Any flicker of hope that the ad industry would renew its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in 2025 may be getting dimmer just days into the New Year. Recently, Amazon,?Meta, Publicis Groupe and McDonald's joined the growing list of companies to revamp (or roll back, depending on who you ask) their DE&I policies.
Last Friday,?it was announced that Amazon was seemingly halting its diversity programs, “winding down outdated programs and materials” as part of its broader business initiatives review process last year, according to a internal memo from Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s vp of inclusive experiences and technology, which Amazon provided to Digiday. Similarly, Meta was said to be terminating its major DE&I programs, including those geared toward hiring, training and picking suppliers,?according to Axios.
In this piece by Kimeko McCoy, we speak to Alphonzo Terrell of SPILL, Marc Wilson, PhD of FCB Chicago, Kirk McDonald of Sundial Media, and Sheryl Daija.