Brand Development Insights

We talk a lot about how brands can connect to women. But here’s where I think the conversation goes wrong: Women are not one group of like-minded consumers. The category of “women” comprises 4 billion people with different preferences, professions, purchasing habits, and personal lives. So how can brands connect with women? Authenticity. I'm talking about the kind of authenticity that comes from truly understanding, representing, and serving the people your brand reaches. Why does this matter? Let's look at the numbers first:  • Women are overseeing $32 trillion in spending globally.  • By 2028, 75% of discretionary spending will be controlled by women. These aren't just statistics—they're a wake-up call for brands trying to connect with women. Brands historically miss the mark when they focus on women as "consumers," rather than as people. Take Dove's work with the CROWN Act, a movement and legislation aimed at prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. By bringing attention to how women of color—particularly Black women—have historically been told how to wear their hair at work, Dove drove meaningful change that extended far beyond marketing. The result for Dove (and its parent company Unilever) hasn't just been products sold, but actual legislative change—all because they stood for something that impacts the day-to-day life of their consumers. The key to the consumer paradigm: You cannot effectively serve women if you don't represent them at every level of your organization. Women continue to hold relatively few leadership positions in industries primarily serving women. The fashion and beauty industries, for example, are dominated by male leadership. When brands get it right, it shows. A few examples? FERRAGAMO appointed a female CEO back in 1960—long before it was trending—and that commitment to women in leadership has been woven into their DNA ever since. It’s not a campaign. It’s who they are. Or formula company Bobbie, which doesn’t just have consumers, they have devoted brand ambassadors, families, and loyal subscribers. True representation isn't about optics—it's about women making decisions at all levels—from product development to marketing to the C-suite. Maybe we need to retire the word "consumer" altogether. Because if we're talking about real, authentic connections, shouldn't we instead be focusing on people as human beings. It's no longer about thinking what you “should” create to get them to buy—it's about genuinely making that woman’s life better because you know exactly who she is. And your company’s leadership reflects that. 

💰 Investing in women's sport is a smart move for brands ™ The momentum around women’s sports is undeniable. With global revenues for women’s sports projected to exceed $1.28 billion in 2024—a 300% growth in just three years—brands have a unique opportunity to tap into a rapidly growing market. 📈 Here’s why investing in women’s sports is not only impactful but also a great business decision: 1️⃣ Brand health & engagement Women’s sports bring excellent brand returns. According to a recent Deloitte study, partnerships in women’s sports met or exceeded expectations for over 80% of brand decision-makers. Metrics like brand image, customer engagement, and internal employee morale consistently score higher for brands involved in women’s sports. 2️⃣ Expanding audience reach Women’s sports appeal to an increasingly diverse audience and often have a loyal fan base. By supporting women athletes and teams, brands can connect authentically with new demographics and build lasting consumer relationships. 3️⃣ Strong growth potential With 93% of surveyed brand leaders optimistic about growth in women’s sports, this space is primed for future investment. The financial support gap is closing, and early investors are likely to see strong returns as fan engagement grows and the market matures. In my opinion, we can all work better to connect female athletes with brands and educate these brands on the effect of sponsoring / partnering with women's sport.

Is it time for F1 teams to reimagine their women's merchandise? F1 merch has always leaned heavily toward men’s and unisex styles, tied to the old perception of motorsport as a 'guy’s sport.' But with women now making up 40% of F1 viewers (over 300 million fans!) the demand is shifting. Unisex designs, while practical, often fail to meet the needs of female consumers. By overlooking this growing audience, F1 teams and brands are missing out on a major global opportunity. So... Why should F1 teams invest in women’s clothing? Women’s merchandise is a huge untapped market that holds the key to a brand’s growth. It presents a major opportunity for expansion and fan engagement, yet many sports organizations still struggle to cater to this audience. Now, let’s talk numbers. Spending power: — Women control $31.8T in global spending, expected to reach 75% of discretionary spending in 5 years. — Women drive 80% of all sports apparel purchases in the US. — The US women’s sports apparel market is valued at $4 billion. Demand: — Nearly 80% of women’s sports fans would purchase more merchandise if better options were available. — 67% of women sports fans have purchased sporting merchandise. — Cases from sports like football and the NFL highlight rising demand across the industry, with women’s apparel sales tripling in four years. The solution? F1 teams could collaborate with women-focused brands or launch special edition collections for female fans. By blending sporty and casual, they could create stylish, well-fitted merchandise that not only wins over a loyal audience but also creates a huge revenue opportunity for F1 teams. This is just how I’d imagine F1 teams collaborating with women-focused brands: — Sporty & Rich x Scuderia Ferrari: Vintage-inspired, laid-back luxury that complements Ferrari's iconic heritage. — Varley x McLaren Racing: Elevated essentials for life on and off the track. Chic yet functional. — Tory Sport x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team: The elegance of sport reimagined, perfect for race weekends or city life. — TALA x Williams Racing: Consciously made, active-inspired pieces that bring innovation and style to the team that's always evolving. Women shouldn’t be alienated or treated as a niche group but deserve equal attention as an important part of the fanbase. Whether it’s through learning how to create truly well-fitted pieces as part of their main collection (as it should be) or reimagining merch for women by collaborating with new brands, F1 teams addressing the lack of women-focused merch would be a meaningful way to connect with their growing audience. What do you think? #f1 #motorsportsmarketing #formula1 #fashionmarketing

Even as women drive 75% of discretionary spend, nearly half still feel brands don’t understand them, and that much of today’s marketing relies on outdated stereotypes. Wasserman’s The Collective dug into this disconnect, and the findings are both sobering and energizing. Women aren’t just a consumer segment; they’re a global economic engine, shaping culture and commerce at every level. Yet many still feel unseen, especially when brands fail to reflect the full complexity of their identity. What stood out to me most was how women define themselves: not primarily by gender, ethnicity, or religion but by their values, passions, and roles. This is a call to action for brands to move beyond blanket demographic buckets and instead meet women where they are through more intentional and nuanced storytelling. The report provides a helpful framework that brings clarity to complexity, especially as we consider reaching women not just as consumers but as decision-makers, fans, and changemakers. At The GIST, our entire audience is rooted in the female sports fan — one who craves content that reflects her reality, her fandom, and her values. This research is a great reminder that when you design with *her* at the center, everything becomes sharper. Congrats Thayer Lavielle, Danielle Kushner Smith and Valerie Tyson on this game changing report. https://lnkd.in/eG5CYurm

🛒 Think of women's sports merchandise like prime real estate in Manhattan circa 1980. Everyone knows it's valuable, but most are still treating it like a side bet instead of the main investment. In this week’s edition of Rising Tide, we focus on on this this market exploding from $4 billion to $6 billion in just two years. By the numbers ✔️ 79% of fans would buy more women's sports merchandise if options existed ✔️ 60% couldn't find what they wanted to purchase ✔️ 9 pieces of men's merchandise for every 1 women's piece in current inventory ratio $6 billion opportunity (up from $4B in two years) ✔️ 67% of women's sports fans purchase merchandise without attending live games 💡What smart brands are doing: Treat women athletes like the business drivers they are. Nike's approach with Sabrina Ionescu's signature line proves the point. The Sabrina 1 sneaker saw a 707% increase in StockX sales in 2024 compared to 2023. Cash App’s collab with Playa Society, a women’s basketball lifestyle brand, proves that fintech companies can score big by investing in women’s sports too. And let’s not forget Angel Reese. Her signature Reebok shoe, Angel Reese 1, sold out in minutes across 3 colorways (Diamond Dust 💎 is my favorite) showing that when you build it authentically for this audience, they will come…and they will buy. And you don't need to be in the apparel business to win here. Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment facilitated Ally’s collaboration with designer Jocelyn Hu to create 50 hand-stitched "Walking Bucket" 🪣 hats for WNBA ASW that generated seven figures in earned media coverage including being featured in AdWeek and Sports Business Journal, proving limited drops can drive buzz. 🪡 The common thread here is that all these brands invested in authentic partnerships that showcase personalities alongside performance. These are profitable business decisions backed by real consumer demand. Here's what actually works: → Stock like you mean it: Order inventory that matches real demand, not whatever's left in the experimental budget → Go beyond the obvious: Fans want more than jerseys. Think lifestyle pieces, accessories, gear they'll actually wear year round → Partner with purpose: Work directly with athletes & designers to create products that reflect who they are, not just slap logos on existing designs Bottom line: The women's sports apparel market has already made its buying decisions. This is a $6 billion opportunity that's already at checkout. The only question left is whether your brand wants to be on the receiving end of those transactions. 🤝 No gatekeeping here: Drop the tag or link to your favorite women’s sports merch brand or collab in the comments. Pass it on.

Last week I attended Richard Edelman’s presentation of the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer. Richard has a unique position working with a wealth of corporations and I always glean nuanced insights from his purview. The data driven annual report comprised a wealth of insights but I was struck by two key take aways as I think about my work in strategy implementation, talent development, and corporate culture. First, the percentage of employees who trust their employer to do what is right has declined in the U.S. and globally. And second, fear of being discriminated against has surged across demographics –gender, age, income and race. Edelman Trust Institute has assessed that the correlative sense of grievance undermines belief in business ethics and competence. And while the least trusted sources are government leaders and journalists, as a member of the faculty at University of Virginia Darden School of Business it was gratifying to see that the most trusted sources remain scientists and teachers. The larger takeaway is one that I can get fully behind, and that is that remedies will require stronger stakeholder relationships, greater collaboration, and more public private partnership to address root causes and deliver value added results. I appreciate the challenge and look forward to identifying greater opportunities for impact ahead. The full report is available at Edelmandotcom.

One of the two foundational tools in the Women-Centric Design toolkit is the Women-Centric Eye. Based on a popular framework in gender practice – gender continuums – the eye is an evaluative, opportunity identification tool with the power to help scope projects such that they include a women-centric lens from the get go. This is important because if we miss the needs of women in defining our problem space, we are likely to miss them altogether. The eye – designed as a matrix to include more nuance & non-linearity into our evaluation & understanding – comes with 4 categories: 🔴 Harmful: Solutions that present as serving women, but cause harm instead 🟡 Impartial: Solutions that present as “gender-neutral,” but are prone to creating unintended consequences for women 🟠 Informed: Solutions that design for women as a majority audience, often in traditional women-oriented domains 🟢 Holistic: Solutions that equitably serve women by meeting their otherwise overlooked needs, no matter the domain Check out the detailed definitions & some examples to go deeper 👇🏽 (And a link in comments for even more). I'm curious to hear from you – what other examples & stories can we include in the matrix to make it even more impactful?

Between 2019 and 2023, women in the U.S. launched twice as many businesses as men—proof that women not only see what others overlook but also turn those insights into transformative solutions. Take the $600 billion menopause market, which is finally moving into the mainstream, or the $32 trillion economic opportunity identified by Boston Consulting Group (BCG)—both highlight the transformative potential of women-led innovation. And it’s only the beginning. By 2030, the “feminization of wealth” will transfer $30 trillion to women. Imagine what’s possible when even a fraction of that is invested in women entrepreneurs—industries will evolve, gaps will close, and entirely new opportunities will emerge. To make this vision a reality, action is critical: 💡 VCs: Invest in women-led startups and innovative ideas. 💡 Entrepreneurs: Mentor and support the next generation of women founders. 💡 Investors: Dedicate part of your portfolio to women-centric solutions. The future is here, and it’s being built by women entrepreneurs. #WomenEmpowerment #WomenEntrepreneurs #Innovation 

What is the state of trust in 2025 and what does it mean for leadership? The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual snapshot of the state of trust across all sectors of society, (and 25th anniversary edition) is out. Once again trust in government, media, and even NGOs is not great. Surprisingly (or not) business is the most trusted institution globally. But, there is a catch: 61% of people still feel a deep sense of grievance, believing that businesses and governments prioritize the elite over everyday people. Here's a further look at key findings in this year's report. ✅ Employees are losing trust in their employers. They demand transparency and fairness. ✅ Employees expect CEOs to step up, not just in running the business but in taking a stand on societal issues where they have an impact. ✅ Trust and business performance go hand in hand. When employees trust leadership, grievances diminish, and engagement at work grows. Here’s my main takeaway. Leadership in 2025 is about action. It’s about creating well-paying, meaningful jobs, addressing inequities, and reskilling employees for the future—especially with the rise of AI. It’s about fostering a workplace culture where people feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. Let’s be real: profit matters. But a thriving workforce—a workforce that feels safe, purposeful, and trusted—produces better business outcomes and stays longer. Isn’t it ironic, then, that 61% of employees aren’t thriving, as this year’s Edelman Trust Barometer report shows? There’s a math lesson here: a thriving workforce equals economic positives. So, how do we get there? By making trust-building the foundation of our leadership strategy. Let’s create purpose-driven workplaces where people are inspired, empowered, and retained at higher rates. How are you building trust within your team or organization in 2025? #edelmantrustbarometer #trustbarometer #leadership