The Score at Madison+Main is 20-6

In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. And there are several reasons for this. Most notably, March is a time to reflect on all of the incredible accomplishments that women in our society have made through the years. At Madison+Main, we also celebrate Women’s History Month because the score is now 20 to six. My team is currently comprised of 20 women and six men. But who’s keeping score? Not me. 

In the last 32 years in this business, I have seen many changes in the marketing and PR world and I have seen the industry become more creative, more efficient, and more inclusive. When I joined the Ad Biz, it was dominated by men in tailored suits, with monogrammed shirts, and bad habits (Think Mad Men). Since that time, women have increasingly made strides, gaining top spots at the top shops. As you may know, women hold the top position at many Richmond-based agencies, such as Madison+Main, The Martin Agency, Circle S Studio, Yebo, and others. In fact, women-owned businesses now comprise 31% of all businesses in the U.S. according to the Census Bureau. They compromise 41% of the total workforce. I can tell you that was not the case when I entered the workforce in 1990. 

So in March, we celebrate women and their accomplishments in this industry. On a personal note, I want to give a shout-out to the CEO of The Martin Agency Kristen Cavallo. For the record, I do not know Kristen, but I would like to meet her someday and shake her hand. A few weeks ago I made my annual media circuit, handicapping the best and worst ads of Super Bowl LVI. In several appearances, I applauded Coinbase for their bold, one-minute QR code ad during the big game. I was giving credit to the wrong people. A day later, the CEO of Coinbase emphatically bragged in a Twitter thread, “No ad agency could have made this ad.” That statement was a complete lie and many took him to task publicly. Not only was it a lie, it now appears that Coinbase stole the concept from a previous presentation that The Martin Agency had made to the crypto company. In fact, the idea was specifically stolen off of pages 11-18 of a presentation they made on October 7 to Coinbase’s CMO. 

In 2017, Kristen Cavallo took the reins of Richmond’s largest ad agency at a pivotal point in the company’s history. In addition to her bravely standing up for her company and her team’s creative concepts, she has solidified The Martin Agency’s reputation as a powerhouse in the ad industry. March isn’t just about looking back at women in history, it’s also about looking forward and celebrating women who make history. And my favorite agency President Molly Whitfield is in her 15th year with the company and will celebrate a special birthday later this month…but more on that in the weeks to come.