Have you seen the promos for the “Shine the Light” contest by American Express and NBC Universal?

The campaign, which invited the public to nominate and vote for the “small business story that most inspires them,” wrapped today with the announcement of the winner: Sacred Wind Communications, a telecommunications outfit based in Albuquerque that is working to wire Navajo lands with telephone and Internet access. The company will receive with $100,000 in grant and marketing support.

“Shine the Light” is a great example of a campaign that was not overtly marketed to women as the target audience, but nonetheless capitalized on a number of marketing principles and tactics that appeal to them:

1. You decide: The entire contest was driven by public input, from nominations to voting for the winner – the principle of putting women in CONTROL in action.

2. iVillage: This women-oriented online entity, which NBC…

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Lisa Belkin writes in the August 23rd New York Times Magazine about the Power of the Purse.

She notes that philanthropy among women isn’t new and that it is growing. More women are controlling more wealth than ever before and of those in the wealthiest tier of the country, 43% are women.

Belkin notes that women are giving differently than men and how they have given in the past. They are more likely to use their wealth to to social change work – direct and systematic impact.

What’s inspiring about the piece is that in these tough economic times efforts like Women Moving Millions are exceeding funding raising goals (original goal was $150 million and they have exceed their goal by $30 million.)

Highlights on how women and men differ in giving include:

1. Women are less likely to want their name on things and more likely…

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