Helen Roe - GirlTribes: The Teen Girls Guide to Surviving and Thriving in our Media Marketing World

GIRLTRIBES

The Teen Girls Guide to Surviving and Thriving
in our Media Marketing World

HELEN ROE

Copyright 2016 Helen Roe.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

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www.balboapress.com.au

1 (877) 407-4847

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0353-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0354-5 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/29/2016

Contents

To Sarah and Ava , my inspiration.

Keep shining my loves.

before we s tart

Hey! Im so excited youre here! Ive been so looking forward to meeting you. Its a noisy media mayhem of a world out there. Why dont you come on in, sit down and relax for a moment?

Welcome to GirlTribes, your guide to surviving and thriving in our media marketing world. Not as a clone. Not as a walking brand. But as the original you.

How are you? Busy I bet, so thank you for taking the time to pick up this book. Im glad you did because Id like to take you on a journey to show you how we all live our lives through the magnetic mesmerising marketing lens. Its honest, its connected and its an opportunity you dont want to miss.

Media marketing is a big part of your world. You are constantly connected. Ive been behind the scenes with an incredible overview of this wonderful wide-open-to-possibilities world of marketing for longer that I care to remember. Do this, watch that. Try this, eat that. Wear this, look like that. Behave like this, react like that. Got a problem? We have the solution. Its exhausting, right?

Dont you just wish theyd make up their mind? One minute youre told to be unique. The next its all about buying [insert brand spanking new miracle product] to fit in. Enough! Get ready to start thinking creatively, don your superhero persona and confidently take your own comfortable stance in this world. GirlTribes is your guide map to making your own informed decisions. Backed with real-life insights from smart girls just like you.

My wish for you after reading this book is that youll feel stronger and more confident to trust your own inner guidance. Youll deep down recognise and appreciate your own self-worth. And youll feel less pressure to be someone else other than you.

Sound good? Great!

reading this book will

:: Help you make sense of the way marketing pulls you in and the non-stop media noise telling you whats best.

:: Support and empower you to make smarter, more informed decisions about what you buy and why.

:: Enable you to blast through any doubts and fears that media triggers within you.

:: Provide you with tips and tricks to bypass the yucky stuff and use meaningful marketing to make your mark.

:: Encourage you to stay curious and question media marketing, confidently making the best decisions for you.

So why listen to me? Firstly, Im not here to lecture. So its all good - you can relax. Yes, Im a parent to two gorgeous daughters, but I realise you will drop this book like a hot potato if you think its going to be a long list of to-dos. Instead, how about thinking of it like having an open-minded conversation with your favourite aunt? Awesome Im glad were on the same page.

Full disclosure. As one of those marketing people myself, I used to eat marketing strategy for breakfast. I spent my university days and all of my professional career to date submerged in A-list marketing strategies (AKA selling stuff in increasingly creative ways) for global brands. I also speak at conferences and workshops on the subject of marketing, and to anyone else who will listen! So yes, Im from the other side, but Im here now, on yours. And Im ready to spill all the dirty little secrets of the marketing industry and how they get you to buy, buy, buy. (Hint: its not always pretty). To prove Im human (and still partial to a good ad), I should probably mention Ive got a *slight* handbag affliction and I own a pair of red heels Ive never worn. More on that later.

I cant (and wouldnt) tell you what to do, but what I can share with you is ahas and oh-I-sees to help you decide for yourself. Make choices that will get you feeling proud and reaching your fullest potential.

Ready to challenge and change your own corner of the world? Lets go!

how to read this book

Follow the text from left to right, top to bottom, then OK no, seriously though, the way to get the most out of this book is to read it in sequence. That way, some later parts of the book make more sense. Each chapter builds on the other. Its a bit like getting to know someone. You start with hello and some nice chit-chat. You dont expect to hear their life story in your first conversation together.

First up, we meet Monika, our metaphor for marketing in this book. Shes our leading girl. In each chapter, youll get to know more about her, her behaviour and why she does what she does. Its a great way of getting up to speed on the latest marketing goings-on without all the jargon.

To help you get the most out of this book, Ive added some light-hearted Move Over Monika reflections for you. These inspirational activities and challenges will help you put into practice your ahas. Ive included them in every chapter after weve talked about a particular concept or idea. I highly recommend using these reflections to strengthen your self-confidence and Ive got this muscles.

Theres also Playsheet activities. Thats right. Words without action are meaningless so put your insights into action with some fun, doable activities. You can also access your Playsheets plus bonus goodies in the GirlTribes Action Kit online. Download it free on my website at www.helenroe.com/girltribes. Your GirlTribes Action Kit is full of extra printables to help you get the most out of the book and activate a smarter, more confident media-savvy you. Print them out and post them on your wall or somewhere you will see them regularly.

OK then, thats about it. Your friend awaits. Monika is dying to meet you. Lets dive in!

* * * * *

Part 1
AHA, I GET IT!
Eye-Opening Awareness