WONDER WOMEN

It is with great sadness that we recently heard the news of Wendy Gordon’s death. She led the way on so many fronts and was a true inspiration in the world of research and good thinking. Giles Lury had the privilege of interviewing her for the Wonder Women in Marketing book and writing up her story. We have pleasure in sharing it with you. Wendy Gordon Wendy majored in psychology and social anthropology in her native South Africa and got…

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Forbes 50 over 50 Forbes, in conjunction with the Know Your Value Initiative, have recently published the third annual Forbes 50 Over 50, which celebrates women over 50 who are founding brands used by millions, breaking world records and forging technological breakthroughs.  Their aim with this annual publication is to highlight how women in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond are doing their most innovative and impactful work.  What is striking is that nearly half of the 200 women in…

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I went to see the Barbie movie with a girlfriend I’ve known since I was 12 and between us we have 5 sons (no girls).  We never played dolls together and we were only introduced to Barbie when we were adults.  Sindy (girl next door with lots of fashionable outfits) and Tressie (who’s hair grew) were the dolls that young British girls played with in our day.  Of course, we knew lots about Barbie (who wouldn’t with Mattel’s marketing) and…

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Whatever the result in the semi-finals vs. Australia tomorrow, the Lionesses have had a wonderful World Cup tournament.  Sarina Wiegman is a shining beacon of brilliant leadership, creating a squad of players and coaching staff who believe in and trust each other.  It’s not just about the superstar players – it’s about everyone working together to create the magic.  The Lionesses generate an atmosphere of joy and goodwill with their skill, humour and pioneering spirit.  Every single one of the…

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Recently I was eavesdropping while waiting in a queue to go into a music festival.   I can’t help it – blame it on my natural curiosity developed through years of being an insight specialist – together with unavoidably hearing three blokes talking loudly about their trials and tribulations with women.  They weren’t young guys – probably 40s and 50s – and what looked like the older of the three was lamenting the ‘problems’ with his girlfriend.  This is how I…

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As Tupperware hit the headline news today, Giles and I thought it the perfect time to share the story of Brownie Wise – The Queen of Tupperware. Giles usually cites Brownie’s story as one of his favourites in the Wonder Women book as it’s such a good example of women succeeding in the face of prejudice.  I love it because she helped so many women towards financial independence and success. An example of how women inspire other women. In 1949…

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I love Desert Island Discs – I love hearing the stories of people’s success and recognition, love hearing their music choices, the book and the luxury item they would take with them.  All reveal so much about a person’s character in such an enjoyable space of time. Last week I listened to Amanda Blanc, Group CEO of Aviva, one of just eight women at the top of a FTSE 100 company.  Amidst some great music choices, she tells the story…

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Sadly, I heard of the death of Jacqueline Gold this morning after seven years of treatment for breast cancer.  In 1981 when Jacqueline first proposed making lingerie and sex toys more female friendly, she was taken aback by the reaction of one of the company’s all-male directors who claimed that women were not interested in sex. “Obviously it said a lot more about his sex life than it did about my idea,” she later said. Jacqueline’s story is included in…

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