the millennium brings with it some key shifts in society’s gender attitudes
Most importantly, this leads to women working out what they really want from life - from the relationships
they form, to the work they choose, to the brands that speak to them
10
11. CULTURAL PRESENT...
Gender fluidity ‣ Sex and gender are
now ever further
separated than ever
‣ Where sex is
physically fixed,
gendered traits can
be adopted by
either sex, without it
being a threat to
their core identity
‣ Women can have
Text masculine qualities
and behaviors,
without being any
less a woman
“She didn’t
consider herself
a female
soldier, but a
pilot serving her
country, who just
happened to be
a female.”
11
12. BRAND + GENDER FLUIDITY
She could be
more ‘male’ than Text
you think...
12
13. CULTURAL PRESENT...
FEMINIZATION OF BEHAVIOR FEMININITY HAS CHANGED, AND THE WORLD
HAS CHANGED WITH IT
‣ Technology has exposed us to huge amounts of
information, choices and ways to live, and much
of this has shifted the psychographic norm in a
female direction
‣ Female skills are much more adept at navigating
this complex and fluid world
‣ Getting ahead in the world used to be about
masculine qualities:
- Competition - Fighting
Text
- Aggression
‣ Success is now much more dependent on the
ability to adopt female qualities:
- Collaboration - Empathy
- Sharing
"The 'handbag'-style iBook, was the first ‣ Soft skills are now as valuable, if not more
computer to be unapologetically feminine. It valuable than ‘hard skills’
was so irresistible it didn't alienate men. In its
packaging, Apple had also broken new
ground, using simple wording instead of
technical, masculine jargon." Ariane van de
Ven, Strategist, Brandhouse
13
14. CULTURAL PRESENT...
Authenticity IMAGE
In a world of relentless marketing spin,
Millennials seek out realness and authenticity.
They don’t want to conform. Instead they want
to ‘be themselves’. For femininity this
translates into not having to conform to any
particular model of womanhood, let alone
being like a man – what counts is being honest
about what it is that you want ...
EMOTION
Expressing your emotions and being honest
about your feelings are not things to be
Text ashamed of for Millennials, instead they are
demonstrations of your personal strength
VALUES
The reality of the recession and the effects of
rampant consumerism have altered
Millennials’ values; it’s more about happiness
and satisfaction than material success.
MEDIA
Dove’s Real Beauty campaign marked a
significant shift in attitudes towards women’s
beauty and bodies. Women’s beauty is valued
regardless of shape, size or age. The emphasis
is on how you feel not how you look.
14
15. CULTURAL PRESENT...
Gender equality FOR MILLENNIALS, GENDER
EQUALITY IS A GIVEN ...
‣ Millennial men and women
find themselves facing the
same opportunities and
challenges
- i.e. Compete for the same
jobs, under the same
pressures, have the same
aspirations
- Shared financial, emotional
and domestic responsibility
Text in a relationship is a given,
not a luxury
‣ But they’re not on a journey
towards androgyny
- Want to celebrate both
genders
- Binaries that once
maintained clear
boundaries between
genders are now blurred
[Campaigns that resonate
celebrate gender, rather than
edit it i.e. Dove, Virgin Atlantic,
Diet Coke]
15
17. THE BIRTH OF FEMFILLMENT
Welcome to the after party!
FINALLY AFTER DECADES OF FIGHTING, THE
BATTLE OF THE SEXES FINALLY FEELS OVER...
AND THE AFTER PARTY CAN BEGIN!
‣ Gender equality is, increasingly, just a given today -
women are no longer defined by or in opposition to
men - no longer fighting to be taken seriously
‣ Women are now recognizing that they need not be
shackled by the pressure to do it all and succeed -
free to make their own choices and not be judged Text
‣ Finally, no longer at war, women are beginning to
achieve true fulfillment - FEMFILLMENT !!
‣ Femfillment is about true liberation
- Freedom to laugh at yourself
- Freedom to not have to choose
- Freedom to embrace the dualities of modern
womanhood
AS THEY RELAX, CONTEMPORARY WOMEN
“All that ‘pressure to succeed’ is bullshit,
HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE - AND, AS A RESULT, you put yourself under that pressure, and
THEIR TRUE SPIRIT IS ABLE TO SHINE you just don’t HAVE to do anything you
THROUGH...
don’t want to”
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18. THE BIRTH OF FEMFILLMENT
Playful and poised
THE CONTEMPORARY WOMAN CAN HAVE
FUN, BUT SHE NEVER TAKES IT TOO FAR
‣ Fun is a key attribute of the modern, spirited woman
- “She’s fun, silly, I like it.”
‣ Being playful is enjoyable for her, and for people
around her. It’s unexpected, and might be out of
context, but that’s ok.
Text ‣ It’s an expression of confidence. She is bigger than
any situation she is in and can step outside it for a
moment to have fun.
‣ Playfulness also shows that there’s more to her than
meets the eye
- “There are different angles. There’s lots to unfold
in a woman.”
“Dance like no-one is watching – THE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN LOOKING
definitely. It’s rare for me and my DEMURE AND ELEGANT, AND BEHAVING IN A
CHEEKY FUN WAY SEEMS TO BE A
girlfriends to get together and not be PARTICULARLY POWERFUL AND DIRECT WAY
laughing about something. That really OF SHOWING SPIRIT
rings true...”
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19. THE BIRTH OF FEMFILLMENT
Powerful, but not overpowering
SHE KEEPS HER POWER IN HER BACK POCKET,
RATHER THAN WEARING IT ON HER SLEEVE
‣ The contemporary woman feels empowered to
use her femininity to get ahead
- At work
- At home
- In a bar
‣ But she also knows when to turn it down, or turn it
off. Being powerful all the time can make you
Text
seem arrogant, stand-offish, unapproachable
- It can be divisive, and that’s not her
‣ She’s turned objectification into advantage
- “Using beauty to our advantage is great. It’s
playful, not too serious”
- Recent publication of book like Honey Money
& The Rules, and the emergence of concept of
‘erotic capital’
“We can look delicate when we want,
but we can control men, we can have
the babies, we’ve really got a lot of
power. All the power in fact.”
19
20. BRANDS + POWERFUL BUT NOT OVERPOWERING...
A brand that
celebrates her
Text
right assets ...
20
21. THE BIRTH FEMFILLMENT
Emotional and strong
Text
BEING EMOTIONAL IS AN ABILITY, RATHER THAN A
WEAKNESS
“Adele isn’t ashamed to bare her soul. ‣ Expressing emotions is authentic - a real part of
Her songs melt people’s hearts one womanhood
- Why should anyone tell her that she can’t be upset?
minute, but then the next time you see
- “If I hear something that upsets me, or watch a film
her she’s a fun average young girl.” that is sad I don’t feel ashamed to show that.”
‣ It’s more mature than repressing or stifling what you feel
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22. THE BIRTH OF FEMFILLMENT
Living in the now, borrowing from the past
SHE HAS THE FREEDOM TO RIP UP THE RULES
OR TO PICK AND CHOOSE THE TRADITIONS
SHE ADMIRES
‣ When it comes to dating she’s comfortable to play
to an old-fashioned stereotype, provided it’s a
choice rather than an obligation
- She can do this because she knows she has
moved beyond those stereotypes
- It’s fun to feel desired, to make men work for
your attention Text
‣ She respects women from an older generation
- They’re spirited and interesting
- She also knows that those are the women who
fought to get her where she is today
- “My mom is more of a party animal than I am.”
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23. THE BIRTH OF FEMFILLMENT
Silly and Smart
SHE WILL WATCH CNN, FOLLOWED BY THE
X FACTOR
‣ She can have a passion for celebrity gossip and
strong opinions on who was worst dressed at
the Oscars
‣ But don’t think that means she doesn’t
understand and care about the issues that
matter
Text “Yes, I love celebrity gossip as a funny way to
switch off – but that doesn't automatically mean
I don't follow politics or can’t name an opera.”
‣ She’s a cultural omnivore, proudly enjoying
high and low culture in equal amounts
- Because she’s femfilled, she doesn’t feel
embarrassed to admit she enjoys things which
women would have been criticized for
enjoying in the past
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24. THE BIRTH OF FEMFILLMENT - WHO’S GOT IT?
Oprah Victoria Beckham Lady Gaga
Michelle Obama
Katy Perry Text Judy Dench Michelle Harris
Beyoncé
Meryl Streep
Mindy Kaling
Angelina Jolie
Zooey Deschanel Adele Charlize Theron
24
26. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR BRAND?
She’s used to brands telling
her how she should be ...
DARING Text
SEXY
AGGRESSIVE
FEMININE
SWEET 26
27. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR BRAND?
THERE ARE SOME KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN TALKING TO CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ...
IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT SHE’S IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE VS. PREVIOUS
GENERATIONS OF WOMEN ...
SHE WANTS TO HAVE A LAUGH
She is confident enough to laugh at herself. Female-facing communications needn’t be so
earnest.
Text
THINK BEYOND PINK
The feminization of product design is everywhere, and it isn’t about sticking diamonds on
things (or only about appealing to women) - concentrate on being sleek, stylish and simple
SHE WANTS THE REAL DEAL
Give her women to empathize with in her advertising, rather than presenting her with
unrealistic figures she doesn’t even want to aspire to
SHE KNOWS THINGS ARE DIFFERENT
She’s already showing it. Describing it as something new could feel condescending; she’s
ready to explore the idea in a fun way.