• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 7, 2021

Publicis Media has launched a new initiative called the Once & For All Coalition. It’s designed to remove barriers to equitable financial opportunity and representation of underserved and ethnically diverse suppliers. 

At the same time, the firm said, the effort could help marketers—specifically Publicis Groupe clients--uncover opportunities that reflect their brand values and drive growth with multicultural audiences. 

Publicis Media and client participants will make multi-year commitments to increasing investment in minority owned and targeted media, as well as financial commitments to fund research, measurement, content creation and evolving infrastructure solutions as deemed necessary by the Coalition. 

Publicis Media will also invest $25 million in diverse content creation via its APX Content Ventures offering, which funds partners and properties that amplify diverse voices, empower women and drive other purpose driven goals. “True equity requires sustainability and our goal with the Once & For All Coalition is to take a long-term approach, consistent with the population change and fast-rising majority,” said Lisa Torres, President, Cultural Quotient, Publicis Media. 

The Once & For All coalition is open to Publicis Groupe client marketers and 21 companies from across the organization’s client roster have signed on so far.  Nearly two dozen minority owned and targeted suppliers (with an early focus on Black and Hispanic) are participating so far as well as are industry groups like the Association of National Advertisers Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing. 

The group will focus on solutions in three areas: 

• Establishing Equitable Investment with Minority Owned and Targeted Media Supply

• Development of Minority Creators, Content and Media

• Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure Requirements and Best Practices

More than 120 leaders gathered for a recent kick-off meeting with category experts that included Lawrance Lee Evans Jr, Managing Director, US Government Accountability Office; Dr. Jisu Huh, Ph.D, professor and advertising scholar; and Jaemie L. Neely, supplier diversity expert. Discussions included a review of spend benchmarking against minority owned media suppliers and possible solutions within the three primary focus areas. 

The Coalition will continue to meet quarterly with leading economists, data scientists, academics and other external thought leaders to explore solutions. 

The effort comes amid a greater effort by marketers and agencies to spend more of their media budgets with minority publishers. 

GroupM, for example, recently announced their Responsible Investment Framework that invites clients to invest 2% or more of their total media spend with Black-owned media companies. 

Earlier this year Dentsu launched an initiative called the “Economic Empowerment” offering designed to help clients diversify media investments and support minority owned media companies.