Modern marketing can upend the paltry 15.5% women's representation on company boards

History bears witness to the fact that women pioneered the words “advertising” and “marketing” back in the 1920s. Today, as the topography of modern marketing changes with digital being the primary focus, it is time to reject old consumerist ideals again and challenge limits. Reigning at the core of how organisations operate today, modern marketing has fueled organisations to the cusp of breakthroughs. However, the circle that started with women, is, coming back to its pioneers with the turn of the wheel of time.

It's remarkable how the number of women driving modern marketing teams is increasing. It is propelling many to leadership positions, which to me, feels like the natural order of things. More convincing, with the right kind of skillsets, more women are coming into tech roles, or building capabilities that leverage modern marketing in a fruitful way. The future needs to be more feminine, especially where modern marketing is concerned

Enabling women in modern marketing

Before we go further, it is important to understand what modern marketing essentially is. Traditional marketing ideas and frameworks are reshaped in modern marketing to allow us to adapt to change more rapidly. It's a method that is user-centred, iterative, and built for lifelong learning, embracing an ever-growing number of channels and a diversely targetable and identity-based population.

Women have unique points of view, which need to be encouraged and pushed ahead. The women who are emerging as digital experts hold the key to enable their female peers. When I look at my journey, I started into digital marketing more than two decades back when it was a nascent dream. Today, I am a member of the India chapter of a global board that leads in modern marketing.  I find it very important to enable women in the field through their points of views. Every platform that MMA associates with encourages women and their spontaneous skillsets. It’s an enabling mindset that fosters a culture of constant learning, and more businesses should adopt the practice.

Woeful numbers in female representation

According to a Credit Suisse report published in 2019, ranked 23 globally of 56 countries, India’s female representation on boards stands at 15.2% in 2019, markedly below the global average of 20.6%. In terms of female representation in senior management, India holds the third-lowest spot in APAC, ahead only of South Korea (4%) and Japan (3%). The Reykjavík Index for Leadership by Kantar, on the other hand, shows how women are more progressive than men, and how women in the healthcare and pharma sectors have driven their companies to become industry leaders.

At a time when diversity and inclusion are the core of organisations, the time has never been riper. All women need are the tools to upskill themselves, become more tech-savvy and stay abreast of the latest modern marketing developments, women can become better modern marketers and leaders. Women need to find representation on global boards and establishing councils that drive modern marketing --- ecommerce, media effectiveness, creativity and brand safety. This will automatically drive them towards leadership roles in modern marketing.

Women need a 360-degree vision

What’s more, women need to have a 360-degree digital marketing vision and be at the forefront of various social media and other platform advancements. They need to employ digital marketing, strategy, innovation, and a growth mentality to drive digital-first debuts, development of new communication platforms, and campaigns across categories and brands through industry thought leadership and evangelism. The tools are right there --- data, measurement solutions, and research --- to empower women. 

To sum it up

There are so many native brands that are being run by women, who are already tapping into the power of modern marketing. Historically known to be blessed with wonderful convincing powers, women are naturally great modern marketers, who are yet to unleash their full potential in the sector.
It is a cultural revolution that has taken the world by storm, breaking the glass ceiling, and putting women where history had put them a century ago --- modern marketing.
 
The author is Country Head at MMA – India chapter of MMA Global - the world’s leading not-for-profit marketing trade body.