The Art of Intentionality. Grade: Advertising Industry F

The Art of Intentionality. Grade: Advertising Industry F-?

The year is 2023, three years since I wrote "Dear Advertising, you're late. Here's what you can do,” for The Drum. Since then, there has been a little progress thanks to organizations like 600 & Rising , Allyship and Action, institutions like the 4A's Foundation , ADCOLOR Conference and Awards , The One Club for Creativity , The ADVERTISING Club of New York , The BrandLab , Marcus Graham Project , and 100 Roses From Concrete . Some advertising agencies and holding companies created some programming to help compensate for years of apathy regarding the DEI dilemma. But here is my question, was it just programming with no options for the participation of diverse talent in the industry? Yet, we are here with even less progress than we hoped. While the spike of DEI roles and departments has come and gone.

The thinking has become less creative, and solutions have returned to the same old ones pre-2020; throw some money at it, but don't change the status quo. While according to a recent article in ADweek , leadership in the advertising industry unsurprisingly has gotten in less diverse, and non people of color have solidified their place in the upper echelons of the industry while still gaslighting talent of the color of the importance of diversity. So while having a front seat as a veteran DEI advocate/consultant, I decided to revisit some points of my old article that aged pretty well while citing some hard truths about the art of intentionality.?

The Art of Intentionality class is now in session.?

The technical definition of intentional is quite simple. It means deliberate or on purpose. On the road to diversity, equity, and inclusion, some people add belonging and even justice. The advertising industry's journey to improve is long and full of peaks and valleys. When asked in several interviews how did I think the industry was doing a few years ago, I said I don't know because we have yet to see if it is all this chest thumping and pledges (most full of hot air) would amount to anything other than just, "Good Intentions." Sadly more advocates for DEI have been proven right, and just like before DEI was hot, they have receipts to show for it. Not only does the 4A's study show the agency's leadership has gone from 70% to 90% all-white talent, but other entities like Glassdoor have shown that commitment to DEI from companies in general peaked at 43% in 2021 and has been on a steady decline ever since. Bloomberg also noted a 19% drop in DEI commitment at the end of last year.?

People over profits (Revisited)

While Cannes was back in full bloom this summer, even browner than ever, people were getting laid off left and right. Executives and those lucky enough to attend and return to the shore of the south of France were able to have a great time while others were figuring out if they had to move home or not. Once again, this reminds us of the leadership's effortless efforts to really care about their people and instead have a week flexing their creative superpowers while schmoozing with their clients, with no regard for the people that got them there and now have to figure out their next move. And let me clearly clarify, I’m all for a more diverse Cannes festival. However, when the pomp and circumstance are all over, the talent of color returns to an industry still highly lopsided regarding diversity and equity. If we are going to make inroads at big events like Cannes. We also need to make efforts with the gatekeepers (talent teams and recruiters), to help them understand the fundamentals of humanity when diverse talent is looking for gainful employment. Diverse talent matters year-round, not just during cultural celebrations and nationwide tragedies.?

Creativity over commerce (Revisited)

Thanks to some very special people, there was undoubtedly a DEI big bang effect back in 2020. Many DEI advocates and practitioners felt like they were finally being heard. However, in that same breath was the politicization of their work, and some wondered how long the wins of the summer of 2020 would last. The lack of creative ways to sustain the importance of DEI by those who controlled the lever of power resulted in many empty promises and even more complex barriers to entry for nonwhite talent into the advertising industry. But, all of the pledges and promises lacked intentionality. All of this was recorded in the number of agencies (49 to be exact) that backed out of the "In for 13" pledge created by the good people Three's A Crowd, also cited in ADweek in 2021. ?

Mindfulness over Mediocre (Revisited)

Considering the yoyo effect of intentionality in the advertising industry's commitment to diversity can be as nauseating as your first ride on a rollercoaster. At first, there's all the excitement about flying through the air at high speeds, and then you remember your lunch. This brings us back to how the mindfulness of creating an equitable environment for those the least represented across levels is not a priority for most agencies. For some, in theory, yes, but practically no. Instead, the KPI has been, how can we do just enough that we don't seem racist, sexist, agist, homophobic, ableist, and the list goes on so we can keep our liberal / ally pin. However, when we look at data that continues to show this type of mediocrity and is rewarded to those with the privilege to make the rules that only benefit them.?

Empathy over Egos (Revisited)?

We can all agree to disagree that empathy has been short on this journey to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive advertising industry, or better yet, most industries (I see you, tech and entertainment industries). Showing up in true intentionality starts with accountability, which transitions to taking responsibility and ends in taking real action. We must say enough is enough; some of these leaders have memory expiration dates shorter than the Cannes festival and while claiming to make plans to make all seats in their agencies, from executive to junior, more equitable for nonwhite talent. Yet, their egos get in the way of real change. The data that has been shared repeatedly shows that it will take more than another DEI "program" or mentorship opportunity that will only flood the bottom of your organization, thus only increasing the gap that has only gotten wider over the last four summers. Suppose you are in a position of power. In that case, it is your responsibility to stand by what you say regarding DEI and not take up space on another panel discussing a problem you do not want to solve with all your privilege and status. True legacies are built by loud people, and they take action. We've already seen that a more diverse industry is not popular, but it is the right thing to do. That is how true legacies are built while simultaneously meeting your bottom line and creating great work. Also, when true leaders lead with intentionality, others follow suit, and then we don't have to have this conversation again in another four years.?

Class dismissed.?

#diversitymatters #diversity #intentionality #inclusion #leadership #realtalk