For women, sharing information (recommendations, experiences, advice) is important, but certainly not a purely altruistic act. Information is social currency. And while exchanging information is faster and easier than ever (copy, paste, click), information as social currency isn’t new. From medieval soothsayers to Gossip Girl, the woman in the know is the woman worth knowing.

But it’s not a numbers game. She’s only as “good” as the information she shares, and she’s highly selective. Before she “hits” send, she makes a rapid, but a critical calculation – one that determines if you’re sent or deleted.

We call this “share value.” And share value has never been more important now that the amount of information women have access to and their potential reach – thousands in a single click – have exploded. There are several factors women use to determine the share value of a ______________ (fill in the blank: brand, message, product, promotion, web-site, event). You can use this list to help evaluate the share-value of your current messaging or offering.

Here’s how to ensure your message is S.H.A.R.E.D.

1. Save. Does the information offer her the opportunity to save or earn money? Helping others save money pays big dividends toward her own social value. But beware – women are digging for even deeper savings – women tell us 10% and free shipping offers don’t do it.
2. Hurry. Urgency means more than a limited-time offer. Give her a compelling reason to act now – and make it fun. The Starbucks Free Pint of Ice Cream for Facebook Users promotion is a great example – with only 800 pints per hour up for grabs, the rush to participate was overwhelming, and those who scored, shared.
3. Access and exclusivity. Help her show she’s connected and in the know while inviting others to the party. Get her to the front of the line, offer her new products and experiences before they’re available to the public and consider co-branded promotions that up the all-access-ante.
4. Reward. What’s in it for her? How are you incentivizing her sharing? Give her a reason to keep your name on the tip of her tongue.
5. Express. Simply, what does the information she’s sharing say about her? Consider the values or traits she wants to convey about herself: savvy, relevancy, cool, consciousness, kindness, multi-dimensionality, responsibility, creativity. Align your values to hers.
6. Digital. It might seem obvious, but there must be a digital, mobile component to all of your messaging that makes it easy for her to send and share with as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

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Challenge: Begin with deteriorating economic realities, add telecom price wars and a redefined consumer target (families with kids under 18) and you’ve got the conditions for a smart new messaging platform – one that acknowledges the changing times and target audience.

Solution: Leverage the reasons that families are spending more time at home together—changing lifestyles, life stages and new economic pressures—and demonstrate how EMBARQ fits in.

From morning to night, communication providers play an active role in nearly every activity in the household: Checking the weather online or on TV. Helping kids research a history project. Connecting with family and friends. Planning travel. Watching movies together. So we created a campaign around our new messaging platform, “It’s a big world out there. EMBARQ brings it home,” positioning EMBARQ as the provider who brings the world into your home through the Internet, phone and television. Through engaging imagery, we showed consumers that planning a trip to Easter Island and researching naval history for their child’s project were only a web page away, and family movie night was right in their living room.

We’re thrilled that the “Bring it Home” campaign generated over 1.6 million calls from January–June ’09, while core service (Phone/Internet/DISH) direct mail within the campaign generated 25% close rates for Q1 ’09.

Embarq: 3 of 3

To request a full-color, 18″ x 27″ poster, perfect for framing (or covering that mysterious stain on your wall), contact Nicole Green at nicole.green@frankaboutwomen.com.

1. Frugal chic: Every (and we mean every) purchase registers on a new scale of “need” versus “want,” especially for women who were living in a “want” society. This means postponing, repairing, re-purposing, recycling and even refusing to buy. Sacrifice and shame? Hardly! Frugality is worth flaunting: as the New York Times says, “saving is the new black.” (-New York Times, 10.13.08) Expect women to demand longer life spans on durable goods and squeak more servings out of consumables. A group of women we spoke with talked about everything from washing machines that only worked on one cycle (but still, technically, work) to adding water to stretch pricey salon shampoo as ways they save.

2. Creative consumption: Powered by like-minded communities online and off, women are seeking new ways to borrow, barter, buy and bank beyond traditional channels. Play it safe by enticing them to buy new today. Or get ahead of the curve by integrating traditional and creative consumption channels or owning off-the beaten-path buy-ways. Proof? Craigslist reports a 100% increase in traffic on bartering boards, while dedicated barter sites like U-Exchange and SwapThing are also booming. Women say they see no shame in simply asking, “Can I borrow that?”

3. ROI thinking: Rather than asking a brand, “What have you done for me lately?” women want to know, “What will you do for me tomorrow, next week, next year?” This is more than a demand for lasting durability; they want to invest their dollars with companies that are passionately committed to their future, their families’ future, their communities and the planet. What comes around definitely goes around.

4. Egocentric to eco-centric: Most women agree that the planet will long outlast the recession, so while the environment may have taken a very temporary back seat to the current economy, low-impact living fits naturally with their renewed sense of responsibility. Even though they can’t single-handedly save the earth, they’re exercising their eco-centricity with the brands they buy, and when value isn’t a question, the choice is clear.

5. More white space, please: What works in design is what women are craving in life. Simplicity, clarity, breathing room. Tired of feeling overstuffed with stuff and overwhelmed with choice, they’re not just de-cluttering their closets; they’re looking for retailers who allow them to shop more efficiently. Smart brands and retailers can offer relief by putting an end to product proliferation and purchase paralysis by providing fewer, better choices.