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Over the past two years, the advertising industry has announced a variety of initiatives and commitments around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). But a new report from the American Advertising Associations (4A’s) shows that the industry still has a long way to go when it comes to DE&I.
But chief diversity officers at major U.S. agencies say their companies’ diversity data only paints a small picture of the overall DE&I movement. After all, DE&I is, and always will be, a work in progress.
In June of this year, 4A’s released its 2023 Agency Diversity Survey. It found that in 2021, 73% of agency leadership positions were held by white people, but by 2022, that number had jumped to 90%. These numbers ask why the surge in DE&I efforts in the wake of the George Floyd incident in May 2020 has gradually faded since then.
Diversity statistics don’t tell the whole story
“The industry can do better than the results of the recent 4A’s 2023 Agency Diversity Survey,” Talisha Williams, executive vice president of talent, equity and learning solutions at 4As, said in an email. “Agencies now need to define and maintain their corporate commitments around DE&IB (DE&I plus Belonging) and keep a close eye on tracking progress. is”.
But for diversity executives at major agencies including Havas, Publicis Groupe and Dentsu, diversity statistics don’t tell the whole story. Also, two years is not enough time to transform an entire industry.
“There is no way two years of a global pandemic will be able to resolve (problems) that have been institutionally and historically engrained in our daily lives,” Publicis Groupe US said. said Geraldine White, Chief Diversity Officer.
Is the industry feeling tired of DE&I efforts?
In the United States, progress has been made in promoting diversity in advertising, starting with ads on Madison Avenue (the center of Manhattan’s advertising industry) during the era of Mad Men. It was slow and arduous. At the peak of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the industry’s diversity blind spots were exposed and reinvigorated the industry’s focus on diversity.
However, since then, efforts on this issue have declined. Despite DE&I commitments, media companies primarily hire white people. 4A’s research shows that most agencies are owned or run by white executives.
Chief equity officers say that on the surface, the industry appears to be tired of DE&I efforts. But as they monitor their industry’s progress through diversity-related statistics, surveys, and articles, they say numbers don’t tell the whole story. “The industry should consider the context in which diversity statistics should be understood and pursue long-term goals,” they urge.
“[DE&I-related work]has become a frequent topic of conversation and has entered many people’s thoughts. At times like these, it becomes practical to talk about[DE&I]or even how often it is talked about. “Sometimes people mistake this for progress,” said Christina Pyle, chief equity officer at Dentsu Americas. In other words, just because an agency isn’t talking about an initiative doesn’t mean it’s not progressing. Numbers help communicate progress to CEOs and business leaders. “But it’s also important to measure people’s emotions and employee emotions,” she added.
Should it be a long-term plan?
Dentsu publishes an annual diversity report. Since May 2021, the company has increased multicultural representation from 27.1% to 31%. Specifically, 24.% of executives at the executive level are multicultural, up from 21.8% in June of last year, the report said. This year’s progress report is scheduled to be published in the fall.
Meanwhile, Havas North America said that diversity in North America increased by 8 points, from 28% in July 2020 to 36% in December 2022. Additionally, over the same period, 50% of interns came from underrepresented communities.
Furthermore, in the case of Publicis Groupe, the number of employees from diverse backgrounds in the United States has increased by 12% since the company made its first related pledge, according to a report published by the company on LinkedIn. It is said that the number has increased. Amid that growth, the percentage of people of color at Publicis will be 34.6% in 2023, up slightly from 34.4% in 2022.
Beyond race and ethnicity, these diverse executives take into account gender, sexual orientation, disability, and more to view DE&I more holistically. It also tracks representation statistics as well as employee retention, promotions, and the success of employee resource groups. “We look at inclusion holistically in many different categories and try to ensure representation,” said Lisa Rodriguez, chief diversity officer at Havas North America. “It’s going to take time and we’re not there yet. We’re working on it with a short-term plan and a long-term plan.”
Still a reflection of society
Of course, there is always room for improvement in these efforts. For the industry and the diverse executives within it to continue moving forward, we need support from across the industry. It is important to keep going despite the ups and downs.
“The advertising industry is not shying away from social issues,” Pyle said. “We are still a reflection of society and have not yet broken down the institutional barriers for those who have been perceived as other.”
[Original text]
(Text: Kimeko McCoy, Translation: Kon Tsukamoto, Editing: Ryohei Shimada)
Source: BusinessInsider
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