ONOURS MARKETING AS A FORCE FOR GOOD

Sunita Gloster, AM

For significant service to the media and marketing industry, and to gender equality

When media and marketing executive Sunita Gloster marched in the March for Justice in 2021, she was struck by a young woman’s placard that had the words 'When Will She Be Right?’. They were words she was very familiar with – coming from a campaign she had helped create and launch only weeks before.

“It was the brilliant work of ad agency The Monkeys,” Gloster described to Indian Link. “To see a line that was created and shared through such enormous industry generosity, run on TV ads and billboards, and then resonate and motivate people in the street, is a reminder of the enormous impact the media and marketing sector can and does have.”

The campaign quickly became a social movement, and a career highlight for Gloster.

“That ad and the line continues to be remembered, not just locally but it has resonated with international audiences. Being part of the team that has now created three highly awarded campaigns for UN Women Australia, awarded for their creativity internationally, produced by the generosity of the industry and remembered by every day people, will forever be a career highlight.”

Gloster has become known for her advocacy campaigns for the empowerment of women and girls. For her contributions in the acceleration of progress against gender inequalities, she was appointed to the AM order in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.

As an influential advertising professional, Gloster is motivated by using her skills and experience to contribute to catalysing change in society.

“Marketing is about creating change, in behaviour and attitudes,” she elaborated.

“We do it for soap powder, insurance and toothpaste, and we can also do it to promote progressive portrayals of all people – (regardless of) gender, ethnicity, ability. Brands can dismantle some of society’s biggest problems. They can represent missing and misrepresented parts of the community on screens, eradicate harmful stereotypes, and show a world we aspire to have. Truly powerful marketing can create change and has the power to improve people’s lives and our planet. Creating that sort of change is why I love the ad industry.”

Plus, she adds, it’s a lot of fun. “(It’s filled with) great people, all pushing to find creative solutions to problems.”

From the outside, we get to see this aspect of the industry on ABC TV show Gruen, on which Gloster appears as a panelist.

“The only thing better than working in advertising is being invited to talk about it,

1982. So while I have lived in a lot of countries, Australia is my home.”

There are a few members in Falcetta’s family who either have autism and/ or other neurodivergent conditions. While Falcetta’s initial professional experience was in hospitality, insurance and public sector, she quickly moved to secure a certificate in education support so she could work for the cause of neurodivergent individuals. “I have worked in schools in the educational support role in order to offer assistance to neurodivergent students and those with disabilities. One of my goals was to educate people on how a neurodivergent brain works, how they should be treated and how we should create an inclusive educational system where all individuals feel respected and are integrated without any judgements.” and the great work the industry produces,” she offered. “It’s such an honour to be invited to be part of the Gruen team, to share and celebrate the insights that drive the advertising we talk about in pubs, in taxis and in our lounge rooms. The whole experience is memorable, Wil Anderson and the team at CJZ which have been producing this show for now 14 years are an incredible team to work with.”

Gloster has held senior leadership roles in Australia and internationally including WPP AUNZ, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Australia, Australian Association of National Advertisers, M&C Saatchi, and Lowe and Partners Worldwide.

The founder of business consulting firm Gloster Advisory, she is also a Senior Advisor for Accenture Australia, UN Women Australia, UN Global Compact Network Australia, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, and Co-Chair of Media and Marketing, Tech Council of Australia.

The AM honour tops off an impressive list of awards for her industry contributions. These include being twice listed in 'Top 35 Businesswomen under 35' in the UK, Europe's 'Top 40 Marketing Professionals

But her major inspiration towards her work in this field is her sons – both neurodivergent. “I started my venture called Social Living Solutions in 2016 because of my children.”

Through this initiative, Falcetta supports families with neurodivergent children to relieve their stress and anxiety, to create happiness in and around their home, and to create a better support system within the family for these individuals.

Falcetta is particularly passionate about the struggle women go through to get diagnosed for ADHD and autism. “There is a common misconception that only men have these conditions. For females, especially, to get the diagnosis is very difficult. I have many female clients who initially were misdiagnosed with bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety or depression, and under 40', and Australia’s 'Top 30 Powerful Women in Media for eight years.'

She’s also a regular public speaker, and a columnist across the media and marketing sector.

Sunita arrived in Australia as a child in 1974.

“My parents Betty and John D’Souza OAM moved to Mt Gambier SA from Bombay, after the final vestiges of the White Australia Policy were abolished, for the promise of a better life for me. I can't imagine the courage that took. I’m so grateful for all the sacrifices they made for my future. And I must acknowledge the community of Mt Gambier, which 49 years later my parents still call home, for welcoming us into their lives and to Australia.”

She acknowledged that it is a special feeling to be told that someone out there thought she had made enough of a difference to nominate her for an AM honour.

“I have long championed the power of marketing,” she reiterated. “I love that this honour recognises the power of marketing as a force for good.”

Rajni Anand Luthra

put on the wrong medication. I want to create awareness to change this.”

The stigma associated with neurodivergent conditions is also something that Falcetta addresses during her keynote speeches, seminars and workshops. “The stigma around ADHD is that the individuals are lazy and that they can’t complete tasks and cannot be relied on.”

So how has she overcome this stigma for herself?

“I have become a massive advocate for ADHD and all neurodivergent persons,” she shared. “As a public speaker I talk about the unconscious biases that come into play in schools and in workplaces. I also speak of the psychological safety that these individuals require for them to feel safe and thrive.”

Prutha Chakraborty