“One of the key commitments we have is a 10% partnership with diverse suppliers globally. That is the ambition for us as an organization and as a business,” said Ajala, adding that organizations that lean into their employees and cultural nuances are the ones succeeding.
Ajala said this is one way employees can feel like the agency is invested in them and cares about them. In addition, Ogilvy wants to expand the program and invite clients to the Modern Exchange to talk about their commitments to DEI efforts, and encourage people to double down on employees and diverse suppliers.
Ogilvy is also making Modern Exchange public through its social channels and platforms, and possibly on YouTube as well.
“I want to emphasize the importance of connecting as humans and learning about each other, regardless of your title. When that is fostered—when the environment is rooted in respect for humanity—the work is better,” Polanco told ADWEEK.
A double check on inclusion
Having a campaign falter because it’s tone deaf on inclusion and diversity efforts can make for brand embarrassment and a loss of dollars. Atlanta-based agency Fitzco is making sure its creative doesn’t go out into the world unless it’s dialed in on DEI.
Over the past year, Fitzco created a Creative Inclusion Panel (CIP), which allows anyone in the company to form a team to evaluate Fitzco’s client work before it gets released to hold it to an inclusivity standard.
The open forum invites the most junior to the most senior talent to participate in the creative process for both existing and new prospects. It’s a feedback-driven initiative designed to ensure that Fitzco is supporting inclusivity from end to end, whether that’s challenging audiences defined by demographics, making media investments that support a more balanced approach, or ensuring creative work is inclusive.
“It’s not about approving or disapproving work, it’s not about thumbs up or thumbs down. It’s really about challenging the work and making sure that from the eyes of our agency, the work is being as representative as it possibly can be,” Evan Levy, CEO of Fitzco, told ADWEEK.
The panel has worked well so far. Levy said the agency has won pitches that have been influenced by the Creative Inclusion Panel, and most of the work that Fitzco has put out into the world has gone through the CIP before it’s reached clients or the production process, including recent work for Welch’s Sparkling.
