This Much I Learned: How to break the ‘social class taboo’

That marketing has a pressing issue to address around social class should be a source of concern for anyone working in the industry today.

Earlier this year Marketing Week’s exclusive 2022 Career and Salary Survey revealed a mean socio-economic pay gap within marketing for full-time workers of 19.1%.

The data also exposed the impact social background has on future earnings. According to the research, 16.6% of marketers from upper middle-class or upper-class backgrounds currently hold marketing director/vice-president roles, versus 9.6% of their peers from middle-class and 6.7% from working-class backgrounds.

There are, however, many in the marketing community pushing for change. Marks & Spencer Food marketing director Sharry Cramond is an advocate for improving the socio-economic diversity of marketing. A mentor to underprivileged girls, Cramond has been inspired by her own childhood to open doors for new talent.

A leader who shares Cramond’s desire for change is Andy Nairn, founder of creative agency Lucky Generals. To mark the launch of Marketing Week’s Opening Up campaign to democratise marketing careers, Nairn urged the industry to take class seriously.

In this edition of the podcast, Cramond and Nairn discuss why class is still considered a taboo subject in the UK, how to bring a rich understanding of socio-economic diversity into business culture and the role apprentices could play in diversifying the talent pool.

From opening up about mental health issues to closing the career confidence gap, you can listen to previous episodes of Marketing Week’s This Much I Learned podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Spotify.