Kylie Jenner, Newest Business Role Model

The youngest of the Kardashian Clan is now Puma's New Ambassador

At age 18, Kylie Jenner is the most followed person on Snapchat, has over 56 million followers on Instagram and over 15 million followers on Twitter. Her rise to fame sky rocketed when she posted selfies with overdrawn lips that influenced women all around the world to have a bigger and fuller pout. This may be the reason why Puma offered her a million dollar deal to launch a new sneaker line.

Risk-Taker. Trailblazer. Gamechanger. @KylieJenner is #ForeverFierce. https://t.co/OP6YdyicdM pic.twitter.com/abaI4fJVMi

— PUMA (@PUMA) April 5, 2016

The brand is set to release their ‘Fierce’ sneaker, which is a “lightweight trainer with zero excuses” with Jenner front and center.

The German company has sold mostly to men, but Puma’s new approach to selling sneakers to women is what they are aiming for and they predict that this will change the game with Kylie Jenner and Rihanna leading the way. The idea is that a new trend setting teenage entrepreneur such as Jenner can help them stand out from their competitors. 

PUMA Fierce. Lightweight structure. Fearless design. Worn by @KylieJenner #ForeverFierce https://t.co/OP6YdyicdM pic.twitter.com/EbgM29Nvl2

— PUMA (@PUMA) April 1, 2016

“Women can sell sneakers to women,” said Adam Petrick, global director of brand and marketing at Puma. “What the industry has forgotten is that women want and deserve the same kind of attention to detail and storytelling that men do.”

Puma is flaunting what they call ‘girl power’ and gaining popularity on social media. Although Puma has gained critics questioning why these celebrities are representing their brand, they are responding in a different way than one might expect.

Ceo Bjorn Gulden told Footwear News during Rihanna’s NYC Fashion week debut that they are thinking outside of the traditional marketing box. He wanted a strong woman who was known on the streets and on social media.

via GIPHY

Puma is hoping that the public will see that women can become influential brand ambassadors, not just men. Nike athletics who is one of their top competitors has had eight out of ten male brand ambassadors in the last few years, from Michael Jordan, to Tiger Woods and goes to show what message Puma is trying to convey. Maria Sharapova and Allyson Felix were among the two female brand ambassadors for Nike but the men were placed more frequently in advertisements.
The brand has stated that they have underserved the female customer, who are often more active than men according to a Matt Powell, a sports analyst for NPD group. 

This news also comes at a time where women are expressing their concerns about how they are often treated differently in the workplace. Female celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson have been taking to Twitter and Facebook to promote their views on feminism, with recent topics including the pay gap for women in both Hollywood and in private businesses. They have come forth and have stated that men and women should be paid for the same type of work and encourage women to ask for pay raises and promotions that they deserve.

When you shortchange women, you shortchange all of us. We need to close the pay gap once and for all. pic.twitter.com/TtZHbEtESR

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 5, 2016

According to a new report by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, women today won't be able to see equal pay in our lifetime.

President Obama has even voiced his opinion on the pay gap after receiving popularity with several public figures.

"Equal pay for equal work-it's not that complicated," the President stated during a White House press release.

Actress Sandra Bullock says that there is a bigger issue than just money. She recently told Variety in an interview that women are mocked and judged in the media and no one is doing anything about it.

“Once we start shifting how we perceive women and stop thinking about them as “less than,” the pay disparity will take care of itself," Bullock said, "There’s a much bigger issue at hand. I’m glad Hollywood got caught.”

Recent studies have shown that only 14% of big companies have female CEO's and other female leaders. As women are trying to strive in the business world, the pay gap and discrimination is only becoming a road block along the way. Forbes recently spoke out as to how women are undervalued in the workplace but agreed that a business cannot function without a strong female presence for many reasons.
According to the National Women's Law Center, women are paid .79 cents for every dollar that a man makes. This pay gap is dangerous because it could affect single mothers and their families who can't support themselves like a father could.  Although the Equal Pay Act has been around for over 50 years, the pay gap still remains. This law was a landmark in history that stated that women shall be paid the same as their male colleagues, yet qual pay is still considered unfinished business.
Forbes author Glen Llopis says that women provide opportunity since many women are driven for success. They are the caretakers and the go-getters of the business, almost acting as the mother you go to when you need advice or a comforting hand. Llopis says that women are also strategic with how they need to reach their goals when comparing them with male coworkers.