Are we breaking the glass ceiling, or just tapping?

Posted on September 14, 2011 by admin

We’ve stated statistics that show that Malaysian women are studying more, entering the workforce and becoming entrepreneurs and managers than their mothers ever could. Is this enough? Has it translated to higher salaries, more seats in the board room and perhaps, gasp, even out earning the men sometime in the future?

Statistics in Malaysia are notoriously difficult to obtain, and those available are excruciatingly out dated. To set a benchmark, take a look at the infographic of women’s efforts in breaking the glass ceiling in the United States.

How would we compare? What would our statistics look like?

Two salaries better than one: a female perspective

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Julia Koh

I read with great interest, a recent article in our local newspaper. Experts recommended that women should “‘resign’ from their homemaker positions to help their spouses bring home more money”. Apparently, Malaysian women are not contributing to the economic growth of the nation, and with the rising cost of living, women are also indirectly contributing to “stressful situations”.

There are just so many points in this article that I take offense to, but this line really takes the cake: “Women should focus on the satisfaction derived from helping their family“.

The expert who imparted such views is, in my humble opinion, not doing justice to Malaysian women. I sincerely think that women are not entering the workforce not because they want to laze at home while the husband toils away to put food on the table. We do not “choose” to get by on single incomes when we have the capacity, ability and skills to earn money, either by working for others or working for self. The RAM Holdings group chief economist was also very much remiss when he did not factor into the equation the amount of money that women help to save by being the homemaker and ensuring the household is in order.

The household can save approximately rm 1,150 by doing without a live-in maid. By having home-cooked meals and not eating out, the homemaker is also saving approximately rm1,000 per month. By taking care of her children herself, the household saves rm 300 to rm 600 monthly per child.

Contrary to the expert’s opinion, it is even more difficult for the wife in low-income groups with larger families of four to five children to work. Whatever will become of the children? If the wife is to ‘resign’ from being a homemaker, can her potential income be greater than her childcare and food expenses? Would she have enough time to cook and clean and care for her four to five children and have a baking, sewing or basket-making job on the side?

Some women consciously choose family over career. In an effort to give the very best to their children, some women put their career on hold to focus on nurturing, grooming and educating their children. They believe their contribution is worth their weight in gold, and impart the best values and attention to their young children. Are we to blame such selfless mothers for “contributing to a stressful situation”?

One of the main reasons why our nation’s female participation in the workforce is only 44.4 per cent, compared with the world average of 51.8 per cent, is because our nation has not made it conducive for women to re-enter the workforce after maternity. Companies tend to ignore female candidates who are pregnant or express their intention of starting a family. They are also less likely to consider women who have left the workforce for a few years, believing it would waste time and money to retrain them. We read of babies and toddlers dying in childcare centers and nothing has been done to minimize the chances of this recurring. It is virtually impossible to secure a foreign maid at this time of writing, to say nothing of the exorbitant fees required to engage one. We are being charged for using too much electricity and being charged for using too little. And despite government efforts, our cost of living keeps creeping up. How then are we to contribute to the household when it might potentially cost more for women to ‘resign’ being a homemaker?

I agree that our nation is not fully utilizing women as a resource in the economy. But for women to work just to get “satisfaction derived from helping their family” is far too shallow. The Nielsen Woman of Tomorrow study is by far more accurate when research revealed that “the intent to contribute is driven by women’s concern for their family’s future and the desire to improve themselves.”

Today’s young parents are not as burdened by cultural roles. Malaysian house husbands do exist! Whether women become working mothers or homemakers, the important thing is to make sure it is the right choice for your family.

Julia Koh is the Executive Director of Brand 360 Degree Sdn Bhd and thinks that women are damned if they do and damned if they don’t . The views expressed are of her own.

Don’t Groupon your brand away

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Julia Koh

A friend recently bought a groupsmore deal for 6 of us, and promised a fun girly day getting our nails done. I’m all for the girly day out, but I’m not too sure about the deal. In fact, I’m not so sure businesses should be participating in Groupon or our local Groupsmore or any of the copycat sites like MyDeal and We Buy, either.
Here’s why:

1. I’m only attracted to the cheap package.

The deal was for RM18 for RM98 worth of manicure and pedicure. Sounds like a really good deal, right? That’s over 80% off! However, would I pay the full price for something I paid only 20% the next time I want to get my nails done? Even before stepping into the salon, I already have the impression that it is a discount store. Is that the kind of brand image the salon wants?

2. I already have a package with another salon.

I get my nails done periodically. And I already have a nails package from a salon I’ve tried and liked. So, assuming I am satisfied with the RM18 salon, I am unlikely to return until I’ve finished my existing package, by which time I may be attracted to another salon that offers me RM17 for a mani&pedi set. I’m just saying.

3. I’m not expecting great service.

The deals site has already informed me that 281 people bought the mani&pedi set. Can a small nail salon handle 281 new customers, all within 3 months? I’m expecting grumpy, tired nail therapists, who suddenly have to polish so many extra sets of hands and feet for the same salary. Plus, I’m half expecting the experience to be cut short. Maybe my therapist won’t give my nails a buff, or skip the cuticle oil, because come on, full service at 80% off? Something’s gotta give.

Any existing customers would be frustrated that their regular therapist is tired and cranky from all the extra work, and would probably look elsewhere for better service too. So basically, the salon would be dirving away its regular, FULL PRICE-paying customers for new, one-off discount customers. Everyone, say it with me – cannibalization.

The web’s full of reviews of how customers tried out deals like the one I bought, only to walk away with a bitter experience and a vow never to go back. Check out this review by the popular blog My Women Stuff.

4. I don’t even remember the salon’s name.

It’s not that I’m purposely omitting the name of the salon whose services I had bought; it’s that I don’t remember it! I only remember it’s a MyDeal coupon and the location of the salon. So all these deals are adding to the deal site’s branding, not the small businesses.

5. Groupon makes more than you do.

Groupon takes 50% of the deal bought, while small businesses are stuck with credit card charges as well as the cost of fulfilling the service. Pretty good deal for Groupon, I’d say. Don’t forget businesses would have to give between 50% to 90% discount to get lots of people to buy their service. So I hope the nail salon I’m going to visit has a plan to entice me to come back and pay full price next time.

I’ll keep you posted.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive!

Posted on March 22, 2011 by admin

Brand360 is a proud partner of WomenConnect and we are excited to be involved in the creation of this “Coffee with …” series. This series is a monthly affair that will allow women to network and learn from ‘mentors’. Personalities for each Coffee With session are people who are notable, successful people in their own field and have a passion to share their experiences and success stories with others.

But it is more than just a ‘success story’ showcase.It is the rare chance for women to ask – ask any question they want – about the personality’s industry, company, tips, problems etc. Most of the time, you listen to what the speaker has to say, and you will get a nice story to inspire you. With this Coffee With series, you get to ask the questions and listen to what you want to hear.

If you want to know why Wayne decided to start a newspaper entirely dedicated to SMEs in Malaysia, ask him.

If you want to know how many hours he spends at the office and if he gets any deals done at the golf course, ask him.

If you want to know how to make the most use of any government assistance for your business, ask him.

If you want to know how to get the media on your side, ask him.

If you want to know of any tips and insider information to being seen as an expert in your field, ask him.

If you want to know the types of media most appropriate for your business, you know what to do … ask him!

Only for WomenConnect members, so join here!

What My Grandmother Taught Me

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Julia Koh

I spent an entire day with my grandma today. She’s 82, genteel and with a fading memory. Her recollections of her childhood are amazing, but she has trouble remembering if she’s had her lunch, and sometimes wonder who is this short-haired ((I only recently cut my hair short), frazzled woman alternating between her and the kids.

So, for the twenty-seventh time during lunch, I told her that her son is, in fact, my dad and yes, they do share the same name. And I had to take her on a tour of my house, despite the fact that she’s here at least once a week. Today was probably my fifty-third tour for her.

And it occurred to me that my grandmother, at her ripe old age and with her poor memory, has taught me a few valuable lessons in communication.

1. If she bothers to ask you, she is interested. So don’t brush off her questions as silly. Instead, take the time to explain your brand or your products to her. The more she understands, the higher the chance that she will buy you rather than your competitor.

2. Repeat, repeat and repeat again. Some women are like that; they will nod and hum while you explain, but then ask you the same questions all over again. Do not attempt to roll your eyes or let out an exasperated sigh. Just smile, and go over your explanation again. Hey, practice makes perfect, right. My record is 7 repetitions until a lady finally sat back, smiled and gave me the go-ahead to work on her brand. And guess what? She understood it so well, she ‘sold’ my services to her sister company and introduced me to industry team players.

3. Listen to her questions. Some questions may seem obvious to you, but that’s because you know your brand and your product best. But sometimes it’s the obvious that gets overlooked. If your product or brand isn’t addressing the obvious, maybe that’s what you ought to be doing – back to basics and answering the obvious. And most likely, her questions are the areas where she’s most concerned with. So if you can address her concerns, you’ve got her on your side.

For an inspiring read on how obvious is good, you have to read the book Obvious Adams, by Robert Updegraff.

How do you communicate with women and is it working?

What She Really Means

Posted on March 1, 2011 by admin

We came across this clip and just haaad to share it with you. It’s about a translator-machine-thingy which translate everything a woman says into language a man can understand. As you might expect, the translation for men is short, to the point and succinct. The translator can also work the other way – translating man-speak for women. And in this case, the translation goes into elaborate sentences and reassurances.

Fer real !?!

While the clip is good for a laugh, it also serves to highlight the big differences between how men and women communicate. Men are looking for direct answers, it’s either a yes or a no, it’s either a go or no-go. Men also talk in shorter sentences, hence not much details there. Men talk in words, not language.

Women, on the other hand, seek reassurance when they communicate, and often one word can have multiple meanings to her. To understand a woman, you have to read her tone of voice, her body language, her facial expression, where her eyes are looking and what she does after she speaks. More effort is required, sure, but think of all the information you get! With 1 look, 1 gesture and 1 word, she can tell you more about your product or your activity than 10 men put together. And when women are the primary purchasers of so many industries (think household, childcare, education, personal care, health, beauty & wellness for a start), it is well worth your time and effort to better understand how women communicate and what she really means when she says what she says.

Woman language translator

KFC’s Spinning Around

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Julia Koh

It’s been around for 50 years and three generations in my house know about it. Heck, we’re almost convinced it’s “finger lickin’ good”. So what prom pted KFC to drop its 50-year-old slogan and come up with the totally bland “So Good”?

Well, apparently KFC had another slogan … Unthink. Wha? Since when? And it’s a slogan for fast food chicken? Could’ve fooled me. And when they checked with their consumers, they found that “only 2 percent of respondents associate the Unthink slogan with the KFC brand, while its former long-time tagline ‘finger lickin’ good’ came to mind for 45 percent of respondents.”

So now they’re taking their consumers for another spin … changing their slogan to play on their 50 year-old claim but in an updated, more generic way. Apparently, finger lickin’ good is very ‘food centric’. So the fast food chain decided to move away from its emphasis on food, and its more generic tagline will make its consumers think of its people and its community.

If they’d asked me, I’d tell KFC that before they want to shift the emphasis from their chooks to their staff, they should make sure that their people are friendly, informed and fast. As they should be. Not sleepy, blur and slow. As they are right now.

I actually rather like their flash fried, artery-choking chicken. Hey, it’s fast food … what are you expecting, Cilantro foie gras? So if KFC wants to take my mind off their chicken and include their people into the spotlight, they better be up to the mark. They would have to better infuse their people with the KFC culture and ethics. And the brand had better be doing more to convince us that their people and community deserve our attention. Otherwise, it’s just another cosmetic change that would not make any difference.

Just ask any consumer.

Much Ado About New Logos

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Julia Koh

Many a brand have been changing their logos of late. Some are well received, others are not. Just ask Gap, who had to revert back to their classic logo after fans and haters from the world over protested over the new (now no longer in use) logo.

Now Starbucks seem to be walking down the same road. The ubiquitous coffee house, so popular that two stores can be found on the same road, celebrates its 40th anniversary with a new logo. The image to adorn coffee cups and mugs is now a more simplistic green-and-white siren. Most importantly, it is missing the Starbucks name and the ‘coffee’ word that the brand owns in the mind of its consumers.

How will this go down with Starbucks lovers and haters? How will it bode with brand loyalty?

Laura Ries opines that Starbucks should not have dropped its brand name and the coffee word from its logo. Her rationale? The siren/mermaid is not a powerful visual for coffee and does not remind consumers of Starbucks. By not using the Starbucks name as often as they can and in every cup of coffee they churn out, Ries posits that Starbucks is slowly going to lose attention from the younger generation.

I used to be a Coffee Bean fanatic before switching allegiance to Starbucks, after discovering their Frappucinos. When I walk into a Starbucks or chance to pass by, my eye is always drawn to “Starbucks Coffee” rather than the siren/mermaid. I guess the siren doesn’t really matter to me. It could’ve been my neighbor’s dog on the storefront or cup and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference (I don’t pay much attention to my neighbour’s dog either).

Perhaps this piece by AP can help shed some light the reason behind the wordless new logo:

“Prior versions of the logo helped build Starbucks into one of the world’s best recognized brands, and the company felt it no longer needed to reinforce its name at every turn. The new wordless logo also is better suited to the company’s expansion beyond coffee into a wider array of business lines and into more international markets.”

I would still prefer to see the Starbucks name than a naked siren in stores, but if this is a signal that my favourite coffee place wants to do more than coffee, then we’ll just have to wait and see if their next move has anything to do with sirens and mermaids and the sea. Dory sandwich or a seaweed latte, anyone?

Enfa to Me vs. Enfa to Hubby

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Julia Koh

I caught this commercial some time back but it never really registered with me until the commercial found its way into one of the ‘un-skippable’ spots on dvd. It was a commercial by Enfa, a leading brand of formula milk powder, or ‘infant nutrition’ as they call themselves.

Now, I’ve seen numerous milk formula ads, in languages that I understand and some that i don’t. But this ad really resonated with me, and I’ll tell you why.

Enfa \’Miracle Milestones\’ commercial

Why I [heart] this ad:

1. It reminded me of the excitement of having a growing child inside of me. Instead of showing me a sonogram scan of the blob in me, the ad focused on the emotions of caring for my growing fetus. There was an ad with the sonogram scan which did absolutely nothing for me – zero emotions evoked. But putting earphones on her growing tummy, the mother in the ad reminded me of my attempts to provide the best for my child starting from my maternity period.

2. It resonated with me. A scene in the ad showed the mother reading to her child. Hey, I did that too! Perhaps not successfully every time, but I connected with the ad because I saw myself in that scene.

3. I felt her pain. When the mother in the ad grew frustrated that her child couldn’t play the piano properly, I shared her pain. Oh, the times when I sighed in exasperation when my child took forever to put her right foot in the right shoe, or when she made a mess on the floor trying to feed herself. Again, I am sisters with the mother in the ad.

4. I felt her joy. You know the part in the ad when the child plays the piano and the mother had flashbacks? It really happens! In the ad, the implication (to me) is that the mother stayed with her child full-time for 3 years, and thereafter went back to work. So her child getting the happy birthday song right is really validation for the mother, that her decision to take time off from the corporate world to nurture her child, is the right decision. Whoa, this opens up a whole new can of worms – should we mothers work and leave the child to caretakers or be a full-time mother at home and leave the workforce? Either way, the ad provides a happy ending to the dilemma.

Rather than show me charts and graphs on how big my child’s brain will grow or how many neurons will fire incessantly, this approach on my emotions works much better and much more impact.

And you know what draws me back to this ad over and over again? I simply love the mother’s choice of attire! Her navy blue cardy with a fitted white shirt paired with slimline dark blue pants and that gorgeous skinny belt – it all fits so perfectly! Is that the only reason why I watch the commercial? No way. But does it make for better viewing? It sure does. Did it leave me with a better, more lasting impression of the brand? You bet. Did it help with my next formula milk purchase? I’m inclined to think that Enfa is a brand of taste (tasteful ad, tasteful clothes, all tastefully done) so a resounding yes!

Because we mothers are not the actual end consumers of formula milk powder, and when children are too young to tell us they like/dislike something, we usually make our purchase decisions of such items based on what our peers are buying, or whatever that’s on offer. If our loyalty is strong enough, we’d stick with our brand of choice even though a competitor is giving freebies and throwing discounts.

So it helps when commercials such as these reinforce a mother’s purchase decision by validating all her reasons for buying Enfa. I feel that Enfa really understands what mothers go through. Which is more than I can say for my husband.

Since the commercial moved me so much, I showed it to my husband too. His reaction was … “smart kid”.

He didn’t even know it’s an ad for formula milk.

Men.

Branding the SmallBusiness Way

Posted on December 20, 2010 by admin

Think branding can only be done by big boys with an unlimited budget?

You and I can play the game as well as the multi-national corporations, and steal some points from them too. Often, multi-national corporations are bogged down by bureaucracy and hierarchy, whereas you and I can move speedily and change faster. Here are some ideas to make your business brand stand out, with an arsenal of tools that you are already using.

1. Business card

Think of your business card as your own walking mini billboard. It is not there just to look fancy, but to convey relevant information about your business. If you can, include your positioning statement; ie a one-liner on what your brand is all about and how are you the right brand for your customers. This 90mm x 54mm piece of retail is all yours, so use it well to make the right first impression.

2. Website

In this day and age, your customers check you out online before they come to you. By the time you hear from them, they would already have an impression of you based on what you have (and have not) on the Internet. So make sure you have a decent website which says all about you, what you do and how to reach you. Again, it doesn’t have to be fancy; purpose comes first. Your website can always be improved as your business grows, so don’t sweat the small stuff (women are sticklers for getting the small stuff done right) and get it out there first!

3. Emails

You have spent time and effort into thinking about, defining and developing your brand identity. You’ve agonized over the colors, font types and position of your logo. It’s a shame, then, to send emails that does not reflect your brand. Consider that you send emails to your customers, suppliers, partners, friends and potentials daily. Make sure you use a good and relevant subject header and include your company name, logo and pertinent details at the end. A good tip is to include a one-liner about an ongoing promotion or activity, and include a link of that to your website. Give your activity some ‘legs’ by using your emails. Just don’t overuse it and turn your email into a sales pitch rather than an information piece.

4. Get out there!

The best brand for your small business is yourself. Most times, people identify your business with you, so what you say and how you look gives people an impression of your brand. Have a 60-second statement about your business ready at all times and a longer 10-minute explanation for interested potentials. And then just mingle! Go to your neighbourhood events, attend Christmas, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali do’s (we’re 1Malaysia after all) and make the best first impression for your brand.

Brand 360° – a brand and marketing consultancy

For smarter brand + marketing