EVEN CULTURALLY DIVERSE AGENCIES CAN STILL BE SOW DINOSAURS
As corporate diversity continues to blossom, not all commitments are created equal. For some, DE&I is DNA, an organic effort that is nothing short of foundational. While for others it remains nothing more than the opportunity to hop on the virtue signaling bus.
In creative, digital, media shops and agencies across the land, the workforce indeed often reflects the very neighborhoods it inhabits. Yet when they pitch a new client, how often do their go-to-market plans reflect different target market populations, colloquial nuances, or English-as second-language opportunities?
General market agencies still present with creative that runs down a single tone of voice which often doesn't respect or acknowledge target variances let alone ethnicities. From a broad strokes perspective alone, given 18% of the US population is hispanic, these same agencies are essentially then pitching for 82% of the opportunity. And for agencies that are indeed part of networks with multi-cultural "partnerships" or "sister agency" relationships, treating rev share opportunities as if they had COVID is not even penny wise anymore. It's just unwise.
Whether your DE&I efforts are baked into your culture or merely a new HR initiative, progress is progress so let's celebrate it even when it's not evolving as quickly as ideal. But either way, don't ignore the practical: Campaigns and tactics that reach more kinds of people means a more nuanced and layered scope of work which is equal to two things... a stronger plan and higher fees.
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