tms helps turn the industry upside down at 3% Conference

We were proud to sponsor The 3% Movement’s annual conference and thrilled that two of our thought leaders — Diana Samper, VP Creative Director, and Fyonna Salazar, Senior Retail Strategist — had the chance to take the stage.

In her discussion of “Mentorship in the Modern Age,” Diana described her role as a mentor at tms (formerly The Marketing Store)— she leads with her heart so her team members feel valued and empowered. Diana particularly works to make sure the women around her are encouraged to lead by facilitating a mentorship group, called Creative+.

Fyonna moderated the panel “Making Brave Work,” speaking candidly with McDonald’s Head of Cultural Engagement and Experience, Lizette Williams. The two discussed how Lizette uncovers cultural relevancy in today’s marketplace and why that’s considered brave work.

What is 3%?

It’s a conference, a mission and a movement changing the creative industry. The name “3%” was coined because, prior to the movement’s existence, only 3% of Creative Directors were women. Now, that number has increased to about 29%, and The 3% Movement is still working to shift the ratio of women to men in the workplace.

What was the 2019 3% Movement conference all about?

While eight years ago, the movement was all about asking “Where are all the women?” the question has evolved to “Where are all the men?” So, this year’s theme was “The 29%” and aimed to increase male attendance rates.

In the past, only 17% of past conference attendees identified as male. So, 3% set the goal of increasing male attendance to 29% in 2019 because gender equality benefits and involves everyone, and men still hold disproportionate power. To enact meaningful change, they need to be part of the conversation.

To do our part, we sent both male and female employees from tms (formerly The Marketing Store) not only to support Diana and Fyonna but also to listen, learn and engage in all things 3%. But we know it doesn’t stop there — we look forward to continuing this momentum and partnering with 3% in the years to come.