Why do women rule the Web? This was the question asked by first-year Wharton | San Francisco student Brian Cooper during his presentation at the recent Digital Esomar Conference in Miami. We asked the vice president of technology at market research company TNS in Palo Alto, CA to tell us more about his presentation as well as his experience in Wharton’s EMBA program. Here’s what he had to say:
“Twenty years ago, most of us didn’t know about the Internet. Ten years ago, social networking was barely a concept. Today, the Internet impacts all facets of our lives both online and offline. But, how is it changing and who is driving those changes? This was the premise of our paper and presentation.
“Together with Yahoo! we wanted to understand how the digital world is evolving. Through a collection of numerous studies, one which spans 47 countries, we quickly realized that women are driving the social and communication forces of the Internet today. They are the pioneers of making digital connections.
“In our presentation, which we called, “Eve-olution: Why Women Rule the Web,” I talked about how women are significantly more likely than men to be open to things on the Web and more likely to make online connections. This was universal in every market. Beyond those findings, we presented a formula that Yahoo! uses with its advertisers to enable them to be more effective in reaching women. The formula is a combination of looking at women’s needs, digital channels, and listening receptivity. We ultimately wanted to provide advertisers with information that would help them be more effective in reaching their intended audience.
“When it came time for questions from the audience, I was well prepared from my Wharton classes to think fast. In class, we have to be quick on our feet with intelligent comments so I was ready for that part of the conference. More than that, Wharton’s EMBA program has really elevated my analysis and comprehension skills to a whole new level. I’m better able to consider potential outcomes, ideas, and alternatives.
“Overall, my experience at Wharton has been great. Whenever I sit through a long training session, I think how it might be condensed into a fraction of the time. That’s my Wharton experience coming through.
“I came to Wharton to advance my career as well as to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. I’m well on my way to doing both.
Brian Cooper is the author of Custom Surveys within Your Budget