http://www.canneslions.com/seeit
PUTTING FEMALE TALENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
See It Be It is a programme that aims to further women in the creative industry, encouraging them to grow their careers and reach senior positions. Across three days, 12 women will be part of an inspirational programme which will take place during Cannes Lions. Amongst other exclusive activites, the group will have a guided tour of the jury rooms, meet and greets with VIP speakers, dedicated sessions by industry leaders and by the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, and a mentorship event supported by SheSays.
Post-Cannes, participants are provided with a toolkit that allows them to pass on their learnings to other women in their networks. The Festival will also work with the group to produce a short documentary about how a more gender-balanced creative industry ensures better work. The film will be produced by Weber Shandwick and will be released in the summer.
WHY DOES THE INDUSTRY NEED MORE SENIOR WOMEN?
More than 80% of purchasing decisions are made by women. With that in mind, it's no wonder that marketers are increasingly seeking female creatives to work on their campaigns. And yet the figures in the industry don't reflect this demand: only 15% of Cannes Lions delegates under the age of 28 are female and in creative jobs. That drops down to just 4% of delegates over the age of 28. Ths closely coincides with the well-known figure of just 3% female creative directors worldwide.
Clearly, the industry needs to not only encourage new female talent, but encourage existing female creatives to reach the top and lead the effective campaigns marketers are looking for. By highlighting just some of the outstanding women working in the industry, the See It Be It initative aims to encourage agencies to look at their own talented female creatives and ensure they're doing all they can to nourish their careers - as well as their own businesses.