Johnson, Lisa 1967-

PERSONAL: Born 1967.

ADDRESSES: E-mail— lisa@reachgroupconsulting. com.

CAREER: Reach Group Consulting, CEO.

WRITINGS

(With Andrea Learned) Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy—and How to Increase Your Share in This Crucial Market, AMACOM (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Cheri Hanson) Mind Your X’s and Y’s: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers, Free Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including New York Times magazine and Chicago Tribune; contributor to National Public Radio’s Marketplace.

SIDELIGHTS: Lisa Johnson is a marketing consultant and the author of books that include Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy—and How to Increase Your Share in This Crucial Market, written with Andrea Learned and published by AMACOM, the publishing arm of the American Management Association. The book points out that women head forty percent of both American households and American companies. They also make the majority of consumer decisions. The authors contend that in spite of the buying power of women, most companies fail to appeal to them and to their specific needs and interests, which vary by age and lifestyle. They provide examples of companies that have given more consideration to women consumers by appealing to minority groups and hotels, for example, that offer safety measures such as security cameras and better lighting. A Publishers Weekly contributor remarked: “This is a solid guide for marketers at any corporation who want to reach the women’s market.”

With Cheri Hanson, Johnson wrote Mind Your X’s and Y’s: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers. This volume is a guide to marketing to Generation X, who are those Americans born between 1965 and 1979, and Generation Y, which includes those born from 1980 to 1997. These groups are notable for their strong commitment to technology; the authors call them “The Connected Generation.” Brands that have been successful with this age group are noted and the challenges in reaching them discussed. “The result is effective as both a marketing workbook and a study of social trends,” concluded David Siegfried in Booklist.

Johnson told CA:“My first book, Don’t Think Pink, was born out of preparation for a three-day seminar on marketing to women (twenty-four hours of curriculum). Once I had worked through my ideas on the topic, writing a book didn’t seem so intimidating.

“I write books about what I want to learn, instead of what I already understand. The act of writing a book is a structured, deadline-driven way to dive into a topic and come out enriched and transformed. I am officially addicted to the process.

“I am most influenced by my desire to crack a code or provide clarity on a topic that has people baffled. That is why I am so fascinated right now with the modern marketplace and the role technology is playing in how we work and play.

“Most days my mouth is far ahead of my typing fingers, and I end up speaking into a recorder or to my writing partner, Cheri Hanson. Once I empty my brain and we capture the main thoughts, the development and editing process can begin. This is a system that has worked well for me for years.

“My latest book, Mind Your X’s and Y’s, was built on a treasure hunt and code-cracking mission to discover the ten cravings of the connected generation. I still get a little chill thinking about the process. It was a rocket ride!

“I was surprised by the power in the act of discovery. I now make it my goal to orchestrate an experience where the reader discovers truth and has their own ‘AHA’ moment. The act of discovery makes information both magical and memorable.

“I hope my readers will see people and the marketplace with fresh eyes and feel equipped to transform insight into action.”

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 2006, David Siegfried, review of Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy—and How to Increase Your Share in This Crucial Market, p. 12.

Harvard Business Review, September, 2006, Julia Kirby, review of Mind Your X’s and Y’s: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers, p. 32.

Publishers Weekly, May 3, 2004, review of Don’t Think Pink, p. 183; July 10, 2006, review of Mind Your X’s and Y’s, p. 66.