• What's Happening at TrendSight

• Corporate Halo – Let Yours Shine

• Eye On -- Oreck -- A Company with Commitment

• TrendSight in the News

• Fun Fact

• Save the Date

• About TrendSight

Psychological Warfare. The University of Iowa recently unveiled the redecorated locker room to visiting football teams. Every surface of the room was painted pink, including the urinals. “It would probably tick me off a little bit,” admitted an Iowa linebacker.

I’ve been doing lots and lots of writing. The second edition of Marketing to Women is complete and due out early next year. I made my debut as an AdAge.com columnist and I look forward to making regular contributions. Things are moving very quickly in the M2W world lately with new developments almost every day. I want to share them while they are current, so be on the lookout for my blog TrendSightings. It will be up and running this month.

Two highlights from a recent trip to New York --

The World Business Forum – Colin Powell, Rudy Guliani, Jack Welch, Richard Branson, and Andrea Jung were among the powerful presenters who addressed a capacity crowd at Radio City Music Hall last month. Marketing to Women and women in leadership figured prominently on the agenda and no one delivered the message with more energy than my friend and esteemed colleague, Tom Peters.

Women Gurus Network WGN -- This is a powerhouse group of professional women speakers founded by Sally Helgesen; I am honored to be one of them. Energy runs high during all of our planning conversations. I’ll let you know more soon.

It’s no secret that women prefer to do business with companies that support the causes they believe in. These days, with so many companies striving to distinguish their products and services, your corporate good deeds can be the distinction that makes the difference. Although talking about your corporate contributions may feel like bragging, incorporating these messages into your communications in a relevant manner is a great way to establish rapport with existing and potential customers. Here are five tips for making your halo shine:

• Honor her desire to make the world a better place by joining her in support of worthy causes. Just look at all the companies pledging to match employee donations for Katrina survivors. The response has been so overwhelming that we can't attempt to list all of the companies who are pitching in. RedCross.org
• Remember to support local as well as national causes. By supporting local schools, teams and organizations, you will demonstrate a commitment to your community and have a positive impact on the life of your customer, her family and her friends. This creates invaluable Word of Mouth support and bonding with your business. Women will be happy to sing your praises and spread the word that you are a vital community member. Our local grocer donates so generously that the store was honored by the township volunteer center.
• Acknowledge women’s achievements. When you acknowledge an individual’s work, you convey positive messages to other women. State Farm’s Embrace Life Awards are a great example -- they salute women who not only persevered after the deaths of their spouses but went on to give back to their communities afterwards. State Farm Embrace Life Awards Program
• Give your employees time off to volunteer. Employers will feel a stronger connection to and sense of pride for their employers. Wild Oats pays employees one hour of "charity time" for every 40 hours of company time. This is another great word of mouth generator as well as an excellent tool for recruiting and retention. Wild Oats Natural Marketplace
• Volunteer together. It’s a great team builder, and a wonderful way to give back and gain perspective. On the last Friday of each month, employees of the Dodson Group, an Indianapolis based office services firm, serve at the local soup kitchen. "A lot of our people work in customer service, and they hear about problems all day long," says company president Jim Dodson. After three hours of serving food to homeless people, they realize that "the problems we have with customer complaints are not really a problem at all." Inc.com - Volunteering: The New Employee Perk

Think Oreck. Think vacuums. Unless you are looking for a vacuum your thoughts may be starting to wander. Think again!

Oreck’s home town is New Orleans and their main manufacturing plant is in Long Beach, Mississippi. Their employees, like thousands of other gulf coast residents, found themselves homeless and potentially unemployed post Katrina. Within a week, the 45-year-old family-operated Oreck Corporation purchased new mobile housing units for employees, contracted for food, water and supplies, and promised, "If they were an Oreck employee before the hurricane, they still have a job."

Company President David Oreck said, “We have a huge responsibility to these people…(Now) they have a place to put their heads, food and water and a paycheck coming in from a business that's committed to staying in this community,"

Next time women receive an Oreck direct mail piece or see a company advertisement, they’ll think of Oreck as more than an aggressive vacuum marketer. They’ll also remember that Oreck is a company that cares. That should make women warm to their wares.

Fast Company October 2005
Hey, Lady! Women and the Art of Product Development
It's one thing to say a product is for women, and quite another thing to mean it. Marketing wine to women. Read More

AdAge.com September 19, 2005
“Why Dove is Lucky to be Known as the ‘Fat Brand:’ And Seven Tips for Successful Marketing to Women”
Author: Marti Barletta,
Weeks after Dove and Nike broke their separate "real beauty" ad campaigns, discussion and debate about the work continues to ripple through the advertising industry and consumer market … Read more

Chicago Sun Times August 25, 2005
Generation Gap -- Gap’s Forth and Towne
"Baby boomer generation women are healthier, wealthier and more active and more educated than any women in history. They're not letting themselves go," said Marti Barletta. Is this the perfect answer for PrimeTime Women? Read more

October 17-18 Marketing to Moms at the Chicago Cultural Center. Brought to you by PME, organizers of Marketing to Women 2005 and 2006.

October 27 PINK Magazine Conference – Marti will be moderating a panel that includes WNBA President Donna Orender, Tonise Paul, President and CEO, BBDO Chicago, Margo Georgiadis, EVP/CMO, Discover Financial Services and Beth Bronner, SVP, Jim Beam Brands

December 1 Marti Barletta/Marketing Profs Virtual Seminar – PrimeTime Women™ – The Trend That Isn’t Trendy (Yet)