Maureen Fan’s Post

LBB (Little Black Book) asked me…what if advertising was built around the default woman? So, I wrote some speculative future fiction. Why not use a little creative imagination about our ad world in 2047?! It's a brave place. Have a read below! ….. "It’s two weeks before the Super Brain Bowl 2047 (formerly Super Bowl). Layla, a Strategist at ChromoXX agency, is still trying to nail down the VR eye implant messaging for their robotic health equity campaign in the big game. She joined the agency in 2043, shortly after the unexpected vanishing of all males from Earth, an event now known as ‘The Great Reset.’ After a short period of disruption, the day-to-day world rolled right along. Women’s remarkable skill for systems management, married with emotional intelligence, enable them to sustain and enhance the amenities of modern life with 50 percent of the resources. Layla’s agency team, which consists of non-gendered data analysts and strategy bots, do the heavy lifting these days, and her multiple avatar doubles take the client meetings with their avatar doubles. All decision-making in the agency runs through a system of efficiency + human consideration + ego removal checks, so there’s minimal delay. Swift operations are crucial to use the government-mandated maximum 6-hour workday best. ChromoXX also blocks work-related neural alerts after 6 pm to allow for personal mental restorations. While creating the new Super Brain Bowl campaign, there had been fiery debate about the legacy of the NFL and the male coliseum of sports. But since Taylor Swift bought the League and now runs it with her daughters (Taya and Maya Kelce), she turned it into a competition to solve the world’s greatest problems, from the climate to cancer. It is the New Enlightenment Games and drives over 1 billion viewers. The only other entertainment that comes close is Presidential Election debates and Friends reruns." 😉 #internationalwomensday

What if #brands are the answer to making inclusive, break through content that global audiences crave? When brands back minority-owned media there's a multiplier effect that trickles down to an ecosystem of diverse content creators who make these projects. It works like this. Target sponsored REVOLT's "Bet on Black" (Season 3 airing Mondays through Nov. 27) enabling fresh storytelling about entrepreneurs making bold bets to serve their communities with new products and services. In turn, REVOLT hired me as a producer on the show, which provided the boost I needed to continue advancing my indie projects about untold stories, a big lift for a sole proprietor. In a risk-averse climate in the media industry, I see brands as rays of hope that will bring new voices forward. Paul Lee, the executive behind hits "Blackish" and "Modern Family" put it this way, “What happens if you just buy from your own walled garden is that you, the ideas start to stagnate.” Even "micro" budgets dedicated directly to independent producers can make a difference, and big brands have the data needed to smartly allocate this spend. (Target will give the winner of the REVOLT contest $200,000 to grow their business.) Successful examples also include: GroupM's Diverse Voices Accelerator which paved the way for "Rebuilding Black Wall Street" on OWN. (GroupM's share of overall media budgets dedicated to minority producer-suppliers expanded from 2% to 5% in 2023.) But it will take more than trickle down. The next break through ideas will come from those who require, and can make good on, a hand up. Possible if brands have our backs.

Google "authenticity and Gen Z" and you'll find tons of articles about brands, marketing, and how to win over Gen Z. They tend to include lists of things to implement, like demonstrated corporate activism, not using models with unrealistic body types, avoiding perfectionism, etc. While these suggestions are all based in research and technically correct, they miss the richness of what authenticity looks and feels like to Gen Z -- and I would say to people broadly. Authenticity is truly about the continual evolution of each of us as people, exposing the mess that we each are with humor, humility, and love for imperfection. For example, take a peek at Ambria Hartie's TikTok: https://lnkd.in/dc6CVaRw, or Victoria Paris's TikTok: https://lnkd.in/dquNScp5. Both are Gen Z creators with strong followership (100s of 1000s to millions). Both invite viewers into the ebb and flow of their daily routines, from flat tires to getting ready for the day (#GRWM). They openly share struggles and areas they are trying to improve. And often, they are pretty funny. What you'll see in each is a young person grounded in their own identity and seeking to share that identity transparently via social media. What you WON'T sense is either of them working through a "checklist" to be perceived as authentic. That's because each embodies the tremendous courage needed to show up and show out. Whether building products and services for young people or simply building a relationship, older generations must learn to match that courage. We must do the inner work to shed our own pretenses and the idea that we know it all. We must be willing to be imperfect to make progress. And most importantly, we must honor young people's gift of authenticity by actually incorporating their needs, thoughts, and feelings into the digital worlds we are building. #genz #marketing #digitalcommunity #authenticity #youthvoice

Today I'm taking a leaf out of my not-so-shy son's book, and doing the LinkedIn equivalent of him singing nursery rhymes at the top of his lungs on a busy high street. I'm part of the Female Founders Rise personal branding challenge, which as an introvert, even the thought of fills me with dread. But one of the many learnings of starting something new has been that sharing your story and connecting with others through it is everything. Meeting and sharing experiences with 50+ founders over the last year has been revitalising, and at times much needed relief when things feel difficult. A lot of the time it's felt like a lifeline. Which is essentially why we started Wish I'd Known - to do the same for parents. We wanted to build a safe-space that was truly free of judgement, where there was power in numbers. Knowing you're not alone in challenging times is so often what keeps #parents going. That's how Female Founders Rise has felt so far. So if being a bit more active on here creates more of those connections and feelings, I can probably grin and bear the inner cringe. 😬 Wish me luck 😅 Anyone got any personal branding tips?

One of the many projects we proudly support for Sony is the Sony Alpha Female initiative. ⭐️ Blue Pixel’s Stormy Mendez facilitates and manages the Sony Alpha Female community via socials, events, and more. Stormy shares: “Watching the Sony Alpha Female community flourish since joining the Blue Pixel team has been a dream. Every day, I feel lucky to witness amazing creators reach for the stars and follow their passions. It is truly inspiring; it’s hard to imagine anything more rewarding than this. We have seen the community grow in more than just numbers, but in the impact it has on individual creators. Community is a powerful tool for creatives. For all the women who may be intimated to start their journey, remember that every great venture begins with a single step. Don’t let fear stop you from making your mark in history.” The results have been incredible — both with customer sentiment and program growth. 📈 If you want to stand out amongst your competition, growing an online community is KEY. Send us a DM or fill out the form on our website if you’re interested in discussing how we can help YOUR brand build community — both online and IRL. 🤝 #BluePixelCreates #SonyAlphaFemale #community #communitygrowth #onlinecommunity #femaleempowerment #womenshistorymonth

Summer mode has well and truly hit us. I tried to make an appointment the other day, and got one - in September. Is this how you run your business or are you a female founder, ready to step up and scale? If so - listen up - we are here for you. We have agency empowers female founders to use their digital marketing to find and attract their audience online. Convert → optimise → scale 📈 Give me a 💪🏻 emoji in the comments and I will send a link to book a chat with no obligations, of course. Here's to a strong business summer 🥂 who said you couldn't thrive all year round? #digitalmarketing #femalefounder

Hi Barbie! If you are a fan of either #Barbie or Collage Group, you'll want to check out an interesting and unique article by Audrey Hutabarat that delves into why the Barbie movie was such a success from a marketing standpoint. Featuring great contributions from our Director of Multicultural Insights, Sudipti Gupta Kumar, and our Director of Generational Insights, Natalie Griffith, the piece also shares impactful multicultural and generational consumer insights right from our world-class Cultural Intelligence Platform. Read more in the link below. Great work Audrey, Sudipti Gupta Kumar, and Natalie Griffith! #diversity #inclusion #diversityandinclusion #marketing #marketresearch #marketingandadvertising #mrx

Until we understand and appreciate the economic power of ‘minority groups’ and the immeasurable influence they have on ’majority’ audience trends, DEI strategies will continue to fall flat on its face. Everyone’s tired of DEI, so much so that a large number of the specialist roles that have been created over the last few years are being eroded - have a look at Marvyn H.'s recent post. The unfortunate reality is, the conversation about DEI being ‘the right thing to do’ falls on deaf ears in business. Strategies and initiatives were created overnight when the issues they’re trying to correct have existed for millennia. Naturally, people from all sides of the conversation will grow disillusioned. Until industry ways of working to ‘reach hard-to-reach audiences’ are built into business as usual strategies, those audiences will remain ‘hard-to-reach’. The idea of grouping audiences into their supposed spending power avoids the reality of disposable income, the influence that minority cultures have on trendsetting and the ultimate reality that, especially for global brands, marketing a product is about more than localisation. This isn’t about charity, word to Cephas Williams. Rum-influenced chat over. #DEI #Comms  

In case you missed my previous update, I'm delving into a 5-day series about Ntenako, a fictional brand I created to showcase disruptive marketing techniques. Entry 2: Engaging with Your Target Demographic Ray, the designer behind Ntenako, understood the importance of engaging directly with her core audience: Black entrepreneurial women. She used an old-school approach and created a local group on meetup.com titled "Black Female Entrepreneurs in Los Angeles". Ray leveraged the platform previously known as Twitter and Instagram to announce her inaugural meetup—a dinner at an upscale restaurant. Dressed in pieces she’d created to tease her upcoming collection, she was naturally showered with compliments. The soft launch of her line was by that metric a success. Ray’s sister, a skilled videographer, captured footage from the event. With consent, she engaged with attendees on camera, producing Stories and reels. These were then shared on her personal page, with cross-tagging to expand their reach. But Ray's efforts didn’t end there. She hosted monthly events and was a regular at local networking sessions, consistently documenting and sharing her experiences. She made a commitment to her followers: attending two events weekly for a span of three months. This pledge significantly boosted her story views, as followers eagerly awaited her updates. After three months of forging connections and nurturing relationships on and offline, Ray had another event up her sleeve. Guests were in for a surprise: the full reveal of her debut collection. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update on what happens next. Key Takeaway for Brands: Be present where your audience is most active. Engage, understand, and immerse yourself in their communities. Also, create teaser content for whatever you’re launching. p.s. I’ve personally used meet-up to launch a business, and the venue was packed. It was a great way to connect with what would become my future clients. Where does your audience hang out? Are you there? #marketing #socialmedia #launchstrategy