So many Dicks

Hi!
Normally, I write this newsletter on Friday afternoon and give it a quick reread Monday morning to tweak a few things. But this week, I’m writing to you live and on the spot! On Friday, we hosted the Belgian Game Awards at the Expo in Brussels, and let’s just say… it was a bit hectic! But, as with every event, things always go wrong behind the scenes, and afterward, everyone is super excited and happy because it all turned out great.

(Some fun facts: 1. my original host, Jeroen Baert, fell sick on the day of the show and was replaced last minute by Lieven Scheire. 2. We didn’t have a set decor until four days before the event! 3. Oh, and it was the first acte de présence of our brand-new Minister of Media, Cieltje Van Achteren. I have a lot more little stories, and to be honest, it was all a bit nerve-wracking… but 👏we 👏pulled 👏it 👏off!)

➡️ Tip: Start a Brag Book

I got myself a mentor recently, because let’s be clear—it’s not because I’m a great mentor for others that I don’t need one myself. This week, I sent him a WhatsApp message with a compliment I’d received from a client. You know the feeling—you receive a great message, you look around left and right, and there’s no one to share it with. But now I do: I have a mentor—woohoo!!

My lovely mentor immediately advised me to start a Brag Book (or a pride portfolio, call it whatever you like. In Dutch he called it a ‘stoefboek’)—a collection of all the positive feedback you get via email, WhatsApp, etc. Back when my mentor had an agency, they even kept a physical copy in a central spot. Not only is it motivating for the team, but it’s also great advertising when clients visit! Top tip, right?!

So, if you have any compliments you’d like me to add to my Brag Book, don’t hesitate to send them my way. WHahaha! 😄

➡️ Branding: Humanizing your offer

This client, who sent me such a kind message, is someone I helped with their brand narrative. How did I do this? Well, it all starts with understanding their target group on a deeper emotional level and crafting the messaging to resonate accordingly.
Here's how you can break it down:

1. Identify the Target Group:

   • Who are they? (Demographics, profession, lifestyle, etc.)

   • What are their daily struggles or key motivations?

   • What are they seeking in a product or service like this?

2. Explore Their Emotions & Pain Points:

   • What are their pain points? For example, is it frustration over time wasted, lack of convenience, or financial stress?

3. Craft the Messaging to Appeal to Emotions:

   • Empathy is key!! Start by acknowledging their struggles and letting them know you understand their challenges. .

     • For example: "We know managing X can feel overwhelming, especially when you're short on time and need a solution that just works."

     And then offer a solution: Present the product or service as the answer to their emotional needs, not just a functional solution.

4. Humanize the Offer
   I’m getting more and more clients from the tech industry, and here’s why: using human language—like how you’d talk with your neighbor—is super important! Tech can be complex, but simplifying the message and making it relatable to the audience creates connection and trust!

   • Use conversational, relatable language that feels approachable and genuine, also use testimonials or real-life stories that reflect how the product has positively impacted customers like them.

5. Make Them Feel Valued:

   • End with an invitation that shows you care about their individual experience.

     • Example: "We’re here to help you every step of the way—your success is our priority."

Et voilà! If you need help with this process, I absolutely love it—and apparently, I’m pretty good at it! 😊

➡️ Campaign Love: So Many Dicks

Every six weeks, I meet up with a group of women, and it’s basically an evening full of compliment showers. We all have challenging jobs, and sometimes we just need a safe space to share our doubts, frustrations, wins, and everything in between. It’s such a refreshing way to connect and support each other!

I absolutely love these girls! Did you know there’s even a name for this? We all know bromance, right? Well, have you heard of womance?! It’s a thing, and that’s absolutely genius! 😄

Perfect segue for a campaign I spotted recently and which we ended up discussing in detail during our dinner night!: So Many Dicks.
This campaign highlights the fact that there are more men named Dick (Richard, Rich, and Rick) on corporate boards in the US than entire groups of underrepresented people!!

You can read all about it here.
But I think it’s an important topic, so I’d like to share some numbers:.
According to their campaign, on corporate boards of directors in the US:

👉 There are 2x more men named Dick than Hispanic women
👉 Black women and Asian women barely outnumber men named Dick
👉 There are 19x more men named Dick than women of Middle Eastern descent
👉 There are only 3 Native American women serving on these boards

I love it when campaigns for good make a statement 🍆

➡️ To read:

I have so many things I want to share with you, but I’m out of time, and I know, my dear reader, you’re not a fan of long emails. So, I’ll save the rest for the next newsletter. Which, by the way, won’t be next week because I’ll be in Morocco with my family. Nor the week after, because I was... with my family in Morocco and won’t have the time to write.

But don’t worry, I’m not leaving you in a black hole. Here are some books you should absolutely check out while I’m away (they are also on my list that I won’t read during my holiday haha!)

1. What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School (Good title right?!)

2. To Sell Is Human

3. Influence by Cialdini (A classic!!)

See you soon!
X Ingrid