Generational Marketing

The way that a product or service is promoted relies on many characteristics that are present within different generations. As a result of varying belief systems and values within the different variations, it is imperative that marketers thoroughly research the targeted generation in order to convey the proposed messages accurately and effectively. This effect may be acheived by focussing on lifestyle characteristics, buying behaviours, and demographic factors including income, education and gender. As well as these characteristics, experiences shared by the members of each generation including: cultural, global, economic, political and technological influences may also have a huge influence (Brandeo).

There are four main generational categories that marketers tend to focus on. They include:

• Millenials or Generation 2001ers, born after 1980;
• Baby Busters or Generation Xers born between 1965 and 1980;
• Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964;
• Mature Citizens born between 1909 and 1945.

Tweens are a youthful generation that can be categorised in the Millenials or Generation2001ers and fit into the 8-14 age bracket. It has been identified by marketers and advertisers that this segment is a popular and successful target audience as they tend to follow any fashion trend set for them, they no longer see themselves as children and are believed to be growing up too fast, although marketers use this sense of 'maturity' and 'sophistication' in order to place products in the eyes of the tween consumer to convince them that they need the product in order to appear 'older' and cultivate a sophisticated self-image.

The tween market has huge spending power and are specifically targeted by marketers for their money. The values and attitudes of this segment are constantly changing so any brand positioning for this generation must be carefully placed to keep up with the changing landscape. Tweens now tend to follow fashions and current music trends, for example, in order to define their individuality, rather than simply playing with toys. Popular television/film figures that tweens appear to follow include Hannah Montana and Harry Potter. They may aspire to be like the character in the programme, desiring to experience their fame, independance and individual styles and trends. Tweens are viewed by marketers as "consumers in training" because brand loyalty of many products is developed at this age i.e. someone who purchases a certain brand at this young age is more likely to continue purchasing it throughout life, especially if it is one regularly used by their parents too.

At this stage in their life, a tween will face many tough and life-changing obstacles such as the transition from primary school to secondary school which to many, if not all, may find highly daunting and unappealing, moving away from the safety and familiarity they have known, to leaving friends behind, having to get to know new people and make new friendship groups. They are also at the age where they will be approaching puberty, may be given more responsibilites such as getting themselves to and from school on their own and becoming latch-key kids. They may also be exposed to dangerous behaviours such as drugs, sex and more, participated in by their peers and even forced to experience this themselves as a result of peer-pressure and wanting to 'fit in'.

There are many issues asociated with marketing and advertising to Tweens by convincing them that they are mature, independant consumers and therefore removing parents from the picture. This is a dangerous aspect, especially in today's society with the impact of youth culture and intimidating behaviour posed by youngsters to members of all communities by making them "vulnerable to potential unhealthy messages about body image, sexuality, relationships and violence" (Media Awareness Network).

An article found in Personnel Today written by Dr Wolfgang Seidl, Executive Director of The Validium Group Ltd, clearly defines Generation Y and the specific charateristics that the members of this generation posses in relation to careers and opportunities in order to "develop or prove themselves." This is in particular comparison to their parents, Generation X or baby boomers, who tend to fit their lifestyle around a career rather than fitting work around their lives. The findings in this article may suggest a direct link to marketing and advertising in the way that members of Generation Y may have less responsibilities in a way that gives them a higher personal disposable income, they may still live at home so will spend more money on products specifically aimed at them through advertising in order to define themselves as an individual or fit in with a certain group. In comparison, members of Generation X will be focussing on saving money and only making purchases that are absolutely necessary such as grocery shopping or replacing durable household products such as furniture and electrical goods. This Generation may be influenced by such marketing communications that deliver an image of good value by certain money deals or ones that will guarantee that the product has a long life. Consumers of this generation are more likely to be brand loyal, sticking with a specific brand that they are familiar with and trust.

Groups

A group consists of two or more individuals who share a set of norms, have role relationships and experience interdependent behaviours. Consumers are often influenced in their purchase decisions depending on the group in which they belong or admire to be a part of by a desire to be accepted by others. Members of a group are often likely to participate in activities they would not normally do as an individual as a result of their identities becoming merged. The term 'reference group' can used to define any external influence that provides social cues on an individual. Reference groups are 'an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual's evaluations, aspirations, or behaviour' (Solomon). Well known groups such as the Royal Family, successful football teams, popular music bands, influencing individuals such as Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, or even groups close to home including class mates, social groups, sports teams etc can all be classed as a reference group due to the immediate influence placed upon an individual to fit into that each particular group or group in which they aspire to belong. A consumer's behaviour can be heavily influenced by the social factors that they come into contact with.

Groups can be categorised into 8 different sections:


Reference groups - groups that have a direct or indirect influence on the person's attitudes or behaviour.
Acquired groups - groups that you choose to go into (educational/work).
Aspirational groups - groups that you wish to belong to or wish to be associated with (celebrities/sports personalities).
Disassociation groups - groups that you do not wish to be a part of (chav's).

Contrived groups - groups that are formed for a specific purpose (committes/unions).
Associative groups - groups that you realistically belong to, people that you can associate with (friends/family).
Peer groups - groups with people of equal standing, people you see everyday (university/work).
Ascribed groups - groups that you are born into (ethnicity/social class/family/gender).


Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs strives to determine the reasons behind why people are driven by particular needs at particular times. Maslow suggests that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy, from the most important to the least important. The most important needs in this scale must be satisfied first before the person 'moves' to the next level. In advertising and marketing campaigns marketers use the needs mentioned in Maslow's hierarchy in order to create a pivotal message for the consumer, encouraging them that they need the product or service to ultimately satisfy these needs. The hierarchy of needs consists of:

1. Physiological needs (hunger/thirst)
2. Safety needs (security/protection)
3. Social needs (sense of belonging/love)
4. Esteem needs (self-esteem/recognition/status)
5. Cognitive needs (comprehension/understanding)
6. Aesthetic needs (order/beauty)
7. Self-actualisation needs (self-development/realisation)
   
   

Involvement, Values and Attitudes

'A person's perceived relevance of the object based on their inherent needs, values and interests' (Solomon). It is the level of personal importance evoked by a stimulus leading to motivation to process information.

When purchasing a product, the consumer will show different behaviours for different products depending on their level of importance. For example, a tube of toothpaste will require little consideration on purchase compared to buying a new car which would involve many risks. A complex decision, such as buying a new car or a holiday, will more than likely require the involvement of more people and more buyer deliberation. This may be due to the need to satisfy certain values such as self-respect, a sense of belonging, security, fun and enjoyment and self-fulfilment as stated by Kahle (1983) as well as suitability for family members and practicalities. Research carried out by Laurent and Kapferer in 1985 states that the consumer's level of involvement is likely to be affected by an involvement profile which contains four main criteria: importance and risk (FTPEPS: finance, time, performance, ego, physical, social); probability of making a bad purchase; pleasure value of product category; sign value of product category (symbolism). They recognised that a consumer will become more involved with a product if it is a risky purchase or its intended use reflects or affects the individual consumer.

Solomon suggests that if marketers are aware of the factors that increase or decrease the attention of the consumer, with regards to their varying level of involvement with products, they can take steps to increase the likelihood that information surrounding the product will get through to the consumer and therefore boost their motivation to process relevant information. Examples of techniques that could be used to allow this to happen include: appealing to the consumers' hedonic needs (using sensory appeals in order to generate higher levels of attention); use novel stimuli, such as cinematography, sudden silences or unexpected movements in commercials to create harsh contrasts; capture attention with the use of prominent stimuli such as loud music and fast action; generate higher interest in commercials with the use of celebrity endorsement; build an ongoing, positive relationship with consumers; and provide interactive possibilities to create loyalty bonds online.

This advert above for the Sony Bravia LCD television is effective in its use of stimuli in order to grab the attention of the consumer, with the bouncy balls flowing through the streets. The use of colour in the balls contrasts with the plain block colours of the buildings and scenery used. The mesmerising music by Jose Gonzalez provides a contrast between the perceived fast movement of the balls and the gentle ryhthm of the music, almost transfixing the viewer to find out the true meaning of the advert and follow the journey of the balls.

This clip from Friends with Joey's new bag is an effective example of high involvement as well as Laurent and Kapferer's four components, in an unusual case as men are generally not perceived to use bags such as the one used in this clip. His decision to purchase the bag, in turn, affects his ego, social impact in the way that people, including his friends, have judged him, and performance in the way that the impression it gave made him unsuccessful in his audition.

Involvement can be seen as the motivation to process information. The attention of the consumer will be sought if it is perceived that there is a relevant linkage between the information and the values and needs of the consumer. A person's level of involvement can range from a complete lack of interest to an obsession. Involvement will be activated by certain stimuli that appear relevant to the consumer and when relevant knowledge has been processed in the memory, the level of motivation created will drive the consumer's buyer behaviour. 'Consumption of a stimulus can be characterised by inertia where decisions are made out of habit because the consumer lacks the motivation to consider alternatives. At the high end of involvement, we can expect to find the passionate intensity reserved for people and objects that carry great meaning for the individual' (Solomon).

Values

'A belief about some desirable end-state that transcends specific situations and guides selection of behaviour' (Solomon).

'An enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence' (Rokeach, 1973).

'If we believe our overall values drive our behaviour, then we should be concentrating on the important, underlying motives that drive consumers to make product or service choices rather than simply product attributes' (Ries and Trout, 1982).

Consumer's consumption activities are influenced by their values, adopted by parents, cultural influences, social influences or from events experienced during a lifetime, in order to attain a value-related goal. With regards to social networking, individuals with a similar belief system tend to overlap to allow them to be exposed to more information that ultimately supports their own beliefs. Value systems are a function of individual, cultural and social influences that vary hugely among each individual. Values that motivate people vary across cultures, although there is usually a set of underlying goals or values that the majority of members within that culture agree are important. It is the influence across society such as the ones mentioned above that determine the way marketers must act in order to grab the consumers' attention and not so much change their value systems but adapt the advertising/marketing of the product or service to the beliefs of the targeted consumer.

A list of values, as devised by Kahle (1983), defines the end-states of values that motivate people in the way that they live their life. It prioritises the main values that drive your lifestyle, for example: self-respect, being well respected, security, sense of belonging and fun and enjoyment. The consumer will make purchase decisions on specific products in order to satisfy and accomplish these beliefs/values.

Attitudes

'A person's consistently favourable or unfavourable evaluations, feelings and tendencies towards an object or idea' (Kotler).

Research has shown that people tend to develop attitudes through life experiences, influences of other people, and through core values of the culture they may belong to. 'People have attitudes regarding politics. religion, clothes, music, food and almost everything else. An attitude describes a person's relatively consistent evaluations, feelings and tendencies towards an object or idea' (Kotler). These attitudes will, in turn, influence the consumer's buying behaviour, putting people into a frame of mind of liking or disliking things and moving towards or away from them. Brand and product images are developed from the attitudes of individuals, creating a particular interest for the marketer in the way that they must research thoroughly into the types of attitudes already formed within their specific product target groups in order to fit the product into the existing attitudes, rather than forcing people to change their ways of thinking and their beliefs or values.

Timeline of events in my life that have made an impact on me

September 2008 – Started University
April 2008 – Went to Kefalonia in Greece to work in a hotel for the summer season
April 2008 – Left The Validium Group
December 2007 – Deaths of Granny and Granddad
July 2007 – Bridesmaid at best friends wedding
July 2007 – Started at The Validium Group
May 2007 – First experience of competing in Eventing
June 2006 – Dad diagnosed with cancer
July 2005 – London bombings
May 2005 – Started working for Bumble Thomas – International Event rider
July 2004 – Left Wycombe High School after A Levels
November 2003 - Passed driving test

July 2003 – First holiday to Kefalonia
September 2001 – New York terrorist attacks
April 2000 – School skiing trip to USA
September 1998 – Started Wycombe High School
July 1998 – Left West Wycombe Primary School
August 1997 – Death of Princess Diana
August 1995 – Caravanning with Granny and Granddad
August 1994 – PGL adventure holiday with best friend
May 1994 – First holiday in Greece
January 1992 – Started horse riding
February 1986 – I was born!!

It is these main events that have stuck in my memory having made such a significant impact on my life and my value systems in everything that i do today. They are the type of events that i can remember vividly, from where i was at the time, the people that surrounded me and even the smells and sounds that were present at the time. The majority of the events appear to new beginnings or endings - some that dramatically changed my life as i once knew it. Some of the events made me realise that you cannot take anything for granted as you never know what you will face around the next corner, they are the events that taught me to grab any opportunity if i have the chance and live life to the full everyday.

Harvard Project Implicit

'Project Implicit is a virtual laboratory for the social and behavioural sciences designed to facilitate the research of implicit social cognition: cognitions, feelings and evaluations that are not necessarily available to conscious awareness, conscious control, conscious intention or self-reflection. Project Implicit comprises a netowrk or laboratories, technicians and research scientists at Harvard University, the University of Washington and the University of Virginia. The project was initially launched as a demonstration website in 1998 at Yale University and began to function fully as a research enterprise following a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health in 2003'.

The test i chose to undertake is one that determines whether you associate males with careers and females with family. The results from my test show that i have a slight association of male with career and female with family compared to female with career and male with family. The results are determined by the speed of your reaction when relating male and female names to the correct location on the screen, as well as relating words linked with career and family to male or female depending on whether male or female is linked with career or family. The information below shows the overall results of the gender-career test for all participants of this particular test.

Gift Giving

Gift giving is about emotionally connecting the giver and the receiver with the use of a tangible (or possibly an intangible) object. Research carried out by psychologists and marketers, among others, have found that giving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends (The New York Times).

Gift Giving can be viewed as a ritual involving the selection, presentation, acceptance and interpretation of a gift, which can be accentuated during every holiday or special occasion. It can be interpreted as a symbolic exchange where the giver is motivated by acknowledging the social bonds between people. The situation in which giving gifts take place can be influenced by certain cultures, occasions or ceremonies whether they are personal or on a professional basis (Solomon et al).

The business of buying gifts is seen as the 'ultimate in emotional consumerism', as it is all about an emotional connection between the giver and the recipient. 'Whenever consumer shopping behaviour is driven by emotion, the shopper's goal is to buy a thing to achieve a special feeling, enhance an emotional experience or deepen an emotional reaction.' It is seen to be an action that will strengthen the emotional connection between individuals (Admap article). The giving of gifts allows retailers and marketers to target two individuals at one time, with the constant desire to establish effective relationships and positive experiences. Helpful retailers and clear, concise marketing will guide the giver through the difficulties of the decision making process encouraging them to become a repeat gift giver and also to return to the particular store many times after. 'Gifting is an emotionally charged chance for retailers and manufacturers to connect directly with two target markets at once which gives gifting its opportunity for exponential marketing impact' (Admap).

The Buyer Decision Process

Kotler et al describe the buyer decision process in a 5-stage model: need recognition - the first stage of the buyer decision process in which the consumer recognises a problem or need. Information search is the second stage in which the consumer is aroused to search for more information; the consumer may simply have heightened attention or may go into active information search. The third stage of the decision process involves the evaluation of alternatives where the consumer uses information to evaluate alternative brands in the choice set. The fourth stage focuses on the purchase decision in which the consumer actually buys the product, and the fifth and final stage is known as the post-purchase behaviour in which the consumer will take further action after purchase based on their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. This process becomes increasingly heightened during the purchase or a gift creating a certain level of high involvement. Although the gift may not be highly expensive in comparison to a computer or a laptop, there is a risk concerning the desired emotional response or connection created by the gift between the giver and receiver.

Involvement can be defined as 'a person's perceived relevance of the object based on their inherent needs, values and interests' (Solomon).The level on involvement required by the consumer when making a purchase decision can be classed as high or low. Low involvement products, such as day to day, routine cleaning products or household goods, require little thought and time during purchase, they become more of a habitual purchase. Cars, for example, follow a different lead when it comes to a purchase. There are many factors to weigh up before making a final decision. These could include price, performance of the vehicle and family considerations.

Gift giving has a huge impact on marketing in the way that 'there is no longer a single gifting season'. This is an especially important trend for retailers who typically do a very good job serving gift shoppers for those predictable holidays --Christmas, Mother's Day. Valentine's Day and Father's Day are the top ranked gifting holidays -- but they need to develop strategies to make their stores a better destination for gift shopping all 365-days a year' (Unity Marketing). The experience established within the store by the giver influences their choice and ultimate purchase decision of a gift. It they encounter a negative experience, it is likely that they will not return to the shop depending on the severity of the incident that occurred. However, if the experience was of a positive nature the consumer is highly likely to return and also spread their experiences by word of mouth to friends and family who would then be influenced to make a visit. The purchase of a gift is one that involves a great deal of thought, a decision that requires many questions to be answered, for example: what would the recipient like? What occasion is the gift for? What type of relationship do i have with the recipient? The role of the retailer is to create the maximum pleasure out of the visit that will be strong enough to influence the recipient as well as the giver. The smallest finishing touches can be key to creating this level of impact on the consumer with the use of special gift-wrapping services or complementary scented products/decoration as finishing touches to the service.

'Store choice for gifts is controlled by the left brain, but gift selection is right-brain dominated' (Admap).

Heuristics, Memory and Nostalgia - Tricking people out of their buying habits

It is important to understand the key aspects in both the changing and static buying behaviours of the consumer in order to develop effective marketing and advertising campaigns. There is the constant need to promote customer satisfaction during and after a purchase has been made, helping to create a positive image of that brand/product/service etc. In order to do this effectively, it is imperative that the needs and wants of the consumer are addressed at all times, encouraging the consumer to change a want into a need.

Many characteristics and situations (cultural, social, personal and psychological) experienced throughout an individual's life will influence their buying behaviour, for example an older person who has lived through the war, experienced rationing and who was brought up in a completely different society to the youth of today will have their own distinct needs, without having the constant pressure to boost their ego and create a socially acceptable figure of themselves. They are more likely to visit the same shop, purchase the same products and live by the same routine week after week. With this in mind it is clear to understand that each individual has many different requirements which will determine their unique buyer behaviour. Kotler's Black Box Model of Buyer Behaviour looks at a stimulus-response aspect in which the consumer processes certain stimuli, including the four P's and other major forces and events in their environment. The stimuli experienced by the consumer will enter the black box where they will be turned into a set of responses that will be individual to each consumer based on their past experiences/decision making processes and beliefs.

'Heuristics are the mental rules of thumb that lead to a speedy decision' (Solomon et al, 2006), 'making quick decisions when there is a lot of choice' (Williams, 2001). When we see advertisements that present too much information to us at one time, we often take the quickest route to arriving at decisions without considering all of the relevant information. These mental shortcuts which facilitate decision-making are called heuristics. There are four possible heuristics that may be processed by the consumer when making a purchase decision: recognition which focuses mainly on the branding of products, the consumer is more likely to buy the one they know; minimalist, which tends to be aimed at advertising, uses recognition plus one random criteria such as a nice label; take the last uses the last criteria applied to a similar situation (habit); and take the best which assesses the options in order of perceived importance of criteria (branding/USP).

Life's for sharing! (I couldn't resist putting this advert in...I think it is a fantastic example of nostalgia!)

'Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for earlier days when summers were hotter, days were longer, food was tastier and people were friendlier, lends itself to some traditional, long-lasting brands that many consumers remember from childhood' (Wright, 2000).

'Nostalgia has been described as a bitter-sweet emotion, where the past is viewed with both sadness and longing' (Solomon, 2000).

'When a stimulus is capable of recreating a personal event, even after many years, there often follows a bitter-sweet sentiment known as nostalgia' (Dubois, 2000).

Nostalgia has been defined by Solomon et al as a bittersweet emotion when the past is viewed with sadness and longing; many 'classic' products appeal to consumers' memories of their younger days. Advertisers use many references to 'the good old days' in their campaigns, nelping to call up memories of distant youth in the hope that these feelings can be translated into the products they are selling today. Stimuli, such as a song or photograph, can provoke nostalgia in the form of an instantaneous reaction in a person's body language whether it be foot tapping, goosebumps, smiling, getting more animated or speaking louder and faster. It is reactions such as these that the marketer and advertiser aim to recreate for the target audience of a product in order for them generate a sense of relationship and a bond with brand/product and also to get them talking about it too.

The picture collage below demonstrates certain stimuli that provoke a nostalgic reaction from my parents. The images are based on their youth in the 1970's when then where newly married and enjoying life to the full - jet setting to Tunisia and Greece, clubbing in Brimpton Grange (now the Oxford Belfry), boat trips and road trips with family and friends, even memories of the types of clothes they used to wear sparked a reaction of hysterical laughter and uncontrollable chatting!

Memory

'Memory involves a process of acquiring information and storing it over time so that it will be available when needed. Contemporary approaches to the study of memory employ an information-processing approach. They assume that the mind is in some ways like a computer: data are input, processed and output for later use in revised form' (Solomon, 2006).

'Learning is the acquisition of knowledge and memory is the storage of internal representations of that knowledge' (Blakemore, 1988).

'Without memory we would be servants of the moment...relying on reflexes...Civilisation itself is the distillation of human memory.'

It is a known fact that the more familiar the consumer is with a product, the more likely they are to recall it in the future. This is one of the basic fundamentals of marketing where the advertiser aims to build awareness of a product. Salience is predominantly used in advertising in order to create certain stimuli that are likely to stand out in contrast to their environment to generate more attention. Examples of this could be the use of distinct, contrasting packaging or unusual forms of advertising (such as the Gorilla advert or the more recent eyebrow advert used to promote Cadbury's Dairy Milk). This, in turn, will increase the likelihood that the product will be recalled by the consumer.

'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier: 'If only there could be an invention', i said impulsively, 'that bottled up a memory, like a scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again'.

Gender Differences in Advertising

This lecture identified the differences in the response to advertising by gender. Charity adverts such as Cancer Research UK and Barnado's children’s charitie were used as examples to discover the variation in emotional responses between males and females and ultimately whether the desired effect would occur, in these cases donation to the charities or to create awareness of the specific illness/subject. On viewing and discussing each advert, it was clear that females are more affected and are likely to become far more emotionally involved with the subject than males. This could be due to the fact that males are highly influenced by humour in adverts rather than pure emotion resulting in a loss of interest in the subject. This discovery may change if a male has been personally affected by a certain issue such as illness within their close circle of family and friends. After watching the charity adverts and focusing on their structure and content, many powerful, almost overwhelming, feelings and emotions that may have previously been experienced subconsciously where brought to the surface, particularly after the Cancer Research UK advert due to my recent personal experiences with this illness. In comparison, the male audience did not experience such high involvement and emotion as they were more likely to be encouraged to channel the TV channel or leave the room completely proving that this type of advertising is virtually ineffective for males.

The gender differences used in advertising to create an effective campaign are also visible in everyday life using the example of how to impress a woman in comparison to how you would impress a man. With males it is it clear and to the point: show up naked and bring food! Whereas for a woman there are many ways, both simple and complex, that a good impression can be made: compliment her, protect her, spend money on her, respect her, love her etc. These key points used in order to develop a good relationship are important to consider when planning a campaign, whether it is for a charity organisation or to promote a new product/service, so that the desired effect is achieved successfully.

Information taken from the Journal of Advertising Research into gender differences in advertising persuasion state that the response by an individual may be due to differences in values and processing style. It is clear that involvement conditions and the order in which messages are given play an essential part in understanding the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Females are believed to be more selfless and show a greater concern for others than males do, reinforcing the statement that females are the ‘primary caregivers’ who ‘tend to foster nurturing’ in comparison to the ‘competitive orientation’ of males (Journal of Advertising Research, 2003). As a result of the varying differences in the approach to buying and communication between males and females, there are many implications for advertisers when developing a specific advertising campaign. Women prefer complex adverts that encourage them to process the information and become highly involved in the product/service, whereas males tend to think in a more comprehensive way and need to be shown the bigger picture as they are less likely to process and solve complex metaphors.

Gender has been used in children’s advertising by the use of stereotyping. It has been noticed that many adverts that involve men and women, the male is typically seen as the more authoritative figure whereas the female tends to be used to display a mother-figure in the form of a teacher, nurse, wife or mother. Soloman et al, 2006 states that children are believed to pick up on the concept of gender identity at an earlier age than was previously thought. Research has shown that children as young as 1 or 2 are able to categorise certain activities as being masculine or feminine, such as driving a truck which signifies masculinity or cooking and cleaning which signifies femininity.

Enterprise Week - Women in Business

Sessions on gaining confidence and credibility - how to boost your inner and outer confidence, give great presentations, think creatively and a talk from local award winning entrepreneur about her business and success –a day full of tips to help you have it all!

Today's event was a fantastic experience, allowing me to gain so much valuable information and effective skills that can be put to practice in many aspects of business and general everyday life. Huge variety of people attended the event, ranging from students of Bucks New Uni to women that are already in the workplace but were interested in the topics being covered by the fantastic range of guest speakers. It was a great situation for networking and discovering what others were getting out of the sessions too.



Penny Sloane and Katie Demain - Impact Management

How to project yourself with confidence and credibility. This workshop examines ways to promote and enhance personal credibility through impression and non verbal communication. This session involved theory and group interaction which was a great way to get us all relaxed and help us get to know each other. A challenging task we were asked to complete involved groups of 8 people, and within our own group we were to sum up each person using one word relating to our first impression of that person. I certainly found it amazing that the way people see me as an individual differs greatly from how I see myself. A video included in the presentation really hit home to us all relating to how quickly someone can make a judgement of you within the first 3-5 seconds. The situation involved was a job interview involving three candidates with a completely different image. On a scale we could see how the impressions made during the initial stages of the interview were in fact the final decision and overall impression of that candidate. Although it only takes between 3 and 5 seconds to make a first impression, it takes at least 12 further exposures to that person to alter the first impression.

Susan Lock - Powering Up Your Presentations

The fear of Public Speaking tops the fear of death! Do you dread introducing yourself at meetings? Do you suffer from dry mouth, sweaty palms, palpitations? Does the dentist’s chair suddenly seem an enticing place to be? If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then Sue Lock’s taster session on how to present yourself and speak with confidence and conviction will help you...and it certainly did!

Susan Lock is the founder of HR and Training Consultancy, Key Consultants, based in Radnage, Buckinghamshire. She has extensive experience in the delivery of presentation skills and she really has changed my view of performing a presentation, from going through each stage of a presentation addressing the key aspects in order to succeed and maintain the engagement of the audience right from the start. By using certain anecdotes, quotations, questions or humour right at the start, as long as they relate to the topic to be discussed.

“A presentation is like a mini-skirt: it has to be short enough to get the attention, but long enough to cover the essentials."

The right body language is key to performing a successful speech. The following statistics show how important body language can be in the overall impact of a presentation: just 7% relates to the words themselves, 38% is in voice projection and tone and 55% comes from messages portrayed through body language and movement and images that you make whether they may be casual, professional or approachable. When planning a speech, it is important to think about the beginning thoroughly as it is the key to a good or bad speech linking back to first impressions. Have an ABCD structure with Attention - making sure it is achieved straight away, Benefits - what is in it for the audience, Credentials - why should they listen to you as the speaker? Why should they believe you? Direction - where will the presentation topic lead? Announce a question and answer section before closure.

Your visual image is increasingly important in creating a professional first impression. Key elements of the image include relaxation, whether this may be achieved through deep breaths or loosening shoulders; upright, position, thinking about he position of the head; movement - avoid pacing as this can detract too much attention away from the presentation; and gesture making sure you make it relevant to you and the image you intend to portray. Finish the presentation in the position and area where you said positive points as the audience are more likely to adopt a positive image of the performance in comparison to standing in a spot where negatives issues were discussed.

The main body of the presentation is where the main ideas come across. As the brain has a preference for working in three's, have three key ideas to build on. Create stories to allow audience to paint a picture, involving audience interaction and visual imagery and communication through the eyes. This will encourage the highest absorption of information making the speech memorable for all involved. Examples in advertising where the use of 3 key points includes Heinz with the slogan "Beanz Meanz Heinz" and "A Mars a Day Helps you Work, Rest and Play."

Believe it or not, the ending is where most presenters fail. Many tend to rush the end in the view that they are finished although they audience are likely to take home the last images. In the preparation, it is important to decide what you want the audience to remember, using a decisive, confident high note to deliver this successfully.

Amanda Graham - Creative Thinking - Beyond the Brainstorm

Many people think that "being creative", having the ability to come up with new ideas and approaches in business is a gift you either have, or don't have. This is a taster session which will give you visibility of two creative thinking techniques which will hopefully convince you that this can be learned and that you will be able to use straight away to "think differently and better."
This session gave me an insight into various methods of creative thinking techniques including: brainstorming, reverse brainstorming, SCAMPER: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse/Rearrange, and random word processing.

Caroline Kinsey 2008 Bucks Entrepreneur of the Year - Womenomics - The Rise and Rise of the Business Woman

Women are playing a more active role than ever in the economy, workplace and in political life. How are they achieving their success? By embracing their femininity rather than feeling under pressure to adopt male traits. As 2008 Bucks entrepreneur of the Year, Caroline Kinsey shares her views and personal experience of building an award-winning PR agency, Cirkle PR , and her new business: Trojan Training achieved through more right brain thinking, with which women are associated, such as creativity, collaboration, communication, teamwork and democratisation.

PR is: “Getting the right message to the right market in the right media at the right moment..."

"...with ongoing momentum

I found this talk so inspiring, full of so much useful information. I especially found the information on the office culture and working environment fascintating, with the use of imagery including the Red Bus used as a less formal way of defining an employee's level of work within the business. The emphasis on staff well being is fantastic, it shows that the staff are at the centre of the business because at the end of the day, if the staff are happy more work is liekly to be produced and to a much higher standard.

Caroline explained the key points involved in unlocking a successful business, these include:

• Recruitment
• Retention
• Training
• Culture
• Communication
• Feedback
• Reputation
• Finances

A form of training and developing an employees skills has been identified through the use of Insights Colours which is similar to the Myers-Brigg Personality Type Indicator explained below.

"Work on your business, not in your business."

Karen Taylor and Ann Mullard – Improve Your Options Discover Your Natural Skills – a brief interactive session introducing Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

The Myers-Briggs test indicates the differences in people by where they prefer to focus their attention, the way they prefer to take in information, the way they prefer to make decisions and the kind of lifestyle they adopt. It helps to explain why all individuals are interested in different things, why they are good at different kinds of work, why they often find it hard to communicate with each other and how they use these differences constructively.