by Tom Fels (@thomasfels) Our world is changing. The longstanding masculine drivers of politics, business and competition — focused on winning at all costs — have led us into a state of inequality, conflict and suppression. Over many decades, brands have perpetuated these virtues by fuelling a lifestyle of material success and opulent consumption.
Yet it seems that our collective good is not served by this approach and, in response, both leaders and brands across the world are turning toward a new matriarchal way of being that presents a far brighter outlook.
Data backs this move, as Y&R chief insights officer John Gerzema discovered in a study of 64 000 people in 13 countries. Over two-thirds of respondents felt the world would be a better place if men thought more like women, leading him to declare that “femininity is the operating system of 21st century prosperity” in his book, “The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future”.*
It takes only a brief look at our own current state of affairs to realise that the opportunity for a more holistic, harmonious and sustainable approach to politics, business, leadership and brand marketing is enormous, and remarkably untapped.
Masculine vs feminine virtues
The modern capitalist economy is largely masculine in its construct. Profits reign at the expense of our natural environment; competition places victory over equitable terms and short-term gain over sustainability.
In Vanessa Halloum’s book, “The 5 Feminine Power Virtues”, she names authenticity, spirituality, gratitude, presence and sensuality as the key attributes for women to lean into. These more graceful qualities are today playing an increasing role as we transition from an industrial economy to one of service orientation and customer centricity.
The impact on leadership
Far from being a total showdown between masculine and feminine virtues (that would be very masculine!), it is the embrace of both that is shifting social and commercial values to redefine success in a more inclusive and heartfelt manner.
The Emotional Quality (EQ) of leaders is playing an increasingly vital role in employee engagement and the soft skills often associated with female leaders are highly valued, as illustrated in Gerzema’s study of 32 000 subjects who were asked to classify traits as masculine, feminine or neutral, and link them to their desirability in a modern leader:
As this change continues to manifest, we see leaders adopting a more relationship-based approach to fostering community in and outside the office by listening, expressing vulnerability and willingly collaborating with staff and consumers to generate more-meaningful products and services.
The impact on brands
Cultural norms have a huge influencing role in fostering brand attitudes and, for many decades, the demonstration of success has been one of the commonly held visual cues of brands. Think of the old Peter Stuyvesant ads, or any premium brands, financial institution or retailer today. Dress for success, bank for success and, while you’re at it, let’s toast to success.
However, the definition of success is changing; we have realised we are not infallible and so health becomes more highly prized as time ticks over to become our rarest commodity. Our choices are, therefore, increasingly about more than ourselves as we consider the sustainability of our legacy.
In a story that is about creating a better archetypal leader, it’s thus equally fitting to think that brands ought to be shifting to resonate with this more-holistic value system.
Rather than focusing upon persuasion, brands should be aiming at fostering relationships. Amazing companies such as Patagonia have enormous equity scores and a highly engaged community that provides countless great stories to share. Focused upon quality, transparency and accountability, they have discovered that consumers don’t expect perfection so long as they are honest and have demonstrated their willingness for constant improvement.
What a refreshing thought.
On the local scene, I’ll be interested to track the success of the recently announced Pharrell Williams and Woolworths initiative, in which Williams has adopted the role of style director across a range of sustainability-oriented projects. Already this has received a Twitterati backlash, but the proof will be in the pudding.
Parting thoughts
As custodians, communication experts and curators of modern brand culture, we must acknowledge that the changing rhetoric in society is gaining momentum in a way that will eventually present marketers with a watershed moment:
Are you in it for the money, or is there a greater good behind your actions?
The generosities of those who truly care for their cause and are driven by the self-worth born of their noble beliefs are sure to rise to the top and sustain their advantage. Just ask Jessica Alba, whose frustration regarding the chemicals in many household products inspired her to start The Honest Company in 2011, catering to a marketplace of ethical consumerism. Barely five years later, it is valued at nearly US$1bn and is preparing for its initial IPO.
Feminine traits undoubtedly provide a new and differentiated form of competitive advantage in a game where everyone else is playing by old boys’ rules. They are a catalyst for innovation and a magnetic force for employee and consumer engagement. Our cultural tone is shifting and so, too, must our marketing.
References:
- Inc.: Between Venus and Mars: 7 Traits of True Leaders
- AdAge: Marketing in the New Matriarchy: Women Have Never Had It So Good
- GreenBiz: Radical Industrialists Is a ‘womanly’ business a more sustainable one?
*The Athena Doctrine is a collaboration between John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio.
With a decade of local and international experience in leading brand consulting, design, shopper marketing and integrated advertising roles, Tom Fels (@thomasfels) has gained a deeply relevant understanding of the dynamics of agencies. His skills are put to work daily as group managing director of Publicis Machine. He contributes the monthly “The Ad Exec” column to MarkLives.
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