Bonita Samuels is a trailblazing omni-channel media marketer and the Inclusive Planning Lead at Essence MediaCom. With a passion for making the media industry more equitable and representative, she has carved out a career at the intersection of culture, creativity, and community impact.
Bonita has been recognised on Media Week’s 30 Under 30 and the Campaign IPA iList, and for good reason. She’s led initiatives that have transformed agency culture—introducing microaggressions training, chairing the Ethnicity ERG for four years, and launching programmes that open the door for underrepresented talent in media.
She has also developed innovative products like Cultural and Community Consultants, a proposition designed to help brands speak authentically to diverse audiences through expert insights, strategic guidance, and culturally relevant partnerships. Bonita’s inclusive planning approach is rooted in helping clients grow in spaces where their audiences already are—driving brand affinity, behaviour change, and long-term commercial impact.
Bonita has led the charge on inclusive planning within her agency, upskilling media and implementation teams and building frameworks that reframe ROI beyond reach and scale. Her work has influenced how brands show up to diverse communities—ensuring that campaigns not only resonate with key audiences but are delivered with care, intention, and authenticity.
Looking ahead, Bonita is focused on evolving how the industry defines success. She’s driven to continue building inclusive media strategies that not only deliver results but also shift mindsets—moving the conversation from tokenism to true cultural relevance. Her future vision is rooted in collaboration, creativity, and accountability—ensuring that inclusive planning becomes standard practice, not a specialist approach. With every step, Bonita remains committed to championing representation and shaping a media landscape that works better for everyone.
