International Women's Day & Beyond

Earlier this week, we marked International Women's Day. On the 8th and each and every day I am inspired by the women in my day-to-day life but also by women that I cheer for from afar.

I am in constant awe of their creativity, strength and resilience. I am always watching women show up day after day with grit, passion, and empathy—wondering how they make it look so easy. This year’s IWD theme is #EmbraceEquity and its goal is to spark global conversations about why equal opportunities aren’t enough - conversations that need to happen throughout 2023. The campaign recognizes that people start from different places, which means true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. I couldn’t agree more.?

As a small homage to irreplaceable women in the marketing industry, I am dedicating this newsletter to a few of the women who make the industry what it is. Let’s take a look at a Marketing Mentors excerpt that never fails to impress me.?

Courtney Lawrence is the Director of Strategic Insights and Foresights at lululemon. It was Courtney’s fascination with human behaviour and culture that led her on her career path. In university, Courtney studied anthropology with a focus on human culture, rituals and behaviours. Upon graduation, she realized that companies were starting to use applied anthropology to better understand clients and customers. After working with a few companies to better understand why consumers were not gravitating towards certain campaigns, Courtney joined lululemon.?

“Anthropology is about understanding context,” Courtney says. “And that knowledge helps marketers be more effective.” Courtney urges marketers to understand that when they put a product or service in the hands of a consumer, that interaction can’t be isolated from the rest of their life. By understanding the context of culture and rituals in different parts of the world, companies can succeed in diverse markets. Working at lululemon, Courtney remains curious, a trait she believes can be nurtured in both life and work, and is crucial to any new project to bring forth an open mind that encourages new questions.?

I also want to draw awareness to an upcoming SocialNext Conference in Vancouver. Taking place March 30-31, 2023 at the Scotiabank Theatre, attendees will hear from a number of incredible women in the digital marketing world. A few of these rockstars include Marisa Robshaw of Pinterest, Alanna Fiedler of Google, and Beverley Theresa of Throwdown Social Media. Early bird tickets are available until March 15, 2023 - and I've heard they're going fast.

Last but not least, if you haven't yet I highly encourage you to take five minutes out of your day to read this powerful and needle-turning Marketing News Canada article. IWD: The Need for More Women in Technical and Educational Marketing Roles shines a light on the undeniable gender gap in technical and educational-based marketing roles.?It's a must-read.