ARF Event 12/06/06 – Women in Analytics
The ARF held a Women in Analytics event in Chicago last week on “Work Life Balance: Does Technology Help or Hinder?” Here are some key takeaways of the presenters:
Joline McGoldrick, Kantar Millward Brown, set the stage with some disturbing facts from their Digital Life of Moms Study:
- Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases. Not just food and home goods but everything from automotive to healthcare
- 50% of moms feel marketers don’t understand them
- A gender study representing the corporate pipeline in the US showed that while women and men were almost equal for entry-level professionals, women only accounted for 19% of the C-Suite vs men
Kate Sirkin, Publicis Media and ARF Board Member provided some practical perspectives on work life balance:
- There is no “balance” today–It’s work/life Integration
- You need to find a fluidity and a way of working that lets you decide what works best for you
- Gravitate towards people, companies, and jobs that are more supportive
Stacey Symonds, Orbitz/Cheap Tickets, Expedia provided some tips on technology use:
- Technology enables the good and bad
- Never check emails/texts at meal time
- Don’t forget: spend time offline too!
Kelly Twohig, Google reminded the group that it’s a CHOICE:
- At various stages in your life, time at work vs time focused on personal time will vary
- Stay flexible and shift with your changing priorities
- Your answer should not always be “yes”
Overall summary of the event
- Advocate for women’s seat at the table
- It’s not a technology problem, it’s a choice challenge. Use the technology to control your life, don’t let the technology control you
- Many of us influence the brand messages and advertising. Be firm in the portrayal of women. Too often the communications we are part of are the worst examples
- Take care of yourself first