‘I think it’s all talk’ about DE&I: Overheard at Digiday’s Media Buying Summit

By Michael Bürgi

The difficult topic of diversity, equity and inclusion during a working group session at this week’s Digiday Media Buying Summit in Miami ripped away the proverbial bandage that might have made anyone feel significant progress is being made in the media agency world.

The session was operated under Chatham House rules, so Digiday could share what was said while maintaining the participants’ anonymity.

Here are some of the thoughts shared:

Finding and hiring

“When it comes to diversity and inclusion, at least for Black people, this is nothing new. This is something we’ve been saying for over a decade. I think it’s all talk to be honest with you, we’re not doing enough. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I think it’s the next generation — they’re going to force that change.”

“In elementary and middle school, I went to schools that were mainly white. And then when I went to high school, it was predominantly Black. And what I found when I went there was the way they talk about careers or what you can do when you grow up in those schools is very different. Because when I was in elementary and middle school, everyone’s parents had different jobs. They were lawyers, they were doctors, they were in advertising, they were in different industries. And when I went to this high school … it was in a really poor neighborhood. The kids didn’t see the different futures that you can have. And I feel like as advertising agencies, we should be able to expose kids to an industry they might not know about.”

“I think agencies getting involved in their local communities would help with that. And that would help future generations.”

“When we do interviews, we cover the name and the education [of the candidate]. So that kind of removed whatever bias we have … before we even meet the candidate. We don’t form any judgments or biases for them, which is like a natural thing. So those are some of the ways we’re trying to address diversity and inclusion.”

“This whole idea of DE&I, it’s not just central level or executive level — it’s all leadership positions. If you’re in a position of power, maybe you can hire someone, have an open line and interview somebody that doesn’t look like you.”

“I think it’s important when recruiting for diverse employees to recognize the value that they bring to the table beyond just trying to fill with diverse staff, because then you’re just tokenizing. So it’s, what’s the cultural perspective that they can bring to your company? How does that benefit the company as a whole versus just trying to have diverse employees?”

Measuring DE&I

“I think the measurement thing is a bullshit fix because it just creates lots of virtue signaling. The point that makes me sad is that you leave it to the next generation to float up. And it’s as much about classism as it is racism … If we’re gonna take responsibility for this, we have to …read more

Source:: Digiday