(Two years ago, Biba Cabuquit for DM9JaymeSyfu was the first Filipina to be part of the See It Be It program at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This year, Knox Balbastro, regional associate creative director of DigitasLBi Singapore, becomes the second.)
by Knox Balbastro
GIRL POWER as a battle cry came to my attention when I started singing along with the Spice Girls. It’s been somewhat abused lately, invoked by female Nobel Peace Prize awardees as well as young ladies exposing their armpit hair. But the nitty-gritty of female empowerment can’t be neatly summed up in a slogan. That is what I’ve learned during my week in Cannes, as part of the See It Be It Program.
The program, which selected 15 high-potential creatives from a pool of over 500 around the world, is an initiative by Cannes Lions to address the lack of female creative leadership in advertising. Depending on the source, top female creatives comprise from 3% to 10% of the total– an alarming percentage when you think of whom ads are made for. As a creative, we know it’s the women who buy stuff. How many times have you dreaded seeing yet another brief for MOM?
But I digress. Back to GIRL POWER! What does it really mean? For Mel B, it’s about telling the world what she wants, what she really really wants. But for me, it is about harnessing my talents and reaching my maximum potential despite some setbacks I face because of my gender. These setback are different for every woman and they may be internal factors such as self-esteem issues, the constant need to please, not being able to speak up, etc. Or it could be external – male CDs don’t approve your ideas, an office culture that makes you feel unsafe, not getting the same benefits as your male colleagues, etc.
Sitting around in circles and talking, the women of See It Be It tackled those setbacks. Like the witches of the Craft, we exorcised our inner demons and came out stronger, wiser, and with some swag in our walk. So much knowledge was poured into us in such a short period of time, I felt intoxicated and a little sick (wish it were all the free Rosé!). So when Adobo asked me to write about my experience, I wanted to spew out all the theoretical and practical information I’ve gathered on how to become a more empowered female creative.
Be a judge and a nanny.
As a young creative, I suffered tremendously from the need to please– gaining confidence through the approval of creative directors and awards show juries. Though they can help you become a better creative, you also have to be able to assess yourself. Be kind, it’s no easy feat coming up with ideas, constantly being judged for them and then repeatedly rejected. So if you are feeling low repeat the mantra from “The Help” – the kindly nanny would constantly tell her ward, a sweet little girl, “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” Say it because you are valuable, not just to your boss, your client, or your agency. You are most valuable to yourself and if you lose the drive to work, the biggest loss falls on you.
Say stupid things.
Katty Kay the author of, “The Confidence Code” and anchor of BBC World News America, told us that when she was doing research for her book, she discovered that– to succeed, confidence is more important than competence. So the next time you feel like saying something in a meeting, just say it. Don’t ruminate on whether it’s a good idea or if people will laugh because it’s silly. Chances are, it could be either. But, that’s where confidence kicks in. A confident person will take a mistake and say, “well that was a dumb thing to say” whereas most women will think, “I’m so stupid!”
Pay your dues.
According to Susan Credle, FCB Global CCO, there is a “period of servitude” from 28 to 38 when you have little control over the things going on around you. If you manage to rise and get through that, it will be worth it because it’s much easier when you’re a boss. Work through it and be prepared to make some difficult personal decisions on top of your already demanding career– choices like whether or not to have a family. Because women are still seen as primary care givers, if you do decide to have kids, you need to time it right and ensure you have the support system to raise that kid well.
But get paid fairly.
Make sure you are getting paid right. In Hollywood and in sports, top players have been fighting to get paid the same as their male counterparts. Let’s not lag behind. The first step is gauging what the standard is for your position– research online, ask headhunters, and even straight up ask your close friends. You may be in for a shock because studies have shown that women ask for 30% lower and men ask for 30% higher. If you see that your male counterparts are getting benefits you are not, inquire on the reasons why.
Be a good girlfriend.
…to other women! I learned that the optimum number for women to make a difference in a boardroom is 3: 1 and she has to act like a man, 2 and it gets competitive, but 3 feels like a team. A band of women is powerful and this was best exemplified by one of my mentors, Girl’s Lounge founder, Shelley Zalis. She said she came to Cannes four years ago and tried to pitch business but failed because she wasn’t welcomed into advertising’s inner circles– so she decided to create her own. She invited her girlfriends to attend the next festival together and they invited their own girlfriends, snowballing into what is now the Girl’s Lounge, a place for women to network, mingle and be girlfriends. Now, Shelley doesn’t need to break into circles, the circles form around her.
It’s a tough time for creatives all around. I know it’s not just me questioning whether ideas still have power over data, if we can defeat the ad blockers, if a robot will eventually tap into my brain and churn out programmatic copy faster, better, and cheaper. So, I write this primarily for women but I believe it applies to all disempowered creatives. Women’s issues are just a starting point. Everyone can benefit from valuing oneself more, ruminating less and speaking up.
—
If you are a creative woman with ambition, I suggest you check out our Tumblr page to get some goosebumps from the pledges top executives are making for this cause. If you believe that more female creatives need to be in top roles, then contribute a pledge yourself.
