Black Enterprise symposium looks at discrimination by by advertising agencies

By Mashaun Simon
BlackEnterprise.com
(June 12, 2006) Increasing diversity in the advertising industry hinges on holding agencies and their clients accountable, consumers getting more involved, and changing hiring policies, panelists said during a Black Enterprise symposium Monday.

The panel discussion: “Diversity on Madison Avenue: Myth, Reality, or Illusion?” was held in conjunction with the announcement of Black Enterprise magazine’s second annual list of the best companies for diversity, featured in the July issue. BE evaluated diversity programs, consulted with diversity experts and corporate diversity officers, and conducted an extensive survey of more than 1,000 of the country’s largest publicly traded companies as well as more than 50 leading global companies with significant U.S. operations.

After last year’s list was published, more companies made an effort to be included this year with an increase in response of nearly 42%. Interest in the list, and efforts made by companies to demonstrate significant representation of African Americans and other minorities, encouraged BE editors to boost the number of companies on the list from 30 in 2005 to 40 in 2006.

Moderated by National Public Radio host Ed Gordon, the symposium served as a forum to highlight the challenges African Americans have working in the advertising industry and the small amount of advertising dollars allocated to minority-owned media.

Even as Black Enterprise celebrates the positive strides that companies are making in diversity, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the companies are being recognized for improving practices that were once non-existent, said panelist, Rev. Al Sharpton, president of National Action Network.

 “It is like when my mother would pat me on the head for doing something good after being spanked,” he said.

African Americans must continue to hold the companies accountable to ensure they are doing better and make noise when they are not, Sharpton said.

Sharpton, along with Ken Smikle, founder and president of Target Market News; New York City Councilman, Larry Seabrook; Monica Emerson, executive director of DaimlerChrysler’s corporate diversity office; and Allen Pugh of advertising agency GlobalHue,  all shared their opinions of the current climate and what improvements need to be made.

“Corporate America has taken too much for granted,” Smikle said. “The consumer relationship is buffered by what the ad agencies are doing with their clients.”

 Consumers are largely oblivious to what is going on in the advertising industry, continued Smikle.

“Until the information is put out through the black media as to what is happening with ad agencies and their lack of investing in the black community, the consumer will not know how to make noise.”

Seabrooks agreed, adding that there needs to be a connection between the community and the advertising industry.

“We then must call out the corporations that are not responding. We have been too nice to those that have been too nasty,” Seabrooks said.

Last week, the New York City Commission on Human Rights issued subpoenas to CEOs of 16 New York advertising agencies as well as people familiar with diversity and hiring in advertising to appear at a hearing on the issue, current scheduled for Sept. 25, said New York City Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Avery Mehlman.

Just as companies that don’t hire and promote African Americans or advertise in black media must be taken to task, blacks should patronize companies that have a positive relationship with the community, Emerson said.

“We must [find out] what companies are working on our behalf and support those companies,” she said.

Near the end of the symposium, Smikle charged everyone in the room to make their voices heard by going home, pulling their favorite product off the shelf and calling the 800-number on the package.

“I want you to ask them when was the last time they spent money on an African American not-for-profit or given in advertising to the African American media and when can I get a response?”

Emerson added, “And if you do not get the response you are looking for make it known in your spending with that company.”

--Additional reporting by Philana Patterson


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