By Sheila Brooks, Ph.D.
A diverse workplace is more important now than ever. Technological advancements and globalization offer more opportunities in the advertising and marketing industry. So, when it comes to creating advertising and marketing campaigns for large brands, having a diverse staff is critical to success.
There are many advantages in having a diverse staff. Employees from different backgrounds bring a multitude of experiences and perspectives from a wide array of cultures, and circumstances and can help create an authentic voice for any outreach, awareness or public education campaign. Recognizing the unique qualities of a multicultural team at an agency can also drive creativity and innovation that deliver campaign outcomes that will make consumers and stakeholders respond.
Promoting and sharing the values of diversity and inclusion can also help connect to audiences in new and different ways. For instance, a fully integrated campaign utilizing multiple communications channels will allow marketing strategists to take a deep dive into gathering metrics and analytics, help segment audiences and deliver targeted messaging.
C-suite executives realize that diversity and inclusion are essential to the success of their businesses. Stuart Smith, Global CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations, said in a recent report, “Diversity and inclusion is good for our people, good for our clients and good for our business. Period. We need to have people in the organization, leading accounts and leading the business, who are representative of clients and representative of the audiences they are trying to reach.”
Agencies also need to know that diversity also matters to professionals seeking employment with advertising and marketing agencies.
Glass Door reports that 67% of “active and passive job seekers said that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offiers. That means that whether or not your company is interesred in increasing its diversity, chances are that candidates are evaluating diversity when they research your company and during the interview process.”
Agencies that commit to hiring diverse employees, especially in creative and management roles, are in a unique position to help their brands excel in the marketplace, achieve and sustain excellence and be more profitable.
Dr. Sheila Brooks is founder, president and CEO of SRB Communications, a full-service, boutique, multicultural advertising and marketing agency in Washington, D.C. She is an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, and advocate for minority and women’s issues and small businesses. Dr. Brooks teaches a graduate course in multicultural marketing as an adjunct professor on the faculty in the Strategic Public Relations program at The George Washington University.
