Well, it's February, the longest shortest month of the year. It seems 2024 is well and truly off to the races, and with that comes the launch of various 2023 Cider projects that are finally ready to see the light of day. Scroll down to read about the work we did for Aaji's – makers of a mind-blowingly delicious ingredient called tomato lonsa – and stay tuned for next month's case study (here's a hint: there's a lot of spandex involved).

 

Today we're grappling with the stubborn persistence of sexism in the business world, the need for a rebrand of the word ‘networking’, and reconnecting with an old friend and colleague for his views on the distinction between brand and marketing.

 

 

Cheers,

 

I went back to my high school recently to speak to their student-run business & marketing club. Now, this is a progressive independent school with a strong focus on social justice and deep-seated hippie tendencies (at least back in my day!). 

 

So you'll imagine my surprise when I looked out across the classroom and saw a couple dozen club members' faces looking back at me. Not one of them was female.

 

Really?! In this day and age? Is this actually still a thing? Apparently so.

 

Earlier this year, venerable copywriter Dave Trott published a column originally titled, “Great Account Men," in which he paid homage the importance of non-creative folks in the selling of creative work. He was quick to praise a Tim and a Frank for their roles as the great enablers of creativity, unsung though they might be.

 

Blowback was swift and fierce, and you'll see the article's title has now been changed to “Great Account People," though no great female account leaders are name-checked for their contributions to the craft. Classic.

 

But instead of wallowing too much in the ridiculousness of it all, let's take a moment to celebrate a brand that's defining the feminist discourse in adland today. 

 

Bobbie is the only female-founded, mom-led baby formula company in the US. From the outset, they have harnessed radical authenticity, acceptance, and advocacy to propel their brand to the forefront of the cultural conversation. 

 

In their most recent campaign, they partnered with tennis champion Naomi Osaka to spotlight the importance of letting parents dictate how and when they return to work. Reclaiming the narrative around parental leave (and its oft-neglected cousin, the re-entry to paid labor), the brand found a new way to show up for their consumers at a time when they needed it most.

 

Kudos, Bobbie, on your pragmatic and judgment-free stance on feeding, feminism, and family wellbeing. What a refreshing change from the still-disappointing status quo.

 

 

Networking, as a concept, leaves a lot to be desired. Visions of name tags, lukewarm chardonnay, and unflattering lighting immediately come to mind, not to mention a whiff of desperation as you circumnavigate a room full of people, trying to figure out what they can do for you.

 

No, thank you.

 

But, as any successful person will tell you, you're nothing without your network*. So what's a gal to do? Personally, I've decided that I'm only interested in networking if it works for me. And what do I like to do? I like drinking with my friends.

 

So without further ado, here's an abridged guide I call Drinking with New Friends: Networking for Dummies.

 

You don't have time for networking. No one does, especially if they're successful. So you have to be conscientious, and carve out time on your calendar for it. Don't hate me, just do it.

 

Whether it's walking into an event with a colleague by your side, or planning a meet & mingle networking session with friends, you don't need to network alone. Plus – you've got an accountability partner! It's a twofer.

 

The fastest way to kill a new friendship is to dive deep into work chat. It can be a buzzkill, even if you love your job. You are not what you do, and neither are they. Get a sense for who they are outside of their role, to decide if they're someone you want to build a longer term relationship with.

 

Listen, you're not going to like everyone you meet. And you're a grown-up! You don't have to play nicely with everyone – it's not kindergarten. So if someone rubs you the wrong way, move on, and don't look back.

 

Don't be the drunk one at the party. Seriously.

 

What are some of your recommendations when it comes to building your network? I'd love to hear!