What impact does the lack of diversity have on the advertising industry?

By: Jackie Sears

Diversity in the advertising industry has been a topic of discussion for more than fifty years. Little progression has been made since many advertising agencies today continuously lack diversity among ranks in the job ladder (Vega, 2012). This lack of progression is also influenced by the low percentage of minorities currently working in the advertising industry (Vega, 2012).

The advertising industry is one that is available to directly communicate with consumers that come from diverse backgrounds. With this said, it will only benefit from building an inclusive environment that reflects a highly diverse group of people (Grillo, 2015). In 2014, the lack of diversity was implicated through the Bureau of Labor Statistics it stated “out of 582,000 Americans employed in the advertising industry, less than half were women, 6.6% were black, 5.7% were Asian and 10.5% were Hispanic” (Grillo, 2015).  This is a problem for the advertising industry because insight from all different backgrounds, genders and lifestyles are needed in order for advertising to evolve.

There have been multiple instances where the industry tries to encourage diversity but there is still more to be done. By encouraging diversity, the industry needs to focus on consequentialism theory. This is because the end result justifies the mean, meaning that by encouraging diversity and creating an environment that works with all backgrounds, the end result in this case would be the diversity of talent will continue to retain in the industry.

The problem that the advertising industry currently has is that it has not been reaching a diverse amount of people. Without having a diverse team, groupthink and ethical mishaps can be prevented. Research has discovered that diversity stirs constructive conflict around the task at hand (Stanford GSB Staff, 1999). By including diversity in people and thought, brings new expression from different backgrounds and if properly implemented will generate more income for the advertising industry (Vaux). Ogilvy & Mather is a great example of an advertising group that values diversity in their corporate culture and have won multiple industry awards.  The solution that allows this agency to excel in their values is the environment that they have created that allows employees of all race, color, religion or gender identity among others (Ogilvy & Mather). Ogilvy & Mather state that a diverse workforce generates benefits in customer understanding and creates a rich consumer insight and understanding (Ogilvy & Mather).

The advertising industry has a long way to go to continue the progression of diversity, but if done right, the workplace for advertising will become rich with information and be able to reach diverse demographics through advertisements.

Works Cited

Grillo, G. (2015, April 23). The Advertising Industry Needs Diverse Leadership to Thrive. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/agency-viewpoint/advertising-industry-diverse-leadership-thrive/297998/

Ogilvy & Mather. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ogilvy.com/About/Diversity-and-Inclusion/Diversity-and-Inclusion.aspx

Stanford GSB Staff. (1999, November 1). Diversity and Work Group Performance. Retrieved from https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/diversity-work-group-performance

Vaux, R. (n.d.). How Does Diversity Affect the Workplace? Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/diversity-affect-workplace-10510.html

Vega, T. (2012, September 03). With Diversity Still Lacking, Industry Focuses on Retention. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/business/media/with-diversity-still-lacking-industry-focuses-on-retention.html?_r=0