An Urgent Call for Change from Advertising and Marketing Professionals

The recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have roiled American streets with protest rallies calling for justice and again centering the Black Lives Matter movement Issues of racism systemic oppression and diversity and inclusion have been crystallized and have captured the hearts and minds of citizens everywhere The movement for equality has not limited itself to the streets but has also permeated the halls and boardrooms of Corporate America Recently over 600 marketing and advertising professionals crafted an open letter titled A Call for Change that addresses the racial divide within advertising In drafting a 12point program the letter intends to hold the advertising and agency world accountable toward drastically improving diversity in the industry This powerful letter demonstrates the commitment and zeal of voices that are no longer content with the status quo We at MediaVillage stand in support of A Call for Change and invite you to review and share the letter below We raise our voices with all the signators to ask for immediate action in addressing the issues of diversity inclusion and representation in advertisingA Call for ChangeBlack professionals in advertising demand urgent action from agency leadershipThe recent murders of George Floyd Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have shocked the nation and brought millions of Americans to the streets in righteous protest As loud as these protests are it is impossible to overstate the pain that has been felt by your Black colleagues as the stillfresh wounds from Ferguson Baltimore and countless other flashpoints of racial violence were once again reopened We hurt because we have seen this movie before We hurt because we expect that once again when the streets have cleared and the hashtags have been retired little will be done to address the systemic racism and economic injustice we face each and every dayOver the past week we have seen messages of solidarity sent out by several agencies and agency leaders Though we are encouraged by these messages their words ring hollow in the face of our daily lived experiencesAfter decades of wellintentioned diversity ampamp inclusion efforts we have seen little progress in making Black voices a more representative part of the creative process We have seen even less progress in ensuring equitable representation of Black professionals in senior and leadership positions And because this industry does not release or track diversity numbers it is impossible to tell what if any progress has been madeWorse still there is a quotboys39 clubquot mentality that remains pervasive in this industry The same elitism ampamp discriminatory behavior that has restricted women from advancing in the workplace has resulted in an oppressive monoculture that stifles the growth of Black agency professionals and restricts our ability to express our true selvesWe are asking all US advertising agencies to take the following actions to address the systemic racism that is afflicting our industryMake a specific measurable and public commitment to improve Black representation at all levels of agency staffing especially Senior and Leadership positionsTrack and publicly report workforce diversity data on an annual basis to create accountability for the agency and the industryAudit agency policies and culture to ensure the environment we work in is more equitable and inclusive to a diversity of backgrounds and perspectivesProvide extensive bias training to HR employees and all levels of managementExtend agency outreach to a more diverse representation of colleges universities and art schoolsExpand residencies and internship programs to candidates with transferable skills who may not have taken a traditional educational path toward advertisingCreate fund and support Employee Resource Groups ERGs for Black employeesInvest in management and leadership training as well as mentorship sponsorship and other career development programs for Black employeesRequire all leadership to be active participants in company Diversity ampamp Inclusion initiatives and tie success in those initiatives to bonus compensationCreate a Diversity ampamp Inclusion committee made up of Black and NBPOC employees to help shape diversity ampamp inclusion policy and monitor its progressEstablish a diversity review panel to stem the spread of stereotypes in creative work and ensure offensive or culturally insensitive work is never publishedIntroduce a wage equity plan to ensure that Black women Black men and people of color are being compensated fairlyThough advertising agencies boast some of the most politically progressive business leaders in America agency leadership has been blind to the systemic racism and inequity that persists within our industry Many gallons of ink have been spilled on opeds and think pieces but tangible progress has eluded this industry for too longWe the signatories of this letter are calling out for change in the form of direct action We stand in solidarity with our women nonbinary LGBTQ disabled and NBPOC colleagues who have made similar calls for changeShow us you39re listening Take decisive action nowBlack lives matterList of SignatoriesClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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An Urgent Call for Change from Advertising and Marketing Professionals

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Philip McKenzie

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An Urgent Call for Change from Advertising and Marketing Professionals

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