Women's Pay: Equal Or Is Answer Elusive?

When International Women's Day rolled around in March, I contemplated the topic of why men make more money doing the same job as women. In the PR industry. Was this the truth, or had I succumbed to a perpetual myth? Or was I dredging up ghosts à la Feminine Mystique? Undeniably, some discrimination within the greater marcomm industry still exists, but is it pervasive enough these days to warrant such a generalization? From my own experience, as employee and employer, I couldn't see the pay inequality.

Demystifying the pay divide

Statistics, however, skew the results in men's favor. Spread over all industries, men simply earn more than women because they occupy a higher percentage of the highest-paying jobs. This does not suggest that there's a blatant discrimination, just that women are still playing catch-up in earning advanced degrees and breaking into the traditional higher-paying fields such as engineering, medicine, and law.

Warren Farrell, author of Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap -- and What Women Can Do About It," asserts that women are still more comfortable moving into jobs that promise the more flexible hours required by the primary family caregiver. While this point makes me a bit squeamish, I can see the merit in such a position -- not that women are assuming their "traditional" (barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen) roles -- but because a good number of women I know do, in fact, plan for a future with children and move toward flexible careers. Which, unfortunately, can preclude them from those that are higher-paying.

Another possibility is simply a chicken versus egg scenario: maybe the more flexible jobs -- traditional jobs that women excel at and gravitate toward -- have undervalued or pay-discriminated against women for so long that low pay has become standard pay?

Regardless, the answer is elusive.

So what about the PR industry?

To continue reading, click here.

Word Crimes gone viral!

It's everywhere. Trite, silly marketing jargon is creeping beyond its boundaries and is now infiltrating the social media!

Word Crimes! Don't forget to send me your favourite offenders for inclusion on this year's Bull@%#$ Bingo!

The below is reprinted from theage.com's Executive Style column. For your cringeworthy enjoyment, I submit:

Mind Your Jargon

Jargon is bad enough in the business world but social media is adding a whole new layer of gobbledygook, and it is sending me around the twist.

My eyes glaze over whenever I hear talk about being on the 'same page', about 'going forward', 'key drivers', stuff that’s 'mission critical', taking the 'viewfinder' over the 'mission statement' and seeing what's at the end of the 'digital tunnel', with the 'low hanging fruit' and 'key drivers'. And the list goes on.

Forbes writer Christopher Steiner, puts it well: “For people bent on achieving superstar status in the business world, knowing one language is often not enough. Unfortunately the second tongue most popular to many American corporate types isn't Spanish, German, French, Italian or Chinese. It's jargon, a heinous amalgamation of terms with unknown origins and delivered with no explanation, irony or even a crumb of guilt.”

He then lists some of the worst examples: drill down (as in drill down to what? oil?), ducks in a row (how do you do that? have you ever had to deal with ducks? and if you ever manage to do that, what good comes out of getting the birds to stand in a straight line), price point (which is the same as saying price, so why the extra word?), think outside the box or square (why the box? what’s wrong with just thinking?), giving 110 per cent (as opposed to 100 per cent. that means you have to do more than what you are capable of. it’s ridiculous nonsense), synergise (sounds so much better than combining and streamlining), it is what it is (fair dinkum?), take it to the next level (what exactly does that look like?), solution (what exactly does that mean?), managing expectations (which usually means preparing people for the worst), and break down silos (as in getting people to talk to each other).

Vanessa Horwell at Media Post has her own list that includes terms like “proactive” (which the dictionary defines as creating a situation or taking control of it, rather than just responding which, when you think about it, is the opposite of sitting around and waiting for things to happen), and sole survivor (the word sole is redundant because a survivor is the one person who survives) and, one of my pet hates, non-essential personnel (which basically dismisses the grunt workers keeping everything going as unimportant).

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, author Scott Berkun says jargon feeds and encourages lazy minds. “To use these words with a straight face is to assume the listener is an idiot. They are intellectual insults. They are shortcuts away from good marketing and strong thinking since they try to sneak by with claims they know they cannot prove or do not make any sense. Marketers and managers use jargon because it's safe. No one stops them to ask: exactly what is it you are breaking through? … Pay attention to who uses the most jargon: it's never the brightest. It's those who want to be perceived as the best and the brightest, something they know they are not. They use cheap language tricks to intimidate, distract, and confuse, hoping to sneak past those afraid to ask what they really mean.”

And indeed it might be getting worse. Julian Fernando argues that social networking sites and blogs encouraging people to contract words, and in effect create a new language.

“Clearly, there is enormous potential for the clarity of expression to be diminished, and for what reward? 'U' is hardly more efficient than 'you', and even less efficiency is gained from 'da' (although by saving those one or two characters you might be able to add a smiley face somewhere). LOL achieves far greater efficiency gains, but what does it mean? For a long time, my mother thought LOL meant 'lots of love'. Are we really such a society of comedians that we all burst out laughing at every text message we receive? Or has it become a ridiculous catchphrase (or catch-all phrase) to express anything from uproarious mirth to mild embarrassment (or nothing at all, as in 'I went to the shops, LOL').”

If he’s right, it means that social sites like Facebook are creating a new kind of jargon, adding to all those business buzzwords, and fogging up our language up even more.

What are the worst examples of jargon, buzzwords and language mangling you’ve heard?

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/management/blogs/management-line/mind-your-jargon-20110521-1exh3.html#ixzz1NwYOpACn

PR and Journalism: An Evolving Relationship

A recent article published on ProPublica (and co-published by the Columbia Journalism Review), looks at how the boundaries between PR and journalism are blurring. For better or for worse, PR professionals now have much more power in terms of influencing the news, primarily because newsrooms are maxed out. Working with smaller staffs and budgets, and a news cycle that never sleeps, many media outlets are grateful for great “news” content. So when a publication receives an article written by a PR person, increasingly there is a chance that it will be published as is, or with minor edits.

What does this mean? Will this lead to abuse? Are PR people like myself writing the news? Keeping media and news sources unbiased and accurate is very important; does the presence of the PR industry and its influence represent a loss of journalistic integrity?

Not necessarily, and for a couple of reasons.

As the article PR Industry Fills Vacuum Left by Shrinking Newsrooms points out, any reputable publication won’t accept a story idea that is untimely, unimportant, irrelevant or self-serving. Conversely, as the PR field evolves and matures, there is a concern about the ethical dealings with journalists, and a self-awareness that serves to prevent wrongdoing. Any good PR person knows (or should know), for example, that it is professional suicide to submit an article that is biased, overtly “salesy,” or riddled with marketing speak – that is completely useless to an editors. But a great story idea, however, presented with real data and information to back it up, is absolutely acceptable and very helpful to time-strapped journalists. Perhaps that’s the point that so often goes unrecognized – that PR provides valuable support to media outlets and helps to increase its efficiency as well.

Well, we do try you know….

You can read the entire article on ProPublica here.

Repeat Offenders: Word Crimes Revisited

Back in November 2010, I wrote a column in MediaPost about Word Crimes: words that have been resigned to corporate jargon, ill-suited for the situation, or overused enough to render their meaning useless. Unfortunately, these crimes continue and I feel a duty to round up the posse and bring more "offenders" to justice. Here are a few buzzwords of language malfeasance. Proactive Proactive is, hands down, one of the most overused words in the world today. Whether it is in politics or business, being proactive, circa 2006, has been thought of as a revolutionary concept. My question is this: In business, why do people need to be constantly told to be proactive? The definition of proactive -- or acting in anticipation of future needs/changes -- is pretty much the definition of work, or doing business. The opposite of proactive seems to be just sitting around waiting for things to happen, so if you have to tell someone to "be proactive," maybe you should just say, "go to work." Proactive is not a selling point folks. "At the end of the day...." You know this phrase: it's always followed by a summation -- the situation boiled down into a pithy, already-known conclusion, such as, "At the end of the day, it all comes down to providing our clients with the best service possible." In all of such summations, is it not the same situation that exists at the start of the day? What profound event, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., has taken place to completely change such an obvious conclusion? Constructive Okay, constructive is a good word, but my problem is with the context in which it's constantly used: people say "constructive" in meetings and memos to somehow imply that "now we're really going to get somewhere." What have we been doing up to this point? It should be implied that all of our intentions in business are to be constructive. Much like the word "proactive," why would you need to tell someone to be constructive? Again, the meaning of the word -- to promote improvement or development -- is an essential element of doing business itself. Oh, and if you're simply handing out criticism, without the intention of being "constructive," you're just being an arse. Turnkey For a while there, I thought this term had gone away (like end-to-end); however, it seems to have begun another crime wave. Although originally meant to be something (a project, construction, design, model --made popular by the IT industry) that is developed and built, then turned over, ready to use by the purchaser, "turnkey" is now used to describe every "solution" under the sun. Somehow along the way, it's also become known as the speed at which something is done, or to describe a solution that has been figured out along the way, or done impromptu. Personally, if I hear the word "turnkey," my BS meter is tuned to "maximum sensitivity." "Non-Essential Personnel" I don't know how to feel about this one: livid at those who coined the phrase, or sorry for the ones that are labeled as "non-essential." The phrase conjures up more questions than answers: how many non-essential people are necessary during ordinary times? Are there a lot of non-essential, paid-for activities going on day-to-day? Might I suggest changing the term to "Core Operations Personnel Only" when referring to the skeleton crew needed to keep businesses and governments running in times of crisis and financial distress? "Sole Survivor" I understand it's not a business phrase, but it's one that drives me crazy nonetheless. It's redundant. "Survivor," singular, means exactly one person that survives. "Sole" means "the only," or "one." Maybe we should play a game of spot the oxymoron next time? And a few others: "Let's circle the wagons ... on Friday" (I choked on my coffee when I heard this one) Engagement (offenders, you know who you are) Insights (provided by the "new" experts) Of course, there are many more repeat offenders of word crimes so please be on the lookout for clichés, overused buzzwords, and useless lingo. Send them my way to vanessa@thinkinkpr.com as I compile a 2011 unabridged version of Bullshit Bingo. Read the entire article on MediaPost here.

The Great Pay Divide (for Women in Public Relations)

When International Women’s Day rolled around in March, I contemplated the topic of why men make more money doing the same job as women. In the PR industry. Was this the truth, or had I succumbed to a perpetual myth? Or was I dredging up ghosts a la The Feminine Mystique? Undeniably, some discrimination within the greater marcomm industry still exists, but is it pervasive enough these days to warrant such a generalization? From my own experience, as employee and employer, I couldn't see the pay inequality.

So I created an informal survey for women and men in the communications industry that aims to establish whether pay inequality really does exist.

Here is a link to the survey if you would like to take part.

Your responses will be treated confidentially, unless you would you like to comment openly, in which case I can include your comments in my findings - with your permission, of course! And if you have any questions or would like to contribute information beyond the questions in the survey, please drop me a line at vanessa@thinkinkpr.com.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to complete this survey.

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e3u6ar0fgngi6sjy/start

Email Marketing Missteps Monday (and Other Days)

1. Apology emails

2. Lame email subject lines

3. When it comes to sales calls and email follow ups, more isn’t better

I've been on the road again for almost two weeks. A number of things happen when I travel for business; I manage my time better (imagine that?!); I am more critical of emails (that waste my time), and I spend a lot more time thinking, analyzing and observing people.

While away, I was bombarded with apology emails. Marketers discovered last year (2010 seems like eons ago, doesn't it?) that apologizing for an email screw up was endearing to customers. So they started "screwing up" on a regular basis and sending silly emails with subject lines like “We screwed up, and we’re really sorry.” When consumers switched off to this nonsensical tactic, like in September 2010, most email marketers wised up and moved on to the new/next email trick.

But clearly some marketing laggers are still churning out "we are sorry, we screwed up" emails. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? I guess not.

Can you stop clogging my inbox and find something more original please? Do it now, or forever be banished to opt-out hell.

Lame Email Subject Lines

Working in the communications business, I'm constantly confounded by the lack of creativity or testing by marketers. (I'm going after email marketers again today). In the last two weeks, I've received an email offering me a birthday discount (my birthday is in December), an email to sign up for Nutrisystem (I guess someone snitched on my unhealthy love for Poutine), an email offering an AARP subscription (I am a good 10 years away, thank you very much), and a multitude of poorly timed, and poorly targeted offers.

No wonder people have switched off to email.

More is better? Not always

Some people believe that more is better. More caviar Madam? Definitely! More Sauvignon Blanc for you Madam? Yes please! More headache pills Madam, you look rather faint? Absolutely!

But there are some things that don't improve with quantity. Like sales calls, or the same sales email every other day. Selling is a tough game. I got out of it years ago. Consumers today are unforgiving, and woe behold the sales person that catches me at the wrong time, or on the wrong day.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), we've shoe-horned ourselves into a way of life where we want everything, but that demand varies from day to day - even hour to hour. Businesses are as much to blame by accommodating our indecisiveness, and demand for instant information and gratification.

My particular experience started when I inquired about a software solution. I filled in the questionnaire and then it began. We had the demo, the follow up sales call, the quote, the email, another email, ANOTHER email, and then the ultimatum. Sign now, or you miss out on the discount.. Sign now, or you miss out on a free set of (whatever).

As a marketer (and salesperson), I've come to learn that pressure and intimidation tactics do not lead to long-term relationships or the nurturing of good clients. Those deals might engorge your sales quota for the period, but not much else. Good clients buy a product or a service (usually) on its merits, and the timing of their business needs.

So instead of applying pressure about your commission deadlines and your needs, why not try a different approach that focuses on my needs (I'm the customer, remember??), instead of yours.

That may be a novel approach for some sales people and marketers, but it’s an approach that usually works.

Want to Recycle Your Old or Busted Mobile Phone to Raise Money for Women in Developing Countries?

I don't normally post our agency press releases on my blog, but I believe this event, Recycle Your Mobile Phone to Eradicate Poverty, is super important and will be of interest to both the mobile community and the general public. Disclosure – we do pro-bono work for the Heartland Mobile Council and are enlisting media support.

If you want to help, or know anyone who would be interested in attending or donating their mobile phone to help eradicate poverty and raise money for female entrepreneurs in developing countries, please contact me at http://www.blogger.com/vanessa@thinkinkpr.com.

You can also find out more at www.heartlandmobilecouncil.org or http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1439057259.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Mobile Phones Go Global: Heartland Mobile Council and Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program Host Event to Recycle Cell Phones, End Global Poverty through Entrepreneurship

Fundraising Event with Guest of Honor Martin Cooper, Inventor of the Mobile Phone, Will Raise Money for Female Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries

Chicago, April 21, 2011 – The Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program, in association with the Heartland Mobile Council and Martin Cooper, the inventor of the mobile phone, will host a fundraising event to help raise awareness for women in poverty on Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 6:00–9:00PM at the Google Chicago office.

Attendees’ old cell phones and PDAs will be collected at the event for the Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program, which recycles phones and collects the proceeds to benefit microfinance organizations. Proceeds collected from the event will be donated to the Grameen Bank, which provides poverty-stricken women with microfinance loans which help them to create small businesses which can eventually sustain and support their families.

Assisting the Entrepreneurial Efforts of Those in Developing Countries

In our increasingly technologically savvy culture, owning a cell phone is a necessity for entrepreneurs who need to be able to conduct business deals and respond to emergencies at any time, day or night. But what about entrepreneurs in developing countries who barely have enough food to eat, much less these tech advantages that are often taken for granted? That’s a question that the Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program is helping to answer.

As an organization dedicated to aiding underprivileged peopled in developing countries while also helping the environment, the Recycle to Eradicate Poverty program collects donations of old cell phones and PDAs, which are no longer being used by their owners, and recycles the devices to collect money for those in need . In support of this effort, the Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program has partnered with Chicago-based Heartland Mobile Council (HMC), to host a fundraising event on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Google Chicago office. Special guest Martin Cooper, inventor of the world’s first mobile phone in 1973, will be speaking at the event to present his insights into the continually changing communication world and the important role it will play in future generations. “The world is shrinking as more people become connected through wireless devices; it is now possible to create, using a donated cell phone, a self-sustaining business in many emerging countries,” says Cooper.

From Microfinance to Mobile, An Ideal Nonprofit Partnership

The partnership between the Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program and the Heartland Mobile Council (HMC) is a well-matched alliance, as the HMC is a nonprofit organization focused on educating brands on how to use mobile marketing effectively to promote their business. “We jumped at the chance to partner with Recycle to Eradicate Poverty, as their goal of eradicating poverty through connectivity is right in line with our mission and we are happy to provide them with an event stage to promote their cause,” says Hugh Park Jedwill, Executive Director of the HMC. “Our support of Grameen's micro-financing is a great way to connect the entrepreneurs of the Second City to the female entrepreneurs of the Third World.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Grameen Bank’s micro financing efforts in third world countries. Founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Grameen Bank is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping female entrepreneurs in developing countries through microfinance. A widely-established method, microfinance provides small loans, or micro-loans, to impoverished people to start or expand small, self-sufficient businesses. Through their own ingenuity and drive, and with the support of the lending microfinance institution (MFI), poverty-stricken women are able start their journey out of poverty and into a better life.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their old cell phones and PDAs for recycling. Early bird tickets are $20 through May 6^th; after that date tickets will be $35.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1439057259.

For more information about the event or about the Heartland Mobile Council, please contact Amanda Williams at awilliams@thinkinkpr.com or Katie Norwood at knorwood@thinkinkpr.com.

About The Heartland Mobile Council
The Heartland Mobile Council is a Chicago-based non-profit organization whose mission is to educate brands on how to use mobile marketing effectively. The HMC is a safe forum for marketers and companies to learn how to use this new marketing channel to grow their businesses and enrich their brands. For more information, please visit http://heartlandmobilecouncil.org/, or follow us on Twitter @heartlandmobile.

More about the Recycle to Eradicate Poverty Program:

Recycle to Eradicate Poverty energizes organizations to collect used cell phones/PDAs and inkjet cartridges to be recycled. The proceeds from those recycling efforts are used to provide microfinance loans as small as $50 to women entrepreneurs to create a small business, which can eventually sustain her family. For more information, please visit http://recycletoeradicatepoverty.com/.

About Martin Cooper:

Martin Cooper invented the mobile phone in 1973 in Chicago while working for Motorola. As the story goes, the first public cell phone call was made to his competitor at Bell Labs. At the press conference for the launch of the first commercially available mobile phone, he was asked about talk time of the phone; his reply was “It’s only 20 minutes, but that’s not a problem, it's so heavy you can’t hold the phone to your ear that long!” He continues to innovate and publicly speak through DYNA LLC, the company founded by Martin and his wife, Arlene Harris. For more information, visit http://www.dynallc.com/. Follow him on Twitter: @martymobile.