Essay 1806

Excerpts from Adweek’s report on last week’s 4As Media Conference in Las Vegas…

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While [Group M North America CEO Marc] Goldstein urged media companies to get more involved with content creation, his most pointed remarks took aim at the industry itself for not doing enough to foster ethnic diversity within the industry. “Suffice it to say, our industry’s track record in attracting young, multicultural professionals to join our ranks has been lacking and it’s time we fix the problem,” he said.

The lack of diversity not just among executives but the public’s viewing options, and how that is negatively affecting advertisers, was raised during a panel discussion led by Eugene Morris of E. Morris Communications. “There is a vast untapped audience not being served,” he said, noting that African-Americans watched more TV than average viewers but had fewer channels targeting them, leading media execs to believe that black audiences want nothing more than hip-hop programming.

Jonathan Rodgers of TV One backed up that sentiment. “The content and value in the ads [on black television] are right on, but the shows on which they are placed” are missing the mark, he said.

The diversity issue was a hot topic among attendees, many of whom were pleased that Goldstein and the topic-specific panel addressed the issue head-on. Renetta McCann, CEO of Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest Group, said acknowledging diversity is inseparable when agencies and marketers consider the best ways to engage consumers on individual levels.