Google CMO Lorraine Twohill on the importance of diversity in marketing: 'It’s on all of us in the advertising industry to do better'

Lorraine Twohill is used to being an only.

Growing up in rural Ireland, she was one of two students from her girls’ school to travel to the neighboring boys’ school to take applied math.

Climbing the career ladder in male-dominated industries like tech reminded her of her grade school days: She was an outsider in the boys’ club.

Now, as the CMO of Google, Twohill is still the only woman in many rooms.

But she’s trying to change that, encouraging women to advocate for themselves in a way she never did.?

?“I still see too many occasions where women do not put their hands up for jobs,” she says, pointing to oft-cited research that shows men apply for roles when they meet 60 percent of the desired qualifications, while women apply only when they meet all of them.?

?“I have to encourage women more — more than I should — to go for those conversations or those opportunities, even just to be in the game,” she says, noting that this includes talking about your salary, vying for a board seat or exploring opportunities for promotion.?

It’s an experience she knows firsthand: When the role of Google CMO opened up, Twohill had been at the company for 6 years, but was trying for her second baby and didn’t have any plans to pursue the job.

Her mentors, all of whom were men, convinced her to go for it, she says.

“I wouldn't be in this role if it had been left to me,” she says.?

She often shares that story with women she's spoken to over the years. She encourages them not to hesitate even if they feel they might not be quite ready or are worried about how a new role would mesh with their personal responsibilities. Face those issues when you’re offered the job, she says, don’t let it stop you from going for it.

When I ask Twohill how she's gained the confidence to speak up about her worth, she pauses.

“I'm not sure, Callie, that I ever spoke to my worth when it mattered,” she says, adding that it’s part of the reason she’s so focused on getting other women to do so.

Even with a title as impressive as hers, Twohill says she still struggles to speak up at times.

“It still happens to me today. And if it's happening to me, it is happening to women at every level.”

Below, she shares more of her story.??

1. What has had the most impact on your perspective as a marketer?

I have been fortunate to live and work in many countries before coming to the US. I have always believed that to be a great marketer you need to deeply understand people. My experiences living in diverse cultures and countries definitely helped form who I am today and give me a more global point of view, which is super helpful for my role.?

My perspective has also been shaped a lot by the amazing people in my team, especially our more junior team members. We have a program for associate marketers, or APMMs, I like to have lots of them near me, they see the world differently, they are unafraid and they keep reminding us to see the world through different eyes, to truly understand our audience and what they will relate to, they also have so many good ideas! I also learn a lot from our engineers, engineers love to solve problems, they love to be challenged. They think big and are incredibly creative, I find their perspective incredibly helpful.?

2. What’s changed the most about your job as a marketer over the course of your career?

For sure it’s the move to digital and the increasing role of technology in marketing, as well as the increased ability to demonstrate business impact and return on investment. All of which is incredibly important, and in my opinion has made the marketing function even more critical. However, none of this change and transformation takes away from the need to do great work, work that stands the test of time, work that we are proud of and represents our company well.?

We have also seen such a change in people increasingly wanting to see the humanity behind companies. The Covid pandemic and the call for racial equity have only accelerated this. People are more curious than ever and want to support products from companies and brands that they relate to and believe in. They want to see themselves in the company they support.?

Our work has to feel authentic and show empathy. We bring our products to life through real people and their stories. And it has to reflect the multicultural and nuanced world we live in. For too long most ads – including many of our own – have portrayed historically marginalized communities in ways that are harmful or stereotypical. In the past year, we have seen an incredible call for change, and it’s on all of us in the advertising industry to do better. Over the past four years, we have been building internal inclusive marketing guidelines that have shaped our creative strategy and campaigns. And in the spirit of helping others get there, I was proud that we recently launched All In, our new Inclusive Marketing toolkit to help the industry build the right team, make inclusive creative and strategic decisions, and hold ourselves accountable. By making work where everyone feels seen, we are better able to connect with?people and have ads that are truly memorable, that make you not just do something, but also think and feel something.

3. What’s the hardest part of a marketer’s job today?

No doubt that the pace of change and the increased role of technology has been a learning curve, and measurement is far more sophisticated today, the science side of marketing has changed so much. However, I believe that the hardest part of a marketer's job is the edit. Knowing when to say no. Knowing that you can’t include every product feature. Knowing how to simplify the story. And knowing what truly great, memorable work looks like. I think the hardest part is and always will be creative judgment.?

4. Tell us about the marketing campaign you’re most proud of working on in your career.

Near and dear to my heart is the first big campaign we did for Chrome, which included spots like Dear Sophie and It Gets Better, and we even came out with a comic book. We also supported with Chrome experiments which are still a core part of Chrome and its innovation today. For the campaign, we wanted to humanize the product, show how helpful Chrome is to our everyday lives. This campaign really helped us develop a house style that you can see in our work still today.?

Most recently, I have been so proud of our team’s work throughout Covid. It is some of the most important work we have been called to do in the past 20 years. In the beginning, we were focused on helping people learn more about the virus and protect themselves with things like “Do the Five”. We also knew we could do our part to support small businesses as well as keep people entertained at home with our YouTube Stay Home #WithMe campaign.? And once we saw hope with the creation of the vaccines, we pivoted to getting the word with our “Get the Facts” campaign in partnership with AdCouncil and our “Get back to what you love” spots. In a year no one could have predicted, so proud that we could be a part of helping people get access to the information they truly need.?

5. What’s a marketing campaign you wish you’d thought of and why?

P&G’s Like a Girl - P&G has put out so many great ads in recent years, with true purpose behind them. As the mother of a daughter, this ad truly resonated with me, but really every girl or woman can relate and be empowered by the message. It was a great reminder of how powerful words can be. I love that the voices of the girls were the centerpiece of the spot, and the product was a vehicle to get such a powerful story across. I am always looking for inspiration for how to tell empathetic, authentic stories, and P&G nails it often.?

There are some greats that I go back to time and time again, like the New York Times “The Truth is Hard” campaign. So powerful and simple at the same time.?

Schweppes Dress for Respect, Nike Nothing Beats a Londoner, both lean into insights so well.

?6. What’s your must read, watch or listen for all marketers?

I try not to recommend conventional marketing books because by nature, they are often out of date by the time they are published. It is more helpful to stay up to date through talks and immersing ourselves in culture. That being said, I did love the book “Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!)”. It stands the test of time and is more valid than ever. And I also highly recommend the “Humanizing Growth Series from the Institute of Real Growth.” They interview thought leaders from major brands and get their perspective on everything from career journeys, building a team, working with important stakeholders, and lots more. I like to hear the perspectives of others.?

I like to read or listen to interesting people tell their own stories, whether that’s Desert Island Discs, or a great biography (Becoming), or The Three Mothers, or audiobooks in their own voices, I think you learn the most by listening to people who have lived interesting lives.??

And The Overstory by Richard Powers should be essential reading for everyone!

7. What’s an under the radar brand you’re watching and why??

I love brands that reinvent ideas or spaces for example Camp, their idea of a children’s store is genius. I am always looking for clean, pure products, so I love Kosas, their amazing female founder is reinventing beauty.

?8. Name a product you can’t live without (that doesn’t connect you to the internet) and tell us why.

I can’t live without my Irish tea! I like strong Irish tea, and I don’t get out of bed until I have had at least one cup.

9. Finish this sentence. If I weren’t a marketer, I would be…

A movie critic. I genuinely love cinema and would get to sit around and watch movies all day. It is the perfect gig!

?10. Finish this sentence: The marketer I most want to see do this questionnaire is…

?Steve Stoute, Founder & CEO of Translation, or Bozoma Saint John, CMO at Netflix.?

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