noun, [ivˌəˈluʃən]
1: The way women think and behave is impacting business, causing a marketing shift away from a hierarchical model to a relational one.
2: One of 17 known cultural and societal undercurrents, first identified by Faith Popcorn, whose shifting dimensions reflect the human experience as it evolves to define future consumer behavior.
Faith Popocorn called this tremendous cultural shift early: She wrote the book EVEolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women in 2000. She picked up upon the singular strengths, perceptions and modes of expression among females, and then crystallized how these would increasingly be adopted by our society for a transformative impact. Even before the book’s publication, she had noted these key indicators: Women-owned businesses employed more than the Fortune 500 combined: $18.5 million workers. They did $2.3 trillion in annual sales. Women owned 8 million businesses in the U.S., or one-third of all U.S. firms, in the late 90s. And by the way this figure had risen 78% since ‘87.
Faith’s identification and documentation of this Trend is gaining tremendous recognition, as she speaks at the Cannes Lions mainstage, Accenture, and other forums about the surging power of women and how to market to them. Some of the benchmarks she cites: Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, there’s a steep rise in the number of female political candidates, and females now control an unprecedented two-thirds of all private wealth. And from an emotional perspective, she predicted a revolution which later became the #metoo and #timesup movements, calling out male privilege, misconduct and abuse.
We are far from achieving full parity: The gender pay gap is still big. Women are leaving the Fortune 500 in droves. And in developing nations, females are still fighting for an education. EVEolution will rise further, and Faith plays a key role in charting the path. She does significant work uplifting women and helping them live their best futures. For example, she guided Nike to start what is now their $3 billion female business. She guided Allergan to navigate the launch of Loloestrin, their low-dose birth-control pill, with an astoundingly successful social media campaign (praised in the Wall Street Journal) that empowered Millennial women with the “Actually, She Can” message.
As EVEolution evolves, it takes some surprising paths: Many women are separating themselves from men and establishing their own entrepreneurial paths to success. Young females are delaying or shunning marriage and parenthood as they seek personal fulfillment. And around the world, the spotlight is on women as they demand not just parity with men but often superiority.
Is your brand and business supporting women’s ascension? How will you reconcile uplifting women as many men feel left behind?
Faith Popcorn and her Team will help you navigate this challenge.Find Out How
Women’s rise in the culture has triggered new cultural currents. Faith Popcorn is tracking a revolutionary one – The Death of Masculinity – even leading a mainstage panel at Cannes Lions on the topic.
Faith has also identified the Childfree by Choice movement, as the birth rate plummets in developed nations and women find that their happiness is no longer defined by motherhood – a shift that has tremendous implications for the future of our society.
