Dr Pilar Rojas-Gaviria was presented the prestigious Global Women in Marketing Educator of the Year Award for her remarkable contributions to marketing education.
Women in Marketing is a community dedicated to educating, inspiring, connecting, recognising, and empowering women throughout their professional journeys. This network, known as WiM CIC, takes a holistic approach to women’s education and well-being in marketing and related professions. It collaborates with organisations that align with their mission, from large corporations to charitable entities and female entrepreneurs, representing the ever-evolving marketing world.
Pilar's leadership was praised at the annual awards ceremony for introducing innovative approaches to teaching, exemplified by the development of a groundbreaking consumer insights marketing module in collaboration with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Her pedagogical research has transformed the learning landscape and significantly improved student experiences and outcomes.
Pilar's dedication to creating effective learning environments and commitment to developing engaging learning activities and resources has set a new standard for excellence in marketing education. Beyond that, her tireless efforts have fostered inclusivity, promoting equal opportunities for all learners, and enriching the educational experience. This award recognises Dr Pilar Rojas-Gaviria as a trailblazer in marketing education, celebrating her as a leader who has positively impacted a broad audience.
Speaking about the innovative consumer insights module, Dr Rojas-Gaviria said:
“This research-led collaboration with the Birmingham Royal Ballet immersed students in the ballet experience as consumers and marketers. In this partnership, students applied their learning on design thinking to formulate recommendations for the Ballet to develop a more diverse audience.
“The collaboration allowed the students to learn about and through the arts—this cross-pollination of disciplines enriched their understanding of consumers' subjective and emotional experiences. This understanding is fundamental to preparing students to work in a rapidly changing world in which we need to imagine and create social change for a fairer and better world.
“We are already designing our next iteration for the coming academic year, and I can’t wait to see the results as we incorporate several new surprises along the way!”
The YouTube video “Understanding behaviours through dance: a BBS and Birmingham Royal Ballet collaboration” highlights Dr Rojas-Gaviria’s work.
