Stop treating emotion as a brand asset but a leadership flaw
Helen JamesEmotion and vulnerability are celebrated in advertising, but often lacking in leadership. It’s a double standard marketers must stop ignoring.
Helen James
If Trump were a CMO, he’d have been fired by now
Helen JamesIf you look at Donald Trump’s second term in office through a marketing lens, judging purely on leadership effectiveness and audience connection, he has made three indefensible errors.
Brands must be more than passive observers in the fight against toxic masculinity
Helen JamesThere is a clear opportunity for brands to help redefine masculinity but a single campaign won’t cut it. It must come from a deeper, collective effort across everything from the stories they tell and the behaviours they normalise to the identities they promote.
As cultural attitudes evolve, so too must the way brands approach commercial marketing moments
Helen JamesMarketers may view events like Valentine’s Day as a commercial goldmine but the way people celebrate such moments is evolving so brands must adapt to avoid being seen as tone-deaf.
The future of marketing is inclusive, not because it’s current, but because it’s necessary
Helen JamesDespite being the most depressing day of the year, there are four reasons to be cheerful about the future of inclusive marketing.
The marketing industry must do more to address the dark corners of pay transparency
Helen JamesGiven the industry’s potential to shape society and change behaviour, there is so much more we can and must do to help lower marketing’s gender pay gap.
What the evolution of Wonderbra tells us about ‘brave’ marketing campaigns
Helen JamesThe ‘Hello Boys’ campaign has long been held up as a classic by those who want to take marketing back to what they see as a ‘braver’ time – but, in reality, it was little more than a lazy effort that forgot to speak to its target audience.
Brands don’t need to choose between playfulness and purpose – they can do both
Helen JamesMarketing has become very serious – but a dollop of humour can do wonders for effectiveness and doesn’t have to come at the expense of your brand message.
Challenger brands are beating Olympic sponsors at their own game
Helen JamesWith the right athlete tie-up and creative content strategy, smaller brands are punching above their weight to stand out amongst high profile official sponsors.
Political parties have got to do more to engage female voters
Helen JamesYes, Labour won the election, but there is much more the party could have done to engage and mobilise female voters, something it will need to address in future.
Brands need to wake up to the true value of women’s sport
Helen JamesDespite all the noise brands are making around women’s sport, too few are putting their money where their mouth is and really backing female athletes and teams.
We mustn’t let the seductive siren call of AI lure the industry back in time
Helen JamesWork must be done to clean up the bias in data that is fed into many AI tools or the industry risks going backwards.
Brands have a vital role to play in shaping the conversation around women’s health
Helen JamesWomen’s health is a $1trn per year opportunity yet brands are still failing to represent and communicate to women in a meaningful way.
Scared of a backlash? It just means you’re pushing in the right direction
Helen JamesNot everyone will always like it, but addressing cultural tension with genuine creative tension is the only way to drive real change.
Powering through is no longer an option, it’s time to make change happen
Helen JamesLast year was dubbed the ‘Year of the Girl’ but with marketing’s gender pay gap stuck at the 16% mark and women revealed to be taking on more additional responsibilities than men for no extra pay there is clearly still work to be done.
Are brands better off reflecting reality or pushing boundaries at Christmas?
Helen JamesHeads up, this column is about Christmas ads. If you’ve already seen more analysis than you can bear, look away now. But if you’re a woman with a festive to-do list as long as your arm, you might want to read on.
If the automotive industry wants to grow it needs to target women
Helen JamesOver half of female motorists don’t feel seen by motoring marketing comms. If the industry wants to grow in the face of a clampdown on petrol vehicles perhaps it’s finally time for women to be targeted.