The renewed focus on diversity within the ad industry that began in 2020 has continued two years later.
This year, brands, agencies, media companies and more have doubled down on DE&I efforts to drive transformative change. And while there is still work to be done, there are a handful of areas in which companies are seeing results. Connatix partnered with Digiday to survey nearly 90 brands and agencies in its State of Media Diversity report to understand the current status of these efforts.
For the marketing teams we spoke to in our survey, diverse representation is an increasingly central consideration. Brands and agencies are putting their time and resources into reaching publishers, media companies and vendors they define as owned and operated by diverse teams. The respondents in this report have done so in 2021, and they intend to continue their allocations and efforts in 2022. They have also done the work internally in two key areas, based on the answers they supplied:
Our report noted that 80% of respondents said their leadership and management were moderately to highly diverse, and 84% indicated their production teams met that criteria as well. According to Gartner, this is a good sign for brands going forward — 75% of organizations with frontline decision-making teams reflecting a diverse and inclusive culture will exceed their financial targets; gender-diverse and inclusive teams outperform gender homogeneous, less-inclusive teams by 50%, on average.
It’s clear that diversity within hiring and staffing is a major priority, and with the Great Resignation continuing to take place across the industry, it’s even more imperative that companies make good on their DE&I promises to keep and retain diverse talent.
Another factor that highlights the progress made over the last two years is that companies have created diversity statements to underpin their DE&I efforts. Most brands and agencies in the survey (79%) are working with a written mission in hand to guide them in terms of policies and approaches to diverse partners and consumer demographics. Diversity statements include these elements and demonstrate companies’ promises and actions regarding hiring, coverage, events, training and education. Google’s “Built for Everyone” and Netflix’s “Inclusion on-screen starts with inclusion in the office” are good examples of overarching statements.
It’s a wise exercise for companies to take part in as drafting these statements helps them understand what’s happening in both the industry and their own companies and capture the needs and wants of employees. It will also help identify the areas in which companies are falling short and determine the most effective strategies to implement to address their DE&I goals.
While efforts like these continue to signify a promising future for the industry, it’s inarguable that we have more road to travel when it comes to diversifying our ranks and making permanent changes. However, it is also evident that when money and resources are deployed in that direction, DE&I outcomes improve, become a reality, and stand as the manifestation of the intent from 2020. The journey is not over, but brands and agencies that commit to the promise are quantifiably on the path to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Download the "State of Media Diversity” Report to learn more about the progress made to date and how the industry can continue to evolve its DE&I efforts.