Advancing Diversity Honors – Publicis Media’s Tim Jones

Jones joined Myers to discuss Publicis Media’s commitment to developing a robust strategy around diversity and inclusion, and building an environment and culture in which that commitment can flourish. “We were very conscious of creating the conditions that enable diversity and inclusion,” Jones said. Click hereto hear about Publicis Media foundations, recruiting and development programs.

Jones also discussed how one of their agency brands, Zenith, was an inaugural partner in the launch of Verizon’s Adfellows program, created by CMO Diego Scotti, a 2019 Inductee into the Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors. “Zenith was a big part of what then followed, and many of the initiatives that we'd established were adopted there as well,” he explained. Learn more about Zenith and the Adfellows program.

Jones underscored the importance of establishing scalable programs when developing diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives “One of the first initiatives we made -- kind of ground up -- was our Media Training Program. We initiated that eight years ago and we're at a point now where 1,500 people have gone through… and we've really expanded it,” he noted. Click here for insights on the Media Training Program.

As talent acquisition and retention continue to prove difficult for the industry among diverse candidates, Publicis Media is also diversifying its recruitment policies. Jones explained, “We were very keen to also diversify into the military -- so veterans -- high school grads, people returning to the workforce and also autistic adults.” Zenith is the media and content agency for Autism Speaks. Learn about their initiatives, including Light It Up Blue Day here.

Jones further discussed how Publicis Media seeks to solve the issue through its Multicultural Talent Pipeline (MCTP). The two-day training event was historically hosted during Advertising Week NY but moved to the company’s Atlanta campus last year. “Typically, we will end up hiring about 30% of the people going through that. And it really gives them access to seeing the industry. We bring in speakers from within our company, and externally as well. It's an initiative that I'm really proud of,” Jones beamed.

The Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors recognizes individuals, companies and organizations that have made consistent and successful commitments to advancing diversity and inclusion. 2019 Inductees included Kat Gordon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The 3% Movement; Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G; Ricardo Marques, Group Vice President of Marketing, Budweiser; Diego Scotti, Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon; Liliahn Majeed, Vice President - Diversity and Inclusion, NBA; Bob Liodice, Chief Executive Officer, Association of National Advertisers; Madonna Badger, Chief Creative Officer/Founder, Badger & Winters; and Alma Har'el, Filmmaker/Founder, #FreeTheBid.

Click below for additional videos from the 2019 Advancing Diversity Honors Hall of Induction Experience.

• Jack Myers, Founder of MediaVillage and AdvancingDiversity
• Christopher Hibma, Producing Director, Sundance Institute
• Kat Gordon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The 3% Movement
• Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, P&G
• Ricardo Marques, Vice President Marketing, Budweiser
• Diego Scotti, Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon
• Liliahn Majeed, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, NBA
• Bob Liodice, Chief Executive Officer, Association of National Advertisers
• Alma Har’el, Filmmaker/Founder, #FreeTheBid

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