“There are so many shifting sands in the marketplace right now, it is important to keep moving. You have to be very comfortable with change.” 

Ade Onilude, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Women in Marketing Community Interest Company, is sharing the unique challenges of 2025. Fresh from Cannes Lions, Onilude is unique in her ability to recognise both the glimmers of growth in the industry, as well as the destabilising impact of the wider economic and political climate.

“You cannot ignore what is happening on a macro level,” she explains, adding: “You have to be comfortable with being very curious and constantly learning and unlearning.”

Embracing the art of unlearning

Arguably, as AI continues to impact the creative industries, this art of unlearning has never been more important. Navigating such a seismic shift in technology is not just about technical expertise, it is about the leadership lens to simultaneously acknowledge and look beyond the challenges that lie ahead. “Marketing leaders need to get the lens right, to look up and see the opportunities of the intersection of fashion, music, culture and technology,” says Onilude.

With this evolution in mind the 2025 awards include two new categories. The WIM AI for Impact Award and the WIM Social Impact Awards. Onilude explains that the new awards are a reflection of the ever changing industry. "The Global Women in Marketing Awards reflect the evolving landscape of marketing,” she says, adding: “We are introducing The WIM AI for Impact Award and in homage to the Year of Age we are debuting The WIM Social Impact Award."

Onilude is not a leader who simply maintains the status quo. With a background in luxury branding garnered at Swarovski, Onilude has always brought the lens of craft, creativity and personalised experience to Women in Marketing. 

Her focus on finding the very best talent across the industry, often the leaders who haven’t had the exposure or credit they deserve, is unmatched. For Onilude, this personalisation is rooted in the often lost art of putting people first. A lens that is particularly powerful in such a challenging and chaotic climate. 

Onilude quotes the Entrepreneur and Author, Eric Partaker, who explains: “Positions are temporary, titles are limited. But how you treat people is always remembered.”

The power of project you

Taking the time, energy and effort to advocate for yourself or your team to be recognised in this climate is in itself a radical act. Yet Onilude believes that making the time to consider both where you have been and where you are going is critical. 

“We face the huge disruption and distraction of technology,” she explains, adding: “When we are all on our phones it is so easy to overlook the importance of project you.”

In an age of overwhelm, Onilude advocates for the importance of taking personal responsibility for punctuating your working day with small acts of self care. “Having half an hour for self and coming back to self every day is important,” she explains, adding: “We have to get very comfortable with having those self rituals; it's all about having clarity of mind.”

For Onilude, these acts of self care revolve around music. “Music heals the mind of the soul,” she explains. Being intentional about switching off from social media is another habit that keeps her focused. 

Marketing leaders must walk a fine line between seeing social media as a vital personal and corporate brand-building tool and being constantly, endlessly distracted. 

People are the ultimate disruptors

“The biggest disrupter is technology, but humanity's biggest differentiator is people,” she explains. A truth which makes protecting and managing your energy on an individual level business critical.

With the awards celebrating the year of age, Onilude is particularly passionate about recognising the many chapters and layers of women’s lives and careers, but also the growth and creativity that comes from intergenerational teams.

“Our industry loves shiny words, but it is all about celebrating the humans behind the work,” she explains. Noting that while AI cannot be ignored, it is equally crucial to use it as a tool rather than let it control every aspect of the creative output.

“Women in marketing celebrates the craft of marketing,” she explains. A truth which is reflected by the partnerships and progress the organisation has made in recognising the impact of copywriting. Vikki Ross, the industry’s leading copywriter, is a long-standing partner for the award’s copywriting category. 

Onilude credits Prisca Moyesa, Founder of Moyesa & Co, as a guiding light on the growth of the sports arena, especially Women’s Sports. “She is my go-to for innovation and unique insights,” she says. 

While the wider marketing industry is only just waking up to the power of community, Women in Marketing has successfully built a community from the ground up. 

Getting comfortable with chaos

In a highly volatile political climate, it is tempting for marketing leaders to perpetually place their plans on pause. Yet Onilude notes the importance of not becoming a passenger in your own career. “You need to be comfortable with change, not constantly distracted by it,” she explains.

Warning that the craft of marketing is in danger of being diluted and eroded, she urges marketing leaders to prioritise building their personal influence. Marketing will never get equal footing in the boardroom without good relationships between Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Finance Officers. 

Onilude credits Emma Clayton as being a key voice and vital educator in this space. Clayton believes that marketing isn’t broken, but the way businesses treat it is. She believes that marketing is still seen as a cost rather than a commercial driver, and that needs to change. A belief she holds so strongly that she has built an entire business around it.

It is testament to the kind of leader that Onilude is that she constantly references the educators and innovators who have inspired her career. A truth that underlines the true strength of Women in Marketing: a relentless commitment to crediting, amplifying and uplifting others.

“Human integrity is the ultimate differentiator in marketing,” she explains. In a wider industry ecosystem in which marketing is at risk of being devalued and diluted, organisations such as Women in Marketing, that amplify and equip marketing leaders to thrive, have never been more vital.