I spent the last 2 days in Tucson, Arizona as a guest at the ESPN W. event. I was asked to be part of a conversation on women and technology and given the audience was made up of sports marketers and female athletes, I felt it was a good opportunity to evangelize Sugar, specifically our FitSugar brand. I entered the event as a curious participant. Earlier this week I left the event educated, inspired and ever-more motivated. Here’s why:

Educated:

Just under 40 years ago, title IX was passed, increasing more athletic opportunities for females. Over the course of the last few days I’ve had the privilege of spending time with some of the greatest female athletes in the world as well as leaders in the women’s sporting industry, who have benefited from this amendment. The sad truth of it is though, for all the advances there have been, there is still a tremendous road for women and girls to travel. To point, the income gap between male and female athletes is not just a gap, it is a grand canyon-like hole. Many of these athletes are struggling to make ends meet, while trying to achieve their dreams and raise a family. I heard stories from Olympic swimmers earning $10 a day to track and field record holders struggling to financially survive vs. have the ability solely focus on their game. Shouldn’t great athletes have the privilege of simply practicing their sport? Can’t we, the business leaders, help deliver for them on the business front? The sacrifices these women make every day to fuel their passion and their dreams and more personally, pave the road for my daughter, is intense and inspiring at the same time. The work of those behind the movement is monumental, but 39 years later, we are still only at the beginning. Why does the general population rally (and spend) around men’s sporting events but only nod gracefully at women? Why aren’t we more aware and excited about these events? Clearly if the demand was there, the money would be there too.

Inspired:

It takes business leaders and corporations to make a difference. They bring sponsorship money. They can evangelize. They can bring awareness. They can build a brand. One interesting component that could have been added to this amazing event was business leaders, from outside the women’s sporting industry, educating and challenging the business and these women to think differently. From spending time with the various commissioners of the women’s leagues coupled with some of the sport industry leadership, it is clear there is a desire for a fresh approach to the marketplace and a thirst to explore new ideas and platforms. One thought may be to not compete in the established world of men’s sports but to create a new experience for viewing. Instead of negotiating with the currently established sports world for air time, money and mindshare, why not explore new avenues and new platforms to reach a new audience. With the percent of women spending time online, watching video, spending time on social networks and playing games online, there potentially could be an opportunity to build demand in the digital marketplace, attracting mass audience and loyalty. With limited regulation, limited rights issues, viral madness, and an already plugged in audience - where the next generation of viewers is spending the bulk of their time today – digital could be THE platform for women’s sporting events.

Motivated:

I have the blessing of working for Sugar, Inc., a company that reaches 22 Million Monthly Unique Users – all women. We focus on developing positive experiences for women to engage and connect with each other be it through our content, communities or commerce. I’ve worked in the digital space longer than I can think about. My husband and I own a local business and I am a mom. I have the assets both personally and professionally to make a difference in getting my community and my family excited about women’s sports. This conference was an awakening experience for me and I am motivated to leverage what I have to make a difference. I am committed to helping build awareness and engagement with the PopSugar platforms and our sports marketing partners such as Nike and New Balance coupled with working locally on a grass roots agenda to fuel the passion through my local team and community. I am motivated.

Thank you ESPN W. for inviting me to participate in this wonderful event and for allowing me the opportunity to be part of this very important discussion.

Time goes by when you are having fun – and I have been. It’s not so much that I haven’t had plenty to say about industry happenings, it is more that I’ve had plenty to do. So, it is time for the kids to go back to school and it is now time for me to go back to the blog.

Below are a few things I’ve been thinking about - in no particular order - that will become topics over the next coming weeks:

• Does content still matter? More than ever is my answer but you will need to follow me to hear why.
• How brands can and should leverage content
• The value of different types of content.
• Ad Networks - yes, I still think about them, just not fondly.
• Video Ad Networks.
• Branded Entertainment. Can it ever scale?
• Video: Will the online industry ever see the promise land?
• Growing pains. The evolution of a start up into a mature company.
• Thunk. How much growth can it buy? (curious what Thunk is? stay tuned)
• The future of the offers marketplace
• What women buy online
• Fashion bloggers –I’m seeing them everywhere.
• The value of “like”. Old discussion but still important.
• Social: what’s next
• TV

These are just a few thoughts. My brain is swimming with all that is happening these days but I’d also like to hear what you are interested in. Please share with me any topics you think would make for an interesting dialogue and please, follow along to join the conversation.

I’m excited to get back to the blog and look forward to reconnecting with you again.

I am frequently asked about the various revenue streams of our company -- currently we have four -- and if they lend themselves to success or potentially distract us from our primary focus. Recently, I've found myself increasingly discussing this topic, which has led me to analyze the necessity for a diverse business model, especially when seeking the attention of Generation Y.

When our company, Sugar, Inc., began four years ago, the intent was to develop original content with a focus on women, ages 18-34, and their core passion points. Though we were one of the first blogs in this space, we found the competition stiff and the battle for mindshare getting tougher in no time. We were quick to take stock in our business and examine the core audience and what they were doing digitally -- we were born in the digital space and had no intent of building offline.

We made a calculated decision to pivot on one central theme -- Gen Y women -- and took note of where they were spending time and what they were doing online. As a result, we built a business model that expands and adapts to the changing online landscape and generates revenue through multiple sources.

Basically, we followed Gen Y in a sense by mimicking their behavior and becoming multi-faceted -- in this case by building a business inclusive of e-commerce, community, video, gaming, local offers and more. We recognized early on that you couldn't pin this generation down, that diversity and personal expression is everything to them. We realized that if we built a one-dimensional business, we risked losing Gen Y's attention -- and, potentially, our shirts!

To be successful in today's ever-changing business world, follow a few of these lessons Gen Y has involuntarily delivered to us:
• Ask "What's next?": Gen Y is the first to discover and test new concepts and products. We know they don't like to follow the crowds. They are constantly innovating and aligning themselves with brands that do the same, expecting the core ideal to
remain as innovation keeps pace with them. They are not the boomer generation that gets disgruntled when a brand evolves.

• Diversify: Rest assured that what was "in" today will become a hazy memory tomorrow. The best way to protect your business is to have multiple revenue streams, and quick. When one part of the business gets hit, the others should help safeguard against destruction. The landscape is changing so quickly that rapid, decisive diversification is your only protection.

• Keep a core focus: Gen Y has core values -- the environment, reliance on one other, social causes, family. What are your company's core values? Identify the one thing that ties your businesses together and becomes the driving force as you build new revenue streams. We pivot on the audience of Gen Y women and their digital behaviors. What is it that your company pivots on?

• Don't discriminate: Gen Y is one of the most open-minded, accepting generations. They have a deep respect for all of humanity and each other. They are veritable sponges and want to explore everything around them. Take a lesson from this and explore what may not initially seem a natural fit for your business.

When we built ours, we thought of ourselves as a global publisher and anticipated growing globally, not locally. Over the course of the last few years, we saw an explosion in the local marketplace. We recognized through mobile and other platforms that local exploration and region-specific special offers were generating a significant reaction from Gen Y. We wanted to position ourselves like the audience, so we bought a company called FreshGuide and are now emphasizing all local initiatives.

This isn't a case of the old dog learning new ways to roll over. Generation Y continues to adapt and embrace new forms of communicating, connecting and expressing themselves, which should be viewed as an example worth following rather than a threat. Though they exhibit consumer behavior that's tough to predict, it's something that can teach all businesses, and in the process, makes them poised to succeed.

Marketing to Generation Y has become a cluttered, complex conundrum that has left many marketers with their hands in the air and their dollars unwisely spent. The landscape is unwieldy and, as we know, the Gen Y target is elusive. How to guarantee that your message will be heard by this influential group?

Make it an event!

The largest generation to date, Gen Y is the most active, both socially and physically. They gain inspiration from each other and strive to have their voices heard, their ideas expressed. They want to be part of the community and contribute to the world around them. They are activators and expressionists, who collectively evangelize and inspire change.

One of the most effective ways to capture this energy and leverage it for your brand is through event marketing, focused on the passion points of this generation. This can provide a clear pathway for success that can then be leveraged and used as a springboard for deeper conversation and social media outreach.

There are numerous ways for brands to get involved with event marketing that will not only hit their target but also are cost effective. The most important thing to think about is staying true to your brand while aligning with Gen Y's passions. Executive coach and author Bea Fields recently listed in a post some of the best areas to find this audience:

* Concerts (Gen Y loves live music.)

* Extreme sporting events (skateboarding, snow boarding, BMX)

* Movies (mainstream as well as art-house)

* Hiking events (They love the outdoors.)

* Video games and video-game competitions (Cyber Athlete Professional League, GameCaster, Global Gaming League)

* Mashups (Weather Bonk, Where's Tim Hibbard, Y! Mash, Sims on Stage)

* Social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, Second Life, del.icio.us, Digg)

* Tattoo parlors (36% of them have at least one tattoo)

This is just a smattering of the ways to begin your campaign but you can, of course, always develop events of your own. Because Gen Y cares about everything from authenticity to having quality time with friends, the range of events that appeals to this group is especially varied.

Gen Y wants to be out there and involved -- be it for charity, the environment, personal betterment or other causes. Use events as a way to not just reach Gen Y but to extend your brand messaging and reinforce your brand values. For instance, if your company's values are strongly tied to improving the environment, consider building out a series of local events that raise money or develop an awareness for all things green.

Leverage social media to promote the events and use Gen Y evangelists to blog, tweet and generate excitement about the experience. As we have seen in the social media space, Gen Y is more than happy to help promote a brand that aligns with their values and that they consider authentic. Use offline events to prompt an online experience.

This is a generation that doesn't simply want to be connected; they long to be part of something bigger, to have a voice that resonates in the larger chorus of ideas and sentiments that they share with their peers. An event, whether it's an online campaign or a live gathering, has the potential to galvanize, tapping and underscoring Gen Y's clearly defined values as it heightens awareness of a brand or cause.

When it comes to reaching Gen Y, a happening can make it happen.

Recently, I met with an organic food company that described its target audience as "hard core light green." After chuckling a bit at the term, I started to digest its meaning. This sparked my thinking that this is really the best descriptor I have heard when it comes to Gen Y's environmental beliefs and consumer habits. There is a great amount of research associated with Gen Y's commitment to the environment and its desire to better the planet and itself through both behavior and consumption. The truth is, though, as much as the passion is there, sometimes the action is not. What does this mean for marketers and how should you react? Tread lightly and stay true to who you are. As Gen Y grew into the consumer powerhouse we see today, green-living became more mainstream and basic environmentally friendly behavior seemed to become commonplace. We have seen many brands lean into this shift by evolving their products and messages -- but how much should brands change themselves to meet this behavioral shift? While I support being more environmentally friendly, brands should only evolve as much as it makes sense to its brand values and the bottom line. Studies show that Millennials are concerned about water conservation, energy and global warming but their current buying habits are limited to cars, furniture, baby products, and food and beverages. Their buying habits are actually driven by three factors: cost, proof that they are making a difference and ease of use. While Gen Y wants to be green, even the smallest barriers can prevent them from action. Brands need to be aware of consumer barriers they are creating and weigh both the pros and cons before fully adjusting their products and messages. It all comes down to values -- both Gen Y's and your brands'. We know that Gen Y values environmentally friendly living but research has shown us that is not quite always the practice. Many factors determine their decision making and eco-friendliness falls off the cliff pretty quickly when it is compared to convenience, comfort and price. If sustainable living and the environment are not part of your brand's core values, don't jump so quickly to change just because you think it's what the consumer wants. The consumer may not want the change and the reaction may not be at all what you had hoped. Instead, if eco has not been part of your brand's core values, take baby steps in making the change and become "light green" yourselves. Give the consumer the choice to adapt to your new product, messaging or packaging

"Farmville now outpaces Twitter." "One in four people plays social games online." "More than $1.8 billion worth of virtual goods has been sold in virtual worlds." These are just some of the headlines we see today about the popularity of online gaming, but what does this all mean for Gen Y and for brands?

Studies show that half of Gen Y plays online games, with women ages 18-34 being the most-active players and purchasers of goods in virtual worlds. In full disclosure, we have recently launched a game targeted at Gen Y women, with seven brand partners. It is easy to add more brands and is attractive for the players. It's a win-win for both.

The eight months we spent developing this game has been a period of great learning and discovery. We have absolute certainty that there is a rabid, growing audience of Gen Y gamers that are willing to play with various brands. Here's what we learned and how your brand can participate in the online gaming phenomenon:

You've got to give to get: We all want a deal and most times we will go out of our way to get one. Ever been to a warehouse sale at Barneys? The thrill of getting a deal is key and if brands can deliver an offering that either accelerates game play or adds value in virtual goods or other, they will be welcomed.

Limited edition: Create demand around your brand offering by either limiting the offer to a certain number of players, giving away a limited-edition product or providing them a way to show off to their friends. The same psychology here applies to that of people's shopping habits. Employ some form of exclusivity in your offering and you will be more apt to get a quick response coupled with the engagement and word-of-mouth you seek.

It's not all about you: Really, it's not. For Gen Y, it's all about them and their beliefs -- regardless of what vehicle you market with. Specifically with gaming, it's critical to be cognizant of why the user is there and recognize that this is not the time to disrupt them. Online advertisers have become adept at loud, in-your-face experiences. The gaming space is not the platform to do this with. Instead, be clever. The game player cares about exploration and winning. Tactfully insert yourself in their world by being thoughtful of their experience and you, too, will win.

Deliver a consistent and ongoing message: We've done significant research over the last few months on how brands have been integrated into games. What fascinates me most is the lack of consistent and constant messaging -- I have yet to see any brand deliver an ongoing campaign on the same game with continuity.

While this space is new and it's hard to determine what success looks like, it is the same as any medium -- success will not be found in a one-off test. Let's not forget what many years of marketing education has taught us. Although the platforms have changed, the basic fundamentals have not. Maintaining a constant, consistent and on-going message is a critical component for any long-term marketing success.

The online social gaming industry is still emerging and brands are still experimenting with how they can get involved. Although this is a relatively new phenomenon, playing games is not and the psychology of the gamer is the same as the offline game players of generations past -- challenge and entertainment.

As marketers, we must take the time to understand and respect what motivates an individual to participate in game-play and then construct our campaigns to live harmoniously within this setting.

If you read this blog, you know I am a contributor to MediaPost. Today I was working on a story that will be published next Friday on online social gaming and Generation Y.

This week, we launched PopSugar’s Retail Therapy so gaming is very top of mind for me right now and specifically, integrating brands into play. I won’t give away the article in this post but I do want to expand upon one thought that I touch on, which is consistency. I fear in the online world we sometimes forget what a critical component this is for success, in how we plan and execute campaigns. I bring this up because I believe we need to take a step back sometimes and evaluate what we are doing and its long term effectiveness. We all move fast – the world moves fast and the online space moves faster than we can react to. It seems brands today are clamoring for first-to-plate opportunities and never-been-done-before ideas. I’m in. I’m a believer. I love when I see a brand do something fresh, innovative and new. I react, I pass it along and I evangelize. I’m sure my friends do too. But here’s the thing - when you are the first person to do something new, there is high risk and little knowledge of what success looks like. Like everything, practice makes perfect. It is on a rare occasion that I see a brand take the time for true testing and refinement, with the exception of performance marketing, and I have yet to see this in brand integrations in social games.

I understand the desire to try new things, but why not refine? It is only from our learning that we can get better. It stands to reason that taking the learning from the first try and refining it for the second and third go around will only increase the chances of success.

Today was the soft launch of PopSugar’s new facebook game, Retail Therapy. For those of you who play Farmville or CafeWorld, it’s time to park your tractor and hang up your apron because PopSugar is taking gaming to a whole new level.

Ever wonder what it would be like to own a beautiful boutique stocked with all your favorite brands from Christian Louboutin to Diane Von Furstenberg? Well, now is your chance. For the last 6 months this has been the best kept secret inside the offices of Sugar, Inc. and for the last 60 days has been the greatest job perk going – imagine a core part of your job as being a local boutique owner, store designer and fashion maven competing against your co-workers for the coveted high score. All the while giving feedback to a group of attentive engineers who adjust the game accordingly to your wishes making certain at launch we deliver the most addictive gaming experience found online for women. Yeah, it’s been a fun couple of months!

The game has launched and now you can join the fun at http://apps.facebook.com/retailtherapy.  Invite me to visit your store and I'll make sure to help stock your shelves.

Happy Retailing!

I received a call the other day from a company who is starting a new site with a target demographic of “Generation Z.” Since I spend much of my time thinking about Gen Y, I was pretty surprised to be snuck up upon by “Z.” Apparently I should be more in the know – it’s my kids!

After I hung up I did a quick Wikipedia search. Albeit relatively new, this generation spans from the mid-1990’s to the late 2000’s, typically being the children of Gen X. Yes, these include my children – as well as the young teens who hang outside of my husband’s frozen yogurt shop.

Neither end of the spectrum seems to have much money to spend today but I bet in years to come, this will be a generation of spenders. If their consumer habits today - fueled by their parent’s generosity - is any indication of this generation’s future, marketers should start paying attention now. If we have learned anything from Gen Y, it is just how different each generation is and how they are the teachers when it comes to marketing to them.

My focus remains on Gen Y but I’ll be watching as Gen Z enters our marketplace.

Last night, I was corresponding with somebody in the industry about measuring in-game advertising. The baseline of the topic was advertisers’ acceptance of this form of media and standardization of measurement. This morning I read the MediaPost blog, “Research Can Spur The Next Wave of Digital Media Spending”, written by Stephen Dimarco, highlighting a form of online measurement that he believes can jumpstart online spending. While I embrace what research can do for marketing, I fear we are backing ourselves deeper into a corner vs. accepting the simple fact that eyeballs have gone online and brand dollars should too.

The online environment is one that is growing increasingly complex. There are multiple reasons people use this medium -- from shopping to bill paying, checking email, researching, entertainment, socializing, gaming and more. To try and develop a one size fits all measurement metric is not only confounding, frankly, it is very outdated. There is a point in time when we need to take a step back as an industry and recognize the damage we have caused with all the deep analytics we try to apply to campaigns and realize that branding matters. Branding takes time and branding doesn’t necessarily involve clicks or action but a softer message and long-term strategy. Branding can’t be measured overnight and success won’t be found with a simple execution or campaign.

It is disappointing that at this stage of the game we are still having conversations around online measurement attached to branding. Have we not been reviewing our own data? Less than 1% of the population clicks an ad or takes an action associated with an ad online. This won’t change and it will most likely get worse over time.

With all the focus on performance metrics, the result becomes the manipulation of campaigns to show action. The reality is that by continuing to buy and sell this way, we are missing the greater opportunity of developing a true brand experience with an audience that has left TV, print and most other mediums behind.