Marketing has the power to bring change and positivity into the world and is key to bringing representation to marginalized groups. In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate women in marketing, honor their struggles, and dive into how they have paved the way for women in marketing today.
THE NUMBERS
In a male dominated society, women experience obstacles in the workplace; the marketing field is no exception. Women encounter barriers to growing their careers in the marketing industry; and, according to Agency Spotter, “only 30.2% of women hold leadership positions in the marketing agency world, which is a slightly lower figure than the past two years.”
Despite these challenges, women have made and are making great strides. For example, Outside Optimism’s research shows that in 2019, women marketers were “at an all-time high, with 64% of the industry made up of women.” Even at an all-time high, women still face a pay gap based on their gender, as well as their race/ethnicity. According to the 2018 Census Bureau, when compared to the white man’s dollar, asian women earned 90 cents, white women earned 79 cents, black women earned 62 cents, indigenous women earned 57 cents, and hispanic/latina women earned 54 cents. According to CAP’s Quick Facts About the Gender Wage Gap, “Gender-based pay discrimination has been illegal since 1963 but is still a frequent, widespread practice — particularly for women of color.”
In spite of the discrimination women face, there is still so much to celebrate! Women have accomplished so much in marketing and are pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and rising to the top. There are many notable women in marketing who have made significant contributions to the industry. Our women led and operated team are inspired by these women, and all women, who work every day toward building a more inclusive industry.
INSPIRING WOMEN IN MARKETING
- Mathilde C. Weils: In 1880, Mathilde founded the M.C. Weil Agency, which was the first advertising agency. Even though there is a lack of information regarding her agency, she paved the way for women who came after her.
- Caroline Robinson Jones: Caroline was the first black woman to be a senior copywriter working in J. Walter Thompson Co. In 1968, she started working in Zebra Associates, one of the first black-owned agencies, where she became Vice President, making her the first black female Vice President of a major agency.
- Mary Wells Lawrence: Mary was the first woman CEO of her own agency. She founded her own company called Wells, Rich, and Greene, Inc., and in 1971, Mary Wells Lawrence was named Advertising Woman of the Year by the American Advertising Federation.
- Bozoma Saint John: Bozoma is currently the Global Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix. Before that, she led many big brands such as PepsiCo, Apple Music & iTunes, and Uber.
- Natalie Gullatt: Natalie is the founder of Black Marketers Association of America (BMAA), which helps marketers of color grow in their careers and become leaders of their industry.
- Purna Virji: Purna is the Senior Manager of Global Engagement at Microsoft, giving keynote presentations all over the world.
- Anne Handley: Anne is the Chief Content Officer at Marketing Profs, which provides amazing tools and content for digital marketers. She is also the co-author of “Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and more) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business”.
- Sonia Simone: Sonia is the co-founder of Copyblogger, which provides exceptional content and tools for blogging. She now helps content writers reach their fierce, authentic, and productive selves.
As a women led and operated company, the Clinically Media team is passionate about empowering patients of all identities to decide their unique health journey. Our marketing team is a crucial part in bridging the gap between patients and clinical trials. Online Optimism says that “women have had a long history in marketing, dating back to 1880, and as time continues, we will only see more women entering and thriving in the industry.” The future is bright for women in the workforce and the work these women have done have paved the way for that.
