rideson
Blind Spots
If you are an Aussie man, read this book. If you are a man anywhere, read this book. If you are a man, Aussie or otherwise, who wants to grow your business rapidly, sell a shedload of whatever it is you make, and make massive revenues and profits accordingly, read this book. Bec Brideson's given you all the information you need. Get over the belief that you have nothing to learn from women, or nothing to learn about women, and buy and read this book. Bec writes, ‘Why is it that when we see the word “gender” in the context of “business” our insides feel tight and we run for the hills?' Don't be a business coward – be a future forward business genius. Exploit the hell out of this book to own the future and make an absolute goddamn fucking shit-ton of money – because there is a huge amount of money to be made out of taking women seriously.
Cindy Gallop, Former Chairman of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Founder of MakeLoveNotPorn and IfWeRanTheWorld
Bec Brideson is a smart, effective and powerful person so of course she would write a smart, effective and powerful book.
Jane Caro, novelist, author, social commentator
As women grow their influence – at home, in the workplace and in the world – it exponentially opens up new opportunities for businesses who are able to connect with women in a meaningful and authentic way. Packed full of cutting edge insights, facts and practical advice, Blind Spots is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to get ahead of the game in an increasingly accelerated and female empowered world.
Margie Warrell, ambassador for Women in Global Business and bestselling author of Stop Playing Safe and Make Your Mark
Blind Spots, is essential reading for anyone who is serious about growing their business in the twenty-first century. All the hard work has been done for you. The critical academic research distilled, the evidence explained and the key insights presented in a manner which can be easily digested and acted upon immediately. Literally, everything you need to know about engaging women and opening their purses, is contained within this remarkable book.
Michael Faudet, former creative director, DDB
Bec has written a book that urges business ‘to get women and get rich.' If you only read one business book this year, make it this one. Her thinking is original, her instructions are practical and her life experience both as a woman and as a marketing professional make her insights compelling. She asks, ‘Why don't marketers see women for what they are? They are the world's greatest unrealised business opportunity. They are the largest untapped target market, with the greatest power to spend. It's not just baffling, it's bad business.'
Rod Bennett, founder, BADJAR Group
First published in 2018 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064
Office also in Melbourne
© Venus Advertising Pty Ltd 2018
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Creator: Brideson, Bec, author.
Title: Blind Spots: how to uncover and attract the fastest emerging economy / Bec Brideson.
ISBN: 9780730345404 (pbk.) 9780730345381 (ebook)
Notes: Includes index.
Subjects: Women consumers – Influence. Women – Economic aspects. Target marketing. Consumer behavior. Purchasing power – Comparative method.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.
Cover design by Wiley
Internal design by Kiriaki Sarafis
Disclaimer
The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.
Foreword
Never in history has there been more pressure on businesses. The average time a CEO keeps their job is near record lows. The average time a marketing director keeps theirs is even shorter – just 44 months.
It's not hard to see why.
We've moved from a business environment where successful companies could hold the same steady course for decades to a corporate battlefield that is being ripped apart by the ubiquitous forces of the internet – instant global markets and competition, extreme transparency and competitiveness on pricing, and the rise of the consumer's voice via social media, blogs and product reviews.
And it isn't about to slow down anytime soon.
One of the most important consequences of these seismic shifts in the marketplace is that the basic, bland and shallow manner in which so many companies have traditionally communicated with their potential customers is no longer working.
These days what companies say in their marketing messages and what they do day-to-day in the world are revealed, commented upon and evaluated within hours by their customers. Speak down to them and your company will be discussed and derided globally almost instantly. Be trite, simplistic or just inaccurate in how you communicate with them, and they'll abandon your brand for the ten thousand others on the internet that offer pretty much the same things you do.
As the mass media devolves into the mess media, we have never been more in need of a new breed of communication expert who can help us navigate our way through the message minefield.
At the forefront of these pundits is Bec Brideson, a genuine expert on one of the most important areas of commerce – the female customer.
Just as the Inuit are said to have 50-plus words to describe different types of snow, where we see only one, Bec Brideson can identify a myriad ways we can better communicate with women, many of which the average senior executive has never even thought about, let alone addressed.
Bec doesn't just understand women. She has articulated a precise path for how businesses can see them, resonate with them, commu-nicate with them and then do business with them.
This priceless knowledge was not acquired easily. It has taken Bec more than 25 years of focused work in the communications industry – first as a multi-award winning advertising writer, then as a top-level creative director, then running her own agency specialising in marketing to women, and now as a nationally respected consultant advising companies on her cutting-edge methodology for reaching (and persuading) the female consumer.
Knowledge is one thing, but what makes Bec so valuable to businesses is her commercial acumen. She understands that companies aren't marketing for kicks, but for bucks. And that's why this book is packed with insights that can help you sell truckloads of products and services to the female customer.
Some of what she says may shock you, much of it will challenge you, but by the end you'll agree on two things:
There's a much more effective way to communicate and sell to the female consumer.
Bec Brideson knows exactly how to do it.
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