Women In Marketing 2024 Edition ft. Kate MacWilliam from Wilderness
On this segment of Women In Marketing, we chat with Kate MacWilliam from Wilderness, a talented writer who has combined her love for travel, conservation, and storytelling. Growing up on a farm, Kate developed a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors, which now inspires her work. Kate shares her insights on the intersection of travel and conservation, highlighting the importance of responsible tourism and environmental awareness. She also discusses the role of generative AI in content creation, emphasizing the need for human creativity and perspective to produce engaging and meaningful content.
Personal Background:
Thanks for taking the time to participate in our ‘Women In Marketing’ feature. Where were you born, and what childhood memories stand out for you?
I grew up on a rose farm in Polokwane, South Africa — my childhood was filled with animals — Nguni cattle (I owned a cow called Saturday Dancer who I loved dearly and spent many days singing to and following around!), dogs, cats, pigs, donkeys, geese, warthogs and horses. We also had a grey duiker called Bambi that my mom and dad rescued after she’d been found injured and covered in cacti thorns.
My sister and I hand-reared Bambi and released her back into the wilds of the farm once she was strong again: It was a unique and wonderful experience. Bambi later brought her offspring to visit the house and eat my mum’s rose bushes while at it! Apart from roses, my mum ran a stable yard while my dad worked as a geologist.
I attended the local school Mitchell House for my primary years and then high school at Stanford Lake College in Magoebaskloof.
Describe your high school and college years. You were the coolest one, right?
I was the naughty one!
I had great fun in high school and university. I attended Stanford Lake College in Magoebaskloof as a weekly boarder — with weekends spent at home. School was a fun and happy time for me — I loved getting up to mischief after lights out in the hostel and had fun escapades to see where I could sneak off after curfew.
I would often get caught by the hostel prefect and spent many mornings in ‘early rising’ — this meant a 5 am wake up where I had to be dressed in my full school uniform and given a form of punishment, often writing long sentences out for an hour or two until the prefect was satisfied that I’d paid my penance!
I loved athletics at school and excelled at hurdles. I was also a Northern province showjumper — representing the province and proudly achieving my colours for equestrian sports throughout my primary and high school years.
After school, I studied at the University of Cape Town from 2005 to 2008 where I completed an Honours Degree in Media, Theory and Practice. I was also a tutor at the University where I taught Film and Media to first-year students during 2008 (my Honours year).
What’s your favourite meal that you wouldn’t share with anyone?
A good Sunday roast — potatoes with gravy and delicious vegetables and chicken!
What would be your plans for a sudden $10 million windfall if you were to receive it tomorrow?
This would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? I would have to think carefully.
I would love to travel and explore more of the world’s wild places. And of course, paying for my family to experience these places with me… I would also give back to charities close to my heart (as well as conservation projects in my line of work). I would love to make a meaningful difference in helping people and wildlife.
Can you share an interesting fact or hidden talent not found on your LinkedIn profile? Previous Women in Marketing candidate Anastasia Hamel says that she can breathe fire!
I can sing!
I love to sing and perform. I am often told that I think in songs — and I sing whenever a word reminds me of a song or place. When I was 12 years old I sang acapella at a school eisteddfod and won a gold certificate. I remember my mom being so proud of me — especially as my music teacher had warned that I might only get a ‘green’ certificate for effort!
Career and Work:
How do you typically start your day, and are you #TeamCoffee, #TeamTea, or both?
I start my day by making oats for my children’s breakfast, whilst getting them ready for school. I am a rooibos tea drinker — an interesting fact is that I have never tasted coffee. My mom was a coffee drinker and advised me not to drink it when I was young. I took my mom’s warning quite seriously and to this day have not had a sip of coffee!
I love to go for early morning walks in the forest near our house — I always find I am in a much better frame of mind to start the day after a good walk!
What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? Didn’t the “I want to become a doctor” bug bite you?
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I would often write short stories and poems and loved to imagine scenes and create stories through words. When I started high school I decided I wanted to be a journalist. At University my interests became more defined — I realised that I wanted to work in travel and conservation — using my writing skills and love of photography. This led me to magazine publications and opened the door to my future in marketing.
You hold an Honours Degree in Media, Theory and Practice from the University of Cape Town (You Go, Girl!!). Considering the rise of online educational platforms like Coursera and Google Skillshop, how do you foresee the future of tertiary-based education?
I foresee more online education courses replacing traditional tertiary-based systems — due to accessibility and other factors. I personally hope there will always be a place for universities and colleges as nothing can quite replace a campus and university life!
Tertiary education environments are wonderful for face-to-face engagement, making friends, and creating special memories formed around shared learning experiences. That said, the online courses of today are well respected and make learning more accessible to more people — this will no doubt have a big impact on how people choose to study.
Many industries had to create systems overnight that would enable their respective workforces to work from home due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s your perspective on remote and hybrid work, and how have you dealt with its challenges? Do you have a preference?
It was an interesting shift going from office work to working from home. Our company was very accommodating and supportive of this — and to this day, we have remote and hybrid systems in place. I personally love the flexibility that hybrid working offers — I find fewer distractions when working from a home office — or remote workspace — and I can get a lot more done in a day. With having children, this flexibility helps as one can more easily provide lifts between school activities and home.
Hybrid working is incredibly valuable and balances out office and home working life. Our marketing team goes into the office once a week. We find this time invaluable for connecting and spending quality time together.
AI is the hot topic of the day, most specifically, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. How do you address the challenges you face in your day-to-day responsibilities? Any specific tools you’d like to plug us with?
This is an exciting and sometimes daunting world for us marketers. Our team mostly uses ChatGPT as we find it helpful for certain tasks whether copy or design based. We are also careful when using AI tools, especially with copywriting in our field, as the writing can sometimes be too obviously generated by AI, losing its intended impact and authenticity.
We find that our copy is most engaged with, and appreciated when a piece is written with specific nuances that only someone who has been to a lodge of ours can convey — as well as knowledge — that at this stage, cannot be replicated using AI.
According to the WEF, the pandemic caused a 4.2% reduction in women’s employment compared to 3% of men (from 2019 to 2020). How can organisations better support women and mothers, especially in light of the pandemic’s impact on women in the workplace?
I believe women, and especially mothers, can be better supported in the workplace by having flexible hours that accommodate lifting children or attending school events. By working later, or at alternative times of day, it is quite possible for a mother to fit in the tasks needed, and still work, but only if the company she works for supports flexible hours.
Having compassionate and empathetic leadership, that addresses and supports an individual’s needs, is key to having people perform at their best.
How can organisations ensure equal opportunities for women to advance into executive positions?
People must be seen based on what they can bring to a role through their experience, skills and leadership — not simply based on their sex, race or other criteria. Organisations need to ensure diverse groups of people fill executive positions. I would also say that companies should offer training and upskilling to staff, where possible, to allow people to grow and advance their careers.
2024 and Beyond:
What are your personal or professional goals and aspirations for the future? We hope to see you on Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs list. No pressure!
I would love to make an impact in the way that we market our product — ensuring we always have content that people love engaging with and that inspires them to explore more of this beautiful planet we have. I hope to influence people in a way that positively impacts them through conservation and community storytelling.
I hope to continue to tell stories that matter and that people are inspired by… I hope to always get my shoes a little dirty exploring the world’s wild places…
Who are some of your sheroes?
My mother is my ultimate female hero. She is an incredible role model — hardworking, kind, driven, and nothing is too much or impossible to do or achieve. I feel lucky to have grown up with someone who has shown me that anything is possible if you work hard and love what you do.
My mother runs her restaurant and has worn many hats — from being a sculptor to a safari guide, a rose farmer, stable yard manager and chef. It seems there is nothing she can’t achieve… because of this, she continues to be my inspiration and an inspiration to many others too.
What are you currently reading, and how do you consume your content?
I am currently reading a novel called ‘All My Mothers’ by Joanna Glen — I am halfway through and am enjoying the pace and storyline. Worth a read! I love paperbacks — and having a full bookshelf. Nothing can quite replace the feel of paper and of course, the wonderful smell of books.
This said eReaders are very handy when travelling and sourcing books quickly online. But my preference is always a good old-fashioned paperback!
What are you currently streaming that you’d recommend?
I love watching documentaries. The latest one I loved watching is The Deepest Breath — the story of two free divers and their remarkable feats. The story also lets us into their beautiful and ultimately tragic love story — worth a watch!
You wake up one day, and before you know it, you are nearing retirement. What would you like your professional legacy to be? Furthermore, what do your colleagues and superiors admire about you the most?
I would love to know that I have made an impact through the work I have done — especially in the conservation space. To look back and say, ‘wow’ I did leave a mark, however small it may seem, through the work we do to help protect the world’s wild places. I also hope to empower people through strong leadership — watching people grow and thrive in the teams I work with — it’s always wonderful to see people work towards and achieve their dreams.
I think my colleagues admire my reliability, being approachable and relatable — and my inclusiveness. I love the African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Collaboration is important as a team leader. I love to listen to other people’s viewpoints and see what magic we can create together. Every single person in a team brings something worthy to their role. It’s about tapping into each other and bringing out the best in each person.
We are always looking for amazing Women In Marketing to profile. Who would you like us to get in touch with?
My colleague Tarryn Gibson works alongside me as Group Head of Communications. She is a wonderful and inspiring leader.
Share a unique message for young professionals in the marketing industry.
If you want to achieve success, you have to be willing to work for it — to put in the hours and make the time to keep learning and growing… I also think it’s important to stay true to what you love doing most — if you follow a profession that you are passionate about — a job is no longer just a job — it becomes a life purpose — and this feeling is unmatched.
Thank you for your time, Kate. We hope this interview will inspire future leaders and other Women in Marketing. How can people follow you and your company on social media?
My personal IG handle is: @wildernessmemories and our company’s handle is @wearewilderness — there is always beautiful wildlife and conservation/community and culture content featured — so make sure to engage with us!
