State of the industry: An assessment of progress in diversity, equity and inclusion across the global advertising industry

This report from the Unstereotype Alliance, produced in collaboration with WARC and Oxford University Business School, examines diversity in the advertising industry in 2021.

Key takeaways:

• Measurement – including the collection of disaggregated data – is needed to identify gaps in the representation of under-represented groups along the corporate and creative supply chain and in leadership positions.
  
• Continuous tracking and assessment of efforts across the global advertising industry must be maintained to provide empirical evidence of what is most impactful and where attention is needed.
• Strategies for diversity and inclusion within recruitment, retention, and promotion must be adopted and companies must set ambitious diversity quotas and targets with mechanisms for monitoring and publicising the information to ensure accountability.
• Pay parity initiatives should be established and Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and line manager training should be introduced to develop an inclusive culture across a diverse workforce.