Marketing Obstacles Confronting Female Professionals
Empowering Women Marketers: Insights from Industry Leaders
In a thought-provoking video series installment, five brand and agency executives shared their career advice for women marketers, particularly addressing the challenges faced by women and women of color in the advertising industry. The discussion, centering around the industry's impact on women marketers, highlighted the need for changes to support and empower them.
God-is Rivera, global director of culture and community at Twitter, emphasized the importance of authenticity and self-advocacy in the workplace. She encouraged women to own their voices and be unapologetically themselves, helping to break stereotypes and assert leadership. Building strong networks and seeking mentors who understand the unique challenges women of color experience were also stressed by Rivera.
Nancy Reyes, CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, highlighted the need for resilience amid systemic barriers and biases. She advised women marketers to be proactive in seeking opportunities and to continuously upskill to stay competitive. Reyes also pointed out the value of cultivating a personal brand that reflects one’s values and strengths.
Cindy Gallop, advertising veteran and founder and CEO of Make Love, Not Porn, advocated for boldness and challenging the status quo in advertising culture. She urged women to confront stereotypes head-on and push for inclusion not just in hiring, but in leadership roles and creative control. Gallop also encouraged embracing discomfort and risk-taking as part of career growth.
Kenya Brock, head of marketing and communications at We Are Rosie, stressed the importance of visibility and representation. She recommended using storytelling to highlight unique perspectives and create impact. Brock also encouraged collaboration and building communities that empower and elevate women marketers.
E.T., a participant in the discussion but with no further details provided about their role, advised women to focus on strategic thinking and business acumen to strengthen their influence beyond creative roles. Overcoming imposter syndrome and internal barriers by fostering confidence in one’s expertise was also highlighted by E.T. They supported advocating for equitable pay and career advancement opportunities through transparency and negotiation.
The overall themes from the discussion included owning one's voice and being authentic, building networks and seeking mentorship, being bold and challenging systemic biases, embracing leadership, visibility, and storytelling to amplify influence, developing resilience, strategic skills, and self-confidence, and advocating for equity actively, including pay and representation.
For detailed quotes or further reading on any of these leaders’ advice, feel free to ask! The video series installment continues to highlight the need for changes to support women marketers and empower them to overcome the challenges they face.
- God-is Rivera, emphasizing the need for change in support and empowerment for women marketers, encourages women to own their voices and be unapologetically themselves, highlighting self-advocacy as a means to break stereotypes and assert leadership, particularly for women of color.
- Nancy Reyes, in discussing resilience within the context of systemic barriers and biases, advises women marketers to be proactive, continuously upskill to stay competitive, and cultivate a personal brand that reflects their unique strengths and values.
- Kenya Brock, stressing the importance of visibility and representation, recommends using storytelling to highlight unique perspectives, encourages building communities that empower women marketers, and suggests collaboration as a strategy for creating impact.
