Four Atlanta advertising agencies—22squared, Fitzgerald & Co., Moxie and J. Walter Thompson—have partnered to launch Advertising for Change: a coalition committed to Diversity & Inclusion as a means for better business, new talent and establishing Atlanta as the city for diverse advertising professionals, according to an announcement.
“Advertising for Change is an educational immersion into media, marketing and the advertising industry as a whole that exposes diverse talent to the industry—with the ultimate goal of bridging the talent gap in Atlanta,” Solange Claudio, President at Moxie told DIVERGE.
Spence Kramer, CEO of J. Walter Thompson Atlanta, conceived this idea six months ago when police brutality and racial tensions in this country seemed insurmountable. He hit a breaking point and decided to use his influence for good. He reached out a handful of Atlanta advertising leaders to get together and discuss ideas over lunch and the coalition was conceived shortly thereafter.
“Spence Kramer, from JWT, an old friend from a prior life, sent a note around to a few of the CEOs of major Atlanta agencies suggesting we get together and talk about how we could take a leadership role in driving diversity in the Atlanta industry,” explained Matt Woehrmann, CEO of Fitzgerald & Co. “Everyone was in total agreement of the need, and agreed that there was power in working together.”
“AFC was born out of need. It is important that agencies reflect the make up of both our nation and our local community. Atlanta is a very diverse city, so its agencies desire a more diverse employee base,” added Brandon Murphy, EVP, Chief Client Officer, 22squared. “Spence Kramer recognized that each individual agency was doing a lot on their own, but Atlanta had no consistent voice when it came to diversity in advertising.”
The program also announced a first-of-its-kind, joint internship program that looks to showcase the collective strength of the Atlanta advertising community to young talent. Although each of the 10 interns will be assigned to a primary agency, they will gaining exposure to workplace processes and culture of four agencies by rotating weekly meetings across all companies.
The interns will also be split into two teams that will meet weekly to develop a pitch for an Atlanta-based nonprofit of their choice. The two teams will pitch against each other in a showdown at the end of the summer. One standout intern will receive a job offer from all four AFC agencies and will choose his or her favorite, the release explained.
Future AFC initiatives aim to include affordable advertising courses and portfolio boot camps to help creative, innovative professionals transition to a career in the advertising industry.
DIVERGE talked to the four agencies to find out why they decided to partner.
Spence Kramer, CEO of J. Walter Thompson Atlanta:
Why is diversity and inclusion so important in advertising?
The industry is behind the curve on embracing and practicing D&I. We don’t have the correct balance to reflect our community, and we wanted to do something about it. Better D&I in agencies means more well-rounded perspectives and skillsets, which produces more thoughtful work and directly benefits our clients’ business.
How will the coalition help with this?
We first have to understand that there’s a problem. By acknowledging it, we can start by empowering diverse talent with new opportunities for internships, affordable advertising courses and training and direct access to hiring managers and c-level executives in the Atlanta ad industry.
Brandon Murphy, EVP, Chief Client Officer, 22Squared:
Why did 22squared decide to take part in this?
Because it fit with our own mission to increase diversity within our own agency. We’re choosing to be proactive in order to make change occur within our industry. The lack of diverse talent applying for open positions in the field of advertising has been an on-going issue for our industry. We don’t want to struggle to identify, attract and recruit talent that is diverse. We have a responsibility to educate and inform potential candidates why advertising is a viable career choice. Roles available in the advertising industry have been underrepresented by diverse employees. There is opportunity here.
Why is diversity and inclusion so important in advertising?
We want to provide our clients with business solutions that address the needs of their consumers. We know our solutions are richer and more relevant when our talent reflects a diversity of perspectives, thoughts and backgrounds and more importantly, reflects the consumers our client’s brands are trying to reach. Advertising agencies are creative enterprises. Creativity comes from a diverse set of inputs, perspectives and backgrounds. A more diverse employee set will translate into more diverse and interesting creative thinking.
How will the coalition help with this?
AFC is committed to increasing the availability of diverse talent interested in careers in advertising. We’re exploring, and acting on, multiple ideas that include internships, career fairs, “advertising boot camps,” mentorship programs, and more. By organizing together, we will also increase the voice of Atlanta in a larger national push for increased diversity in advertising agencies. We feel it’s important for Atlanta to be a leader in this effort.
Matt Woehrman, CEO of Fitzgerald & Co:
Why did Fitzco decide to take part in this?
Diversity and inclusion is a huge priority for us and a priority led from the top by our parent company, IPG. We’ve increased our focus and made progress in the last two years. But just like the industry as a whole, there’s a long way to go. Even though Fitzco does a lot independently — not only in hiring but also devoted initiatives such as our partnership with One Club this fall for a multicultural creative boot camp for marketing students — there is power in numbers, and we thought a group of agencies working together could really make a difference. We also thought a group of agencies together could send the message that the industry here in general embraces and invites diverse talent, and that Atlanta is a great place for a career in advertising.
Why is diversity and inclusion so important in advertising?
Diversity is important to culture and life in general! But specific to our industry, we are in the business of making creative ideas for a diverse world of consumers. We believe creativity thrives from many different perspectives, experiences and points of view coming together. And, we’re creating messages that need to be effective with a diverse audience. Considering those two factors, I don’t know how you do it any other way.
How will the coalition help with this?
One of the primary goals of AFC is to make Atlanta a national leader in the diversity of our ad industry. We believe this will lead to better, more famous work coming out of agencies here, and attract great talent and even more clients to Atlanta agencies.
Solange Claudio, President at Moxie:
Why did Moxie decide to take part in this?
Hiring diverse talent that accurately reflects the marketplace and the world we live in is a problem plaguing our industry. To solve this, it is necessary for our agency to take action. Through Advertising for Change and other Moxie-led initiatives, we will work to close the talent gap in our industry and build a pipeline for the next generation of multicultural talent.
Why is diversity and inclusion so important in advertising?
At its core, advertising requires empathy. Our nation is a diverse and evolving marketplace that serves consumers from an array of cultural backgrounds. If we want to connect with them, we need to reflect a multicultural perspective that takes varying tastes, customs, cultures and beliefs into consideration.
