There's a curious phenomenon happening in the marketing industry. Is it a sign of 'masculinization'?

""I'm convinced marketing jobs are being rebranded so that boys can do it too," Shanahan said, referencing the trend of traditional marketing roles being given new, technical-coded names."

""We are suddenly seeing the same old marketing roles being given new, technical-coded names," she said, pointing to job titles like 'senior branding engineer' and 'marketing engineer.'"

""Quizlet's listing for a 'UGC (or user-generated content) engineer' mentions leading a team of creators and directing content strategy, responsibilities typically associated with marketing roles more than engineering roles.""

""Shanahan said the situation reminded her of what happened to programming in the mid-20th century, where a cultural rebrand led to fewer women participating in the field.""

As of 2023, only 16% of engineers in the U.S. are women, while women hold 60% of marketing roles. Experts are noticing a trend where marketing jobs are being rebranded with technical titles to attract male candidates. Brand consultant Miranda Shanahan highlighted this shift, pointing to new job listings with titles like 'senior branding engineer' and 'marketing engineer.' These roles often require skills traditionally associated with marketing rather than engineering, suggesting a potential cultural shift in the marketing industry reminiscent of past changes in programming.

Read at Fast Company