• by Dave Morgan , Featured Contributor, 4 hours ago

I like that the media and advertising industry is good about celebrating our heroes, supporting so many great causes, and finding ways to benefit those in need.

Yes, we probably over-celebrate sometimes -- we are, by definition, a social industry and we certainly like parties, dinners and outings. But it’s probably much better that we do too much than too little.

Celebrating great people and causes matters a lot. It’s how we create positive feedback loops, helping those early in their careers model themselves after worthwhile examples and shape positive future behaviors. It is how we ensure that doing great work is part of the fabric of what it means to work in media and advertising.

Tonight, hundreds in our industry will come together in New York City for the TD Foundation’s annual gala. It will be created and led by Tom Deierlein, a hero in the advertising and tech world, a hero in his service to our nation, and a hero for the work of his foundation to provide aid to children of wounded warriors and fallen heroes, helping American veterans’ families in crisis.

It's impossible to hear and read about Tom and the foundation's work, which is supported by so many of our colleagues, and not feel something in your heart and your soul.

And we have so many organizations in our industry that do so much to make a difference, from the Ad Council (and its famous “ad industry prom”) and groups like the IRTS and its work to build future media industry leaders.

Our industry is special in that so many of our top leaders take on significant roles for charities they’ve made their personal causes, like Horizon Sports’ David Levy and his work with Breakthrough T1D (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), and Nielsen’s Peter Naylor and the National Kidney Foundation, to name just two.

Writing this at the end of a two-week visit to Ukraine, spending time with my company’s team here, reminds me there are many industry heroes who don’t get much recognition, particularly those working under extraordinarily difficult conditions like war, poverty and autocratic governments.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians support advertising and media companies in the U.S., and endure incredible hardships from attacks, lack of electricity, heat and water, but somehow keep working. And Ukraine is not alone. We saw millions of heroes in Israel keep working despite war's impact.

Let’s keep bringing attention to these causes and people. It matters.