Marketing Role Models

The McKinley Avenue Agency wouldn’t be who we are without role models. Without people to look up to or people who point us in the right direction, our agency wouldn’t be nearly as successful. Our role models have not only shown us the best practices when it comes to advertising, sales, public relations and more, but they’ve shown us that it takes drive, passion and commitment.

As Black History Month comes to a close and we kick off Women’s History Month, we wanted to express our gratitude for some of our most influential role models in marketing.

So why are these men and women people we look up to? Well, they’ve taken the marketing world by storm and simultaneously helped build inclusivity in each of their careers. They don’t only care about making a name for themselves or their company, but they’ve used their influence to make real progress.

According to Harvard Business Review, new research shows diversity unlocks innovation and drives market growth, with then increases profit. These individuals prove that. Let’s take a look at five leaders in marketing we look up to.

• Gary Coichy is the founder of Pod Digital Media. Pod is the first multicultural podcast network and bridges the gap between advertisers and the multicultural podcaster. This company represents more than 400 Black, Hispanic, Asian and other multicultural podcasts. Coichy has used his innovation to support minority voices.
• Eliana Murillo is the former head of multicultural marketing at Google. She is also the founder of Eliment & Company, which is a multicultural strategy and design studio focused on collaborating with startup founders. A Forbes 30 under 30 in 2017, Murillo has used her platform to reach more diverse audiences and businesses.
• Maggie Chan Jones is the founder of Tenshey, a startup with a mission to advance gender diversity. Jones created this startup to help companies deliver on their diversity and inclusion vision.
• Ann Hadley has been in the marketing industry for 15 years and has been able to advance to the top levels for each place she’s worked at. Hadley has proven her success in digital marketing and content as she’s a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and keynote speaker.
• Damon Jones is the Chief Communications Officer at Proctor & Gamble and has played a key role in advancing conversations about racial bias through campaigns including “The Talk” and “The Look”. Jones never let the fear of speaking a new truth keep him from expanding the company’s inclusivity and diversity.

We look up to these leaders because they’ve made a real difference in marketing, especially when it comes to inclusivity, and we want to make the same progress each day. To all the marketing role models who make a real difference, thank you!