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Christine Guilfoyle is president of SeeHer, a global initiative founded by the Association of National Advertisers focused on increasing representation of women and girls in marketing, media, and entertainment. She spent much of her career in publishing, including at Meredith Corp. and WWD.
Favorite project you’ve worked on? In 2005, I had my first publisher job on the launch of Every Day with Rachael Ray. At that time, Rachael was not well known, although incredibly hard-working and committed to making a brand for herself. Rachael, the editor, the creative director, and I were all under 40, and embraced the idea that through hard work and fun, we would have great success.
What’s your favorite ad campaign? Kotex’s “Progress Feels Like” campaign is one that sits near and dear to my heart. The work came off of a report that found nearly 60% of women believe the speed of women’s progress is either stagnant or moving slowly. The ad exposes the reality of the female experience and its discomforts, from feelings of shame and belittlement to expectations of behavior and appearance. But Kotex pushes against the inevitability of being “uncomfortable” and encourages its viewers to instead focus on a much stronger feeling: progress. The ad depicts women of all identities coming together to feel progress and its attributes—freedom, exhilaration, belonging, uniting, teaching, and more. To me, “Progress Feels Like” is a North Star example for brands and marketers looking to accurately represent women and the female experience. It gives me the chills every time I watch it.
One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: Since 2019, I have read over 50 books a year, and my goal for 2024 is to read 56. I read whenever I can and have since I was a kid. Reading fills my curiosity quotient, allowing me to learn about lived experiences that are not my own, providing me with an expansive lens to understand the world and the communities within it.
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What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? I am incredibly optimistic about the ongoing opportunities and appetite for brands and marketers when it comes to women’s sports. The world’s growing interest in female athletes and their respective sports—from Caitlin Clark’s NCAA basketball takeover to the Nebraska Cornhuskers women’s volleyball match drawing 92,000 fans in the football stadium—has created undeniable momentum. Increased distribution of women’s sports, sponsorship deals, growing revenue from ticket prices, and merchandise sales are all contributing to women’s sports crossing into the billion-dollar club in 2024. Now more than ever, marketers have the opportunity to make deliberate investments in women’s sports to both grow their business and increase the playing field for the next generation of female athletes.
And I am least optimistic about AI for AI’s sake.
What’s one marketing-related podcast/social account/series you’d recommend? The goop Podcast has stopped me in my tracks during many a walk. Gwyneth brings together thought leaders, culture changers, creatives, founders and CEOs, scientists, doctors, healers, and seekers, providing in-depth conversation that is fresh, provocative, and causes me to think differently. I love her support of female entrepreneurs, the clean beauty line, and how she unapologetically embraced 50—discussing all of the things from aging, menopause, sex drive, and friendship with a fresh, honest voice. She embodies lifting as you climb.