Last week, I reactivated my Facebook account after a little hiatus to a deluge of posts asking me if I was leaning. What? My Facebook friends, mainly women, were posting photos of them and their friends leaning to one side or leaning forward. They were talking about women leaning in. So I did what we often do in this social media crazed world we live in, to see what all the buzz was about, I went to Twitter, then Instagram and again there it was “Lean In.” What the heck. I couldn’t imagine what the fuss was all about. So I leaned in to try and learn more.
There is was a full-on media debate on an age old dialogue…women in the workplace. The media had leaned all the way discussing a new book that was about to release and the author hoped would spark a movement. It seemed that ‘lean in’ was becoming a very sticky idea (Heath & Heath, 2007) in hopes of building awareness to garner supporters. A week before the book hit store shelves. From Forbes.com to USA Today to TechCrunch.com media outlets across the spectrum all discussing whether leaning in puts women in front of the discussion or behind their male counterparts yet again. But I was more intrigued by the fully engaged integrated marketing communications strategy that was clearly consistent across executions, consistent across media and connecting across media.
Having worked on the book publishing industry I know first-hand the difficulty in creating an integrated marketing communications plan that is consistent and help garner exposure for the book, the author and impact sales. With it’s release on tomorrow, Monday march 11, 2013 Sheryl Sandberg has created a firestorm of debate for her debut book entitled, “Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.”
On Wednesday, March 6th the book campaign began executing with the launch of a non-profit organization LeanIn that will, they hope, create a global movement of women leaning in to their success. the non profit launched its website that included the sotries of successful women in politics, business, entrtainment and more who leaned in. It also featurd stories and statements of suport from men who leaned in. The lean in organization hopes to create mor than just a book but a movement. They have created “Lean in Circles” and “Circle Kits” to engage consumers to continue the dialogue and for others the debate. And she created a total media blitz from the cover of Time Magazine.
The COO of Facebook, a billionaire, mother, and wife has used technology, social media, PR and controversy to become the #1 book on Amazon all before the book’s official release. Twitter fans of Lean In have created the #leanin hashtag, posting photos of leaning circles and stories as its followers grow daily. 
Now, the debate on whether Sandberg is serving the elite with her book and its advice versus the average working mom has proven that she has a “sticky idea.” Sandberg through IMC has captured all six of Heath & Heath’s pillars:
- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Stories
Tonight, she was featured on CBS’ 60 minutes talking to Norah O’Donnell about the challenges women face and how they often “downplay their accomplishments and instead of taking risks, they lean back instead of leaning in” (Sandberg, 2013). http://youtu.be/OxpmXmAZAHg
And tomorrow with the book’s official release and Sandberg’s appearance on Good Morning America I will again ‘Lean In’ to listen and watch this idea and see if the movement sticks and changes the dialogue. In the interim, Sandberg has used IMC to spark a dialogue that will continue for years to come.
Beyonce told us that girls rule the world. Sandberg says that women need to acknowledge that we don’t rule the world but that women, in essence are “stalled.” So the question I raise, whether you agree or disagree with Sandberg’s premise is are you leaning in or pushing back?
~ LaVenia LaVelle {CMGT541A}
References
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (20077). Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. New York, NY: Random House.
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