What’s Inspiring Us Right Now: Insights on Feminine Leadership, Social Media, and Advertising
As a female-founded digital marketing agency, we love nothing more than to explore the intersection of feminine leadership, marketing strategy, and creative storytelling. At Authentic Audience, we believe that knowledge is power, so we want to share what we find with YOU!
So welcome to our little roundup of inspiration! These pieces have been keeping us going; from the quiet power of introverted leadership to the art of humor in advertising.
Let's dive in! 🥳
Leading Loudly with Quiet Grace: Unleashing the Strength of Introverted Leadership
From the Female CEO: "I've come to understand that the whispers of our introspection are not signs of weakness but profound sources of awareness and strength."
Whether you're a powerhouse gemini or an introspective cancer, the key to leading with strength is to embrace your authenticity; who you are, uniquely as you are. For women in business, this means understanding that both boldness and quiet reflection have their own power, and it's our job as leaders to create space for ourselves to feel both of those energies.
So this is our mantra to all of you introverted leaders:
Trust in yourself. Trust in your own style. Trust that your boldness comes from the way in which you connect, communicate and strategize with the people around you, and that you, too can lead and inspire as you've already done.
There's nothing to force here. Only trust that you are enough exactly as you are.
"...in the gentle whisper of our leadership, there lies the potential to stir great waves"
Kamala Harris is a Social Media Masterclass
Politics aside, Kamala Harris’s campaign is a powerful example of how to harness and embrace organic momentum online. From viral memes to fan edits featuring Charli XCX’s Brat album, Harris’s team has skillfully built a brand by leaning into the buzz rather than resisting it.
Instead of trying to control or redirect the narrative, the Harris team embraced the energy of her online presence, allowing it to fuel her visibility and connection with supporters. So what's our lesson here? Honestly, you've probably heard it before: listen to your audience, engage authentically, and transform that engagement into sustainable momentum.
Now you just have more proof that it really works.
The Secret Ingredient to Funny Ads
Struggling to hit the mark with you ad campaigns? Scared to make an appeal to humor? It's normal to have that fear, especially because we so commonly think of humor as a gamble. As something subjective to individual people.
But the fact is that we're allllll overthinking it just a little too much. The proof is in this article written by Oscar Quine at The Drum, where you can really get a glimpse into what it actually takes to make an ad that gets people to LOL.
The magic of a successful funny ad, according to The Drum, is simple. Comedy lies in timing, context, and medium. But beyond that, what's really been found to connect with a broader demographic is something a little bit risky, absurd and witty. There's an appetite for ideas that push us past our comfort zone, and it's no secret that younger generations' humor can tend to veer into absurdity.
It's authentic to who we are as people. When we let down are guard, we're a little risky and absurd. So let's lean into it!
What do you think? Easier said than done?
The Emotion of Advertising
As marketers, we take ads pretty seriously.
This piece by Jane Ostler at Kantar does a deep dive into the strategy behind two of the biggest advertising events every year and their biggest commonality.
Spoiler alert: its emotion! And if you've seen the ads at the Olympics and Super Bowl before, we know you know what we're talking about. They're pretty much the same every year, right? The Nike tearjerkers and goofy CocaCola commercials... these advertising campaign strategies are iconic.
And whats's so interesting is that its all so much more simple than we think. Yes, everyone loves an emotional piece, BUT, you have to be selective and careful about how you establish human connection and predispose your audience to actually accept your offer.
The moral of this story is something marketers have been screaming from the rooftops for like... literally ever.
Not all emotional appeals are created equal. At the end of the day, having a clear understanding of what emotions your brand needs to lean into will depend on your audience; and that might just make or break your success in winning over a client. Establish trust, empathy and a sense of relatability. It really is that simple.
