Three years after DE&I was jolted into action, how much progress has the agency world really made?
In the nearly three years since George Floyd’s murder shocked a nation and galvanized a movement toward better representation across all industries — but very much with marketing and media at the center of it all — how far we’ve come is subject to serious debate.
While some point to statistics that show an increase in employment of people of color, different sexual orientation or physical/intellectual disabilities, others argue that the industry has lost the plot line when it doesn’t empower the people in positions of authority to effect meaningful change.
On the one hand, the agency community — led by the major holding companies — tout elevated numbers of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ staffers. They also proudly discuss the millions of dollars they’ve earmarked for spending in media that celebrate and reach these cohorts.
But to at least one agency founder, many of the advancements still come across as sort of window dressing rather than substantive change. Steve Stoute, CEO and founder of creative agency Translation, and a longtime music and marketing executive and industry thought leader, told Digiday editor in chief Jim Cooper that CEOs enforcing diversity and inclusion into their ranks can have a less-than-positive effect.
O’Loughlin also acknowledged that acquiring and retaining mid-level and junior talent is going to be much harder if they don’t see themselves reflected in the C-suite. “People aren’t going to see themselves reflected in opportunities to grow and stay within the organization, or have opportunities like organic sponsorship and mentorship and things that a lot of white talent currently have access to, that that talent of color or diverse talent just don’t have,” said O’Loughlin.
Added Publicis’ White: “We have to continue to carefully navigate what I call the representation retention paradox — which is the idea that when an organization becomes so closely focused on representation it can lose focus on retention, sentiment and creating growth and sustainably equitable environments for that talent to thrive in. When too much focus is placed on numbers and not enough on retention and employee experience, the opportunity to elevate and grow talent into leadership positions can be missed.”
