• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, January 26, 2022

Adcolor, a non-profit that promotes diversity in the advertising industry has unveiled the first part of a new state of the industry workforce study.  And despite many public promises, the industry has a long way to go to achieving true diversity, equity and inclusion, the report concludes.

The three-part study examines reasons why historically excluded individuals in creative industries plan to leave their employers and reasons why they would stay.

In the first segment, Adcolor reviewed over 400 sources within the advertising industry to uncover common factors that are stifling inclusion and retention.  

According to the group, its analysis has identified a handful of factors that impact the inclusion and retention of historically excluded individuals, including the assertion that “subjectivity and ambiguity in creative industries breed bias.’

The group’s study has also concluded that there has been a lack of investment by the industry in meaningful DEI programs and sub-par pay for most minority groups, which it concludes, “signals a lack of dedication,” to improvement.

And while in recent years there have numerous pledges, promises and commitments by companies within the industry to change, far too often those promises have turned out to be empty, the study surmises.

“We have seen a strong shift in recent years towards increasing diversity in creative industries, but there is still much work to be done as we navigate our way towards a more stable, satisfied and inclusive workforce,” said Tiffany R. Warren, Founder of Adcolor. “The only way we can continue on the path towards inclusivity is by understanding the root causes that have left out diverse professionals for so long. I hope that by examining the macro factors in this report, leaders in the creative industries will better understand the barriers historically-excluded communities face and be inspired to find solutions that best serve their diverse professionals.”

Upcoming parts of the study will be released later this year and will feature primary research from the organization, including survey results and interview insights from hundreds of industry professionals, leaders and influencers.

Part one of the study can be downloaded at the Adcolor website.