Last month WiM held its first event to look at health and wellness. The Future of Wellness focused on three areas
- Mental health
- The transformation of women in the 40-60 year old demographic
- The future of wellness.
Thank you to our speakers Claire Gillis (pictured above), CEO International, WPP Health Practice; Simon Blake OBE, CEO, Mental Health First Aid England; Zana Morris, Founder, The Clock and Library Gym and Victoria Buchanan, Senior Strategic Researcher, The Future Laboratory.
Special thanks to Natasher Beecher (pictured above), Creative Director, Ogilvy Health & Chair of WPP Health Practice Roots for hosting, and her lovely dog Brodie who stole the show!
The purpose of the latest WiM event, held on 10th April 2019, was to explore the changing attitudes to health and well-being in the workplace, and to explore what role Women in Marketing could play to build a better future.
The event was generously hosted by Claire Gillis, International CEO, WPP Health Practice at their London offices – where the sign on the wall declares ‘Be Well, Do Well’. Speaking with Claire’s team confirmed that they really try to deliver on those values by providing a diverse range of support such as breathing sessions to connect mind and body, meditation groups and education on better well-being practices such as standing desks.
The event was kicked off by Simon Blake OBE, of Mental Health First Aid England, who for a decade has provided training to organisations. Their vision is to normalise society’s attitudes and behaviours around mental health, by developing the skills we need to look after our own and others’ wellbeing.
Simon explained that MHFA England is focused on scaling best practice through systemic change in employers’ processes and structures – there is a strong business case for improving employee well-being, aside from the fact that it is the right thing to do.
He explained some key principles:
- What happens at home impacts work and vice versa and so care for an employee needs to be holistic
- Technology has made employees increasingly accessible and so there is a need to re-calibrate what is an acceptable balance to manage stress and that includes holiday time – everyone needs a complete break away and contact should be discouraged.
- In addition to corporate led initiatives, subtle changes by individuals can have a big impact on well-being culture. Try changing your greeting to “how are you and what are you doing to look after yourself?”hat happens at home impacts work and vice versa and so care for an employee needs to be holistic
- However, progress cannot be maintained if someone is consistently working long hours – good intentions are not enough and at MHFA England they push organisations to look at the hygiene factors and take bigger decisions such as redesigning job roles to have realistic hours.
Simon’s closing message was that progress has been made but much is still do and it starts with leadership role modelling new behaviours around well-being.
Our next speaker Valerie Vamanrav is tackling well-being at a grass roots level. As a successful video producer she started to find there was a lack of balance in her life leading to classic ‘burn out’. Looking for solutions, she discovered how pure organic oils can uplift our physical and mental health. The key advantage being that it is within our control and helps put us ‘in charge of our health’ – we can learn to help ourselves independent of employer initiatives.
Pure oils are powerful and can be inhaled, digested or applied topically as a massage. We breathed in several of the oils to experience the uplifting effects of citrus and also peppermint which is good for memory. The impact of inhaling was pretty instant as it reaches the hippo-campus, your decision making part of the brain and so interrupts mood and alters negative thought patterns. It was a real ‘wow’ effect from a very simple natural source that could be built into a busy routine.
Valerie’s note of caution was that the oil industry is unregulated and it is important to thoroughly research sources as only the very purest oils (such as Doterra) have the transforming impact and are safe to be digested.
Next up was Zana Morris, who has changed my life. I confess that when I read Zana’s resume I assumed she was another of those fitness evangelists whose body shouts ‘look at me, you can be like me’. But that could not have been further from the truth. She is a woman on a mission not to look good, but to help people live strong – both mentally and physically.
First though Zana told us the bad news with a brief human biology lesson:
- We age, because from the age of 30 we have muscle wastage (around half a pound a year); we lose protein and calcium. It gets worse – the muscle comes off the heart and the brain, and so our metabolism slows down. That’s why we experience weight gain.
- She highlighted the hidden dangers of badly planned exercise and diet, e.g.: if you exercise for more than 45 minutes your body starts eating into tissue – so trying to rectify aging by taking up an extreme sport should be done with caution. Nutrition is a minefield too – weight loss from low calorie diets is due 90% to muscle loss thus accelerating aging. We need to focus on losing fat, not muscle.
- Just to make us feel even worse Zana pointed out how much damage our ‘successful’ careers had done to our bodies. Many of us have had 30 years of juggling a fast life with long hours, deadlines and stress without being able to see what this is doing to us internally. It is useful to think of an earlier time before technology when we might be out walking and spot a bear. When we see the bear, Cortisol is released into our system to send chemical messages to RUN. We have outgrown the bears, but everyday there is a Cortisol tug – that email saying the project is behind schedule, the late night copy re-write for the client – the problem is these chemical signals are not meant to linger for 20 or 30 years and so are producing too much sugar and have pushed up our heart rate.
But Zana then brought us out of the valley of despair with tips to tackle insulin resistance as we get older.
- Exercise to live strong
- It doesn’t have to be extreme, walking every day is great
- High intensity training for 8 minutes a day improves not only your muscle strength but your cognitive memory
- Eat to live strong
- Avoid sugars and remember that fat does not cause the body to release insulin so can play a part in a healthy diet
- Mind the gap! Fasting helps stabilise insulin so avoid grazing between meals and allow the body to reset itself
- Don’t eat either side of training – leave a gap of 1 to 2 hours to allow insulin to stabilise.
So having painted a pretty bleak picture about what our body does as we age, Zana gave hope that with discipline and focus on the right things we can all age strong.
The evening was closed by Victoria Buchanan who appropriately used her expertise as a Futures Analyst to paint a picture of well-being trends. Health and well-being has a commercial value as it is now a big part of all brands.
In an era where we can’t escape the news cycle Victoria explained the importance of building personal resilience – sheer volume and negativity has an impact. 39% of US adults said they were more anxious in 2018 than a year ago (American Psychology Association). And even HBR have included the need to build personal and collective resilience for the future as part of its book series.
One argument is that we are losing our resilience as a consequence of the nanny state enabled by technology – how many phone numbers can you dial from memory or are you completely dependent on your mobile? Alexa has the ability to monitor our behaviours and ask us if we have locked the door as we leave the house – is that good, or is that eroding our resilience?
Apps are useful but they are changing how we use our mental memory. 66% believe that we are too reliant and that has led to movements of ‘digital minimalism’ – practical tips to thrive without devices. In the future nations may set personal resilience targets for citizens in order to build a better society which can collectively work through challenges with positive behaviours. At an individual level there will be more focus on neuro-technology to support areas such as identifying what brainwaves cause anxiety.
For brands, the future allows for the possibility to re-frame failure as a positive experience to boost the agility and innovation of a brand by removing a fear of failure.
Event reviewed by Lesley Donnelly, Director, Neon Nelly and a member of the WiM community
Credit for all event images: Helen Watson, Senior Digital Strategist at Ogilvy Health
The Museum of London was a fantastic venue for the Global WiM Awards 2018. We hear from our event organisers Tendai Kariwo, Philanthropy Manager and Francesca Doria, Partnerships Manager who helped bring the evening to life.
F: From that very first meeting with Ade a few months ago, I was struck by the level of passion and commitment behind the WiM project: A labour of love. The highlight for me was seeing so many talented and creative individuals at the Museum of London being recognized for their contribution to Marketing: the buzz of excitement in the room was palpable. Loved every minute of it.
T: I have known Ade and WiM for a little while now and I was very excited to introduce her to the museum. It has been an intense and exciting journey over the past few months leading up to a successful awards evening. The highlight of my evening was hearing the inspiring stories about the people being honoured at the awards. And of course the animated conversation I had about our shoe collection with people at my table.
WiM: It was amazing for our guests to have exclusive access to the Suffragettes Vote for Women 100 years collection. Tell us about the positivity this collection has created since it was opened.
F: It has been an incredible year for us. The Votes for Women display has generated a huge amount of interest and our curator Beverley has been in very high demand non-stop since the display opened last February. I know that people have been particularly moved by the short-form film in the display which beautifully conveys just how much these women sacrificed for their cause at a time when women were not expected to have a voice or indeed a choice.
T: Prior to joining Museum of London, I didn’t know that we held such an important collection; the largest militant Suffragette collection in the world. We have been a significant part of the Votes for Women 100 Years national commemorations this year. It has been incredibly fulfilling to see a lot of people engaging with our exhibition as well as our permanent display. We have reached a wider audience through our resident rockstar, Beverley Cook, Curator of Social & Working History revealing the unknown stories, especially of the lesser known suffragettes through talks, interviews and tours.
WiM: Please tell us a little about your roles at the Museum of London
F: My job is to connect corporate supporters with the museum, unlocking opportunities for truly exciting and impactful partnerships. There is nowhere like the Museum of London, and we take huge pride in creating corporate partnerships that are built on a shared passion for London. I manage our corporate memberships and also find sponsors for exhibitions and other projects across our museums. I am really excited about our brand new corporate membership scheme which offers our partners a really great opportunity to share a deep connection with all the wonderful stories that make this city so special while allowing them to support our research, exhibitions, learning and outreach.
T: I work with Philanthropic individuals / families, game changers and influencers who support our work at the museum. My job is to develop relationships with people who are passionate about the museum and our journey – to create a museum that London truly deserves at West Smithfield. Over the next few months and years I will look to grow this community through developing more initiatives such as the Votes for Women Giving Circle and the newly launched Young Society of Londoners programme.
WiM: Are there any gems/exhibitions happening in 2019?
F: Our Exhibitions & Displays teams are working on some pretty cool projects which are scheduled to open in spring 2019: our next major exhibition at London Wall, Beasts of London, explores the fascinating role animals have played in shaping the capital, from the Roman era through Medieval London and right up to the present day. Inspired by objects in our collection and created in partnership with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, we will use video projection mapping alongside other art forms to create a truly wonderful visitor experience. At our Docklands museum, Secret Rivers will tell the story of how the Thames has dominated London and its history over centuries and how it is itself fed by a series of rivers, streams and brooks—most are now hidden beneath modern streets and pavements so our visitors will have a chance to rediscover them.
T: In addition to the exciting big exhibitions, we will have an intriguing display “Disease X” which uses the museum’s collections to show the effect of historic epidemics on London and how we might learn from the past, including past successes such as the eradication of smallpox and cholera. The display will feature Queen Victoria’s mourning dress: The dress worn whilst the Queen mourned her grandson and second in line to the throne, Prince Albert Victor.
WiM: Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years time?
F: Thanks to the Museum of London I got the incredible opportunity to work on one of the biggest cultural projects in Europe: opening the doors on a new Museum of London at West Smithfield in 2023. I can’t wait to be the first through the door!
T: I would love to create a thriving diverse community of Philanthropic individuals/groups who will be standing with us as we open the doors to a 24 hour Museum of London at West Smithfield. It is my personal mission to have a community of donors and supporters that reflect London!
WiM: Can we tempt you to enter or nominate a colleague to enter the WiM Awards 2019?!
F: I nominate our Assistant Head of Marketing Natalie Rowan! She’s only been at the museum a few weeks and is already making a huge impact, creatively and as a great colleague.
T: I second that nomination!
With the calibre of entries received so far so high, and the pleads for a little more time asked for by so many, we’ve made the decision to extend the deadline of the 2018 WiM Awards to midnight on 30th September 2018. So, even if you haven’t finished or event started your submission yet there is still time to create that award winning entry. We’re excited to see your entries!
However Sunday 30th September has to be the final deadline and entries will not be accepted after that date as the judging process will follow very soon. Submit your entry.
The 8th annual Women in Marketing Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of women in the marketing, advertising and communications fields around the globe. Building on the success of the 2017 Awards, the first open to global entries, 2018 will debut the first WiM Awards Dinner on the 7th November 2018 at held the iconic Museum of London marking the centenary of the Suffragettes movement and women gaining the right to vote. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Gemma Greaves, Chief Executive Officer of The Marketing Society.
At this pivotal point in the Awards, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank our headline sponsors who are key to our success.
If you’re poised to enter the Axim CX Award: Inspirational leader in the field of Customer Experience, take heed of wise words from Martin Smith, Chairman, Axim Global:
“According to Bain and Gartner, 80% of CEOs believe their businesses offer a great customer experience, yet only 8% of their customers agree. To avoid these problems and to improve CX delivery, strong and focused leadership is vital. And given that the customer’s experience of a brand has always been a major part of the marketing department’s remit, the obvious single CX leader should reside there.”
So rise to this challenge and enter the Inspirational leader in the field of Customer Experience category.
Plus EMR Recruitment Agency, supporters of the 2018 WiM Awards, share with us an interview with Kirstin Burt, Executive Director and Head of Marketing for UBS Wealth Management on how she’s navigated her way to the top and what she thinks of the gender pay gap, and if we can do anything about it. This interview comes courtesy of Catherine Henderson, Head of Marketing at EMR.
We’re waiting with great anticipation for your entry – you have 12 prestigious categories to choose from. Enter the 2018 Women in Marketing Awards today!
With submission for entries for the 2018 WiM Awards now open, this month we shine a spotlight on some of the WiM Award Judges – find out what they expect from a winning entry, why you should enter, and their thoughts on their own career progression.
Click on the links below for the full interviews:
- Mack McKelvey, Founder / CEO, The Credentialed, USA who tells us what she’s looking for in a winning entry and talks about the two new categories Change Maker and Industry Shaper.
- Patrícia Weiss, Chairwoman of the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA), South America, Head of Branded Entertainment & Content strategy and Executive Producer at ASAS.br.com as she explains what new entrants should include in their entry and discusses her specialism in branded entertainment.
- Christina Ioannidis, CEO of Aquitude discusses marketing in the Middle East from her Dubai offices.
- Nicola Kemp, Trends Editor of Campaign magazine gives insights into the Journalist of the Year category and how you can put together a winning entry across the board.
Find out more about the WiM Awards Judges, the 12 award categories and how to submit your entry.
With submission for entries for the 2018 WiM Awards now open, we shine a spotlight on some of the WiM Award Judges…
Founder and CEO of The Credentialed in the USA, Mack kicks off by explaining the impact of technology in marketing in the USA.
WIM: How is tech enabling marketing?
MMcK: Technology, particularly digital and social technology has enabled marketers to gain real-time sentiment, feedback and dialogue directly with customers. And, most importantly, we can use this to build stronger customer experiences, build richer products and ultimately better measure success.
WIM: What key elements are you looking for in an Awards entry?
MMcK: I want to see innovation and action. We are well past the days of talking about how leaders can make impact, I look for those who are attacking issues head on. I want to see leaders who are paving the way for their organizations’ success and are actively creating paths for those who work for them today, and for those that will follow behind them in the future.
WIM: What advice would you give to someone entering WIM Awards for the first time?
MMcK: First time award nominees need to remember that providing a thorough entry is key. The judges won’t likely know the nominees, their contributions, style, etc. Bring your career to life for us.
WIM: Tell us more about two new categories – The Change Maker and Industry Shaker Awards
MMcK: Change requires catalysts.
Change Makers and Industry Shakers will honor those leaders who have been persistent in driving change at the company level and the other for forcing the industry forward. Both are critical and we are excited to see the 2018 nominees.
WIM: Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years time?
MMcK: I spent about 18 years in publicly traded and privately held companies, but I never saw myself running a company of my own. I’ve been an entrepreneur for more than five years at this point and I can’t imagine going back ‘in-house’. So, in five years, I see myself in a scaled organization with greater global reach.
Find out more about the WiM Awards Judges, the 12 award categories and how to submit your entry.
With submission for entries for the 2018 WiM Awards now open, we shine a spotlight on some of the WiM Award Judges…
Patrícia Weiss, Branded Entertainment specialist and Chairwoman of the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA), South America tells us more about her specialist industry…
WIM: Patricia, tell us about your specialism in global branded entertainment
PW: Branded Entertainment goes beyond a content that entertains the audience and any kind of sponsorship or product placement. It is about the powerful intersection between brands, entertainment and people. It refers to a new way for brands to connect people’s hearts amplifying brand values without interrupting their lives bringing relevant messages that create value and make sense to the audience.
And in its best way is the encounter of the brand’s purpose with the human insight where the brand narrative is a meaningful story about people, not about the brand.
Branded Entertainment is not Advertising. The story can increase sales but it is not an explicit selling moment where the brand sells a products or an institutional campaign speaking about itself.
WIM: What key elements are you looking for in an Awards entry?
PW: I believe there are 3 key drivers that create a successful branded entertainment and content project: relevance, truth and meaning.
Stories where the hero and protagonist is the audience, finding the perfect meeting between the brand purpose or positioning and what is really important to people. Where brands should represent the society and be the catalyst of a broader conversation that is more people-oriented and less product-oriented, because great stories are bigger than products and humanize brands. It means brand legacy.
WIM: What advice would you give to someone entering the WiM Awards for the first time?
PW: Original and authentic brand narratives that generate human identification with people and establish emotional connection are those in which the story is related to us, based on truth and made for real people. When the brand’s truth is in tune with people’s truth through humanistic stories, it really creates value.
WIM: Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years time?
PW: The future is already here… so as today I feel so happy and extremely motivated with my choices, being helpful to our industry producing, being a consultant, teaching and writing about relevant and meaningful brand narratives, I believe that I will be doing almost the same in the coming years and hope that my book about The Branded Entertainment & Content and the power of truth is released.
Find out more about the WiM Awards Judges, the 12 award categories and how to submit your entry.
With submission for entries for the 2018 WiM Awards now open, we shine a spotlight on some of the WiM Award Judges…
Christina Ioannidis, CEO of Aquitude shares her experiences of marketing in Dubai and the Middle East…
WIM: Christina, tell us about marketing in Dubai and the Middle East
CI: I have been working in Dubai for 10 years and Marketing is in some ways very sophisticated and advanced. There are, however, areas where Marketers are being limited by their portrayal of their largest consumer group: women. Women are estimated to hold $930 billion of wealth in the Gulf Cooperation Countries; yet they are often still portrayed in very old-fashioned ways in a region where women are actually very sophisticated and very active. There are more women in the UAE Government, for example, than in many governments in the West. Entrepreneurship is also rife, women setting up their own business whilst also working in full-time roles. Marketers have to become braver and more creative; they have to fight off stereotypes as women in this region are getting tired of being pigeon-holed as traditional home-creators and mothers. They are much more than that. The dynamism and passion of women in Dubai, and this region overall, has staggered me – this is why I continue to educate our clients and work with them on pushing the envelope. For example, with our Top of Her Game platform (www.topofhergame.biz), the first of what I call a Social Movement Marketing platform we help brands make grass-roots change, whilst at the same time obtaining reach and engagement from local Arab women. The results have been resounding!
WIM: What key elements are you looking for in an Awards entry?
CI: WiM entries have to be marked by boldness and risk-taking. Women are excellent communicators, and at times they fall prey to hiding behind their own shadows. There are women have been so brave in the marketing world – and this is one of the areas I look for.
WIM: What advice would you give to someone entering WIM Awards for the first time?
CI: Take the opportunity of the nomination to be in the spotlight – you need to be recognised for your amazing work! Don’t hide!
Find out more about the WiM Awards Judges, the 12 award categories and how to submit your entry.
With submission for entries for the 2018 WiM Awards now open, we shine a spotlight on some of the WiM Award Judges…
Nicola Kemp, Trends Editor at Campaign magazine gives her insights on the Journalist of the Year category.
WIM: Tell us about the Journalist of the Year category
NK: This is an award recognising a female or male journalist who is making their mark on the industry. Not just through outstanding writing and understanding (although that helps) but by addressing issues of discrimination and the challenges of driving of driving the diversity and inclusion agenda forward.
WIM: What key elements are you looking for in an Awards entry?
NK: Brilliant writing, creative thinking and a passion for what they are doing. Someone going above and beyond to really make a difference to the industry.
WIM: What advice would you give to someone entering the WiM Awards for the first time?
NK: Just do it, don’t delay, do it now and don’t let it drop to the bottom of your to do list. Don’t worry about making it perfect just worry about getting it done. These awards really matter and it is important to champion the people who really care about what they are doing and are actively making their mark and pushing for progress.
WIM: If you could enter a category, which would it be?
NK: This one! Being a journalist is a huge privilege and winning the Women in Marketing Journalist of the year is a fantastic honour.
WIM: Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years time?
NK: I’m always striving to get more balance in my life. So for me success looks like finding greater flexibility in my work and not being held back by the cult of presenteeism. In five years time I hope we have progressed as an industry, because we will not attract more women.
Find out more about the WiM Awards Judges, the 12 award categories and how to submit your entry.
Women in Marketing (WIM) CIC are pleased to announce the 8th annual Women in Marketing Awards – recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in the marketing, advertising and communications fields around the globe. Building on the success of the 2017 Awards, the first open to global entries, 2018 will debut the first WiM Awards Dinner on the 7th November 2018 at held the iconic Museum of London marking the centenary of the Suffragettes movement and women gaining the right to vote. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Gemma Greaves, CEO of The Marketing Society.
In 2004, Ade Onilude, a then member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Central London team, identified a need for women in marketing to be recognised and celebrated. This led to the first WiM event coinciding with International Womens Day on Work-Life Balance. Since then, the annual WiM events have grown and tackled topics such as ethical marketing, the creatives, branding and diversity in marketing, with the purpose of provoking discussion and inspiring women in marketing and the wider business community.
The popularity of the events led to the introduction of the awards in 2010; celebrating the achievements of women in the industry. Past WiM Award winners have included senior executives from HP, Burberry, Google, Facebook, Hearst UK, Havas, Diageo and Ogilvy & Mather.
Every year over the course of its history, the WiM Awards has been committed to ensuring the awards reflect the evolving nature of the marketing and media landscapes. 2018 will be no different. This year the awards introduces two new categories: The Change-Maker Award recognising entrepreneurial women disrupting existing ways of working, whether within their teams or across the industry; and The Industry Shaper Award recognising women driving change at the leading edge of marketing technology. In addition, the WiM Awards expects to see an even greater representation of global submissions.
The judging panel for this year’s awards comprises of influential individuals, identified and chosen to reflect the global reach of this year’s awards and high standard of entries expected.
The 2018 WiM Awards is now open for entries from brands, agencies as well as individuals around the world and hopes to highlight the need to recognise diversity and the inclusive behaviours of the industry.
A huge thank you to WiM’s longstanding sponsors HP, Inc and IPG for their continued support of the WiM Awards.
“This year’s ceremony is set to be an amazing evening celebrating the achievements of the stars of the marketing world. I look forward to meeting fellow colleagues, female and male, from the world of marketing and business for what will be a glamorous evening.”
Ade Onilude, Founder & CEO of Women in Marketing.
Article credit Carin Fredlund
Photo credit Nicole Lage Vianna
The #metoo-movement is strong in Sweden. More or less each line of business has its own appeal. But few have taken such concrete measures as the marketing sector. In November 2017, four women from advertising and PR agencies in Stockholm summoned a call under the hashtag #sistabriefen (the last brief). It was addressed to employers and industry organisations with a clear assignment to stop discrimination, harassment and abuse. And they requested clear account of the actions and the results…
The response was immediate. Ten days after the call, leaders of 11 industry organisations joined forces to take action. Together, they represent basically the whole marketing industry. From the Advertisers Association, Communication Agencies, Content Agencies, Marketing Confederation, PR Agencies, trade unions, employer organisations and more. Some of them are each other’s counterparts, others are competitors. But they all agreed that they have an important, shared role to educate and guide their members.
Recently the trade associations and the network #sistabrief gathered to discuss the work initiated and the route ahead.
The trade organisations stressed that they are in the beginning of the process, and there is a lot more to do. But among the concrete measures taken, so far, is the development of a web page, #kommunikationskoden (the communication code), with common ethical rules and other information. The trade union, DIK, has opened a telephone line for whistle-blowers, both their members and others.
A special certifying education for employers and employees is being developed to ensure that the awareness will increase. Agency search consultants have also noted that ethical rules and gender equality has become an obvious matter to address in every process of starting a new cooperation between agencies and their clients.
The promoters of #sistabriefen pointed out, after the meeting, that they also want a measuring system which would enable tracking future development and ensure real change. And change will come; there is no turning back any more.