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the REAL hot 100

Challenges Entered: 
The REAL hot 100 is a grassroots media project that recognizes and celebrates young women who are working to make the world a better place and provides the resources and networking necessary to help these remarkable women succeed.

REAL hot 100 logoYoung promiscuous heiress? Talented but trashy superstar? Ghetto fabulous girl?

Whether it’s the super-skinny blonde gracing the cover of magazines, the scantily-clad women grinding in rap videos, or even the ditzy girl who gets the guy on reality t.v., young women are deluged with negative, unrealistic, and unattainable images of womanhood from birth.

What about the young woman pioneering a path in biodiesel technologies? Or the woman who developed an MBA support and training program for women and minorities? Or the girl next door who wants to run for city council someday? Where are the women who are breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes? How can we amplify their voices?

The almost complete absence of positive, strong images of young women in the media can be devastating to a younger woman and quantifiably harmful to society as a whole. The REAL hot 100 challenges pop culture's breastacular image of female attractiveness by celebrating young women for their brains, social activism and efforts to make the world a better place. The annual REAL hot 100 list shows that young women are “hot” for reasons beyond looking good in a magazine. By featuring this list of young women from around the country doing incredible things in their every day lives, we’re battling the popular notion that all young women have to offer is outward appearances. The annual list is just a first step. Through the REAL hot 100 network, nominees and winners can combine their resources, share strategies and join forces to further their social causes and to affect real change.

6 2006 REAL hot 100 winners

WHAT WE NEED:

  • Social networking technology
  • Podcasting equipment (recording devices for in-person and over the telephone interviews and editing software)
  • Funding for e-newsletters and media trainings

Project Details
Project url: 
http://www.therealhot100.org
Project Assessment
Sustainability Model: 
Founded in 2005, the REAL hot 100 has been run by a volunteer group for its 2 year existence, with the founding members incurring all organizational costs. In addition, we are currently operating a sponsorship and donation model. So far, this model has been somewhat successful. Last year, at the first annual REAL hot awards event, volunteer organizers were able to obtain in-kind or donated gift items and party materials (including event space, food, and raffle items), as well as sponsorships, with a combined market value of over $55,000.00.However, the sponsorship/donation model is sustainable for the organizational side of the project but not the technological aspects. The present technology used requires constant supervision and manual input, which for a nominee and network based project is not ideal. Once initial costs for net 2.0 technologies are met, the REAL hot 100 could become self-sustaining, with minimal upkeep expenditures, which is one of its main goals.
Project goals: 
Days 1 – 30: Website and Networking Technology Identification and Development1. A detailed spec based on the user experience and backend administration currently exists for the new REAL hot 100 website. Cnce the developer(s) have been hired and/or the technology to be used has been identified, the spec will be updated as necessary. Based on the updated spec, wire frames and a site map will be completed and development work on the site can begin. The project scope will include: a social networking platform for nominees (and previous winners) to manage and maintain their own profile page with the ability to upload media and play audio and video via in-browser streaming; searchable functions to allow visitors to browse nominees by name, region, industry, and cause; tagging; mashup mapping features; an automated nomination process and backend that allows organization administrators to manage site, approve/hold/deny submissions and export database; public and private access areas; calendar functionality; community-driven voting functionality. 2. While the new website is being developed, the profiles of the first year’s 350 nominees and 100 winners and the nominations already received for this year’s list, will be organized and prepared so that once the new site’s administrative backend is complete, we can upload the organization’s evergreen content and pre-populate the network with our inaugural year’s hotties. Days 30 – 45: Website Development and Start of Podcast Interviews1. Website development will continue 2. 2 REAL hot podcast interviews/shows will be recorded and edited Days 45 – 60: Complete Social Networking Platform1. Social networking platform backend complete 2. Upload of content and nominee/winner profiles (compiled during days 1 – 45) 3. 2 additional REAL hot podcasts will be recorded and edited Days 60 – 75: Viral Outreach Begins; Launch of REAL hot Podcasts1. Viral outreach efforts will begin to generate excitement for the new site launch 2. First 4 REAL hot podcasts will debut in iTunes (each podcast will end with promotion for the new website launch) 3. QA testing will begin by leveraging our already existent loyal community base of the previous year’s hotties each of whom will be offered a preview of the new site and recruited to test interactive elements of the website (including the social networking platform using the content our administrators uploaded to the site during days 45 – 60) to identify any bugs and test for usability Days 75 – 90: Finalization of New Website; Development of Promotional Materials1. Identified bugs will be addressed and fixed 2. Targeted and strategic outreach efforts will begin and viral efforts expanded 3. New content and section copy will be written and published including "How to use this site" and "How to upload a photo"-type materials 4. Promotional materials will be developed Day 90: Website Launch; Targeted Outreach1. New REAL hot 100 website will be launched! 2. Outreach to double previous year’s nominations and expand national coverage begins 3. New nominations will begin to be accepted via the automated nomination process 4. Community engagement will begin immediately to encourage full use of the site’s web 2.0 elements 5. Tips and strategies for maximizing the site's effectiveness will be posted 6. Community-generated content will be highlighted so as to encourage further participation
Identified Obstacles: 
In its first year, the REAL hot 100 received over 350 nominees through viral outreach alone. Nominations were received by email and, only after multiple follow-up emails and manual content entry, were posted to the website. Because the website lacks any networking technology, nominees interested in “networking” had to contact the REAL hot 100 organization and request contact information of one another, as did members of the press searching for potential sources. All of this manual labor took precious time and resources away from important programmatic elements, outreach, fundraising and effectively lessened the project’s impact.

Location

New York, NY
United States
See map: Google Maps
Submitted by GwynnC on April 5, 2007 - 9:34am

women of substance

Submitted by shehara (not verified) on August 30, 2007 - 10:56pm.

great idea, why only keep it to celebrating US women lets make it global there are women all over doing amazing stuff and really making a difference, lets empower them collectively through vehicles like this

I love it

Submitted by Tinalee on April 13, 2007 - 9:38am.

I am so proud of the REAL hot 100. This is an awesome concept that needs to be yelled from the rooftops.

 Keep it up ladies!

~Bettina

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