Essay 4561

The Advertising Age interview with retiring AAF president-CEO Wally Snyder (see Essay 4556) warrants a few responses, particularly regarding the comments on multicultural marketing and diversity. First, let’s review the excerpt…

Ad Age: Over the course of your time at the AAF, what is your proudest achievement?

Mr. Snyder: The one thing I am most proud of is what we’ve accomplished in multicultural marketing and diversity. We started about 15 years ago when I think there wasn’t a real appreciation of the benefits of reaching different cultures in advertising. We have three programs that I think really stand out. The Most Promising Minority Students program, where we have brought talented students of color to the industry; over the last 12 years we’ve been doing the program, 70% of them are still in the business and making a contribution. Also, our Mosaic Awards have really recognized the companies and individuals that have contributed successfully in this area of multicultural marketing, so that’s a real accomplishment. And we put together a task force of leading clients like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. … [T]ogether over the years they came up with the multicultural guidelines for advertising.

Ad Age: How would you estimate the pace of progress when it comes to minority representation in the industry?

Mr. Snyder: The progress can be measured in the fact that first, clients understood the importance of multicultural advertising, but have moved beyond that to know how to effectively do that. The other progress is that in order to do it effectively, we’ve all learned that we [have] to surround ourselves with diversity, and I think there is a real effort now to hire minority professionals. Having said all that, I think we have a long way to go.

Snyder said, “We started about 15 years ago when I think there wasn’t a real appreciation of the benefits of reaching different cultures in advertising.” Wow. The leading multicultural advertising agencies launched in the 1970s and 1980s. Is Snyder implying these shops toiled for decades without being appreciated? Then again, it could be argued that minority shops continue to be unappreciated.

The Mosaic Awards, according to Snyder, have “really recognized the companies and individuals that have contributed successfully in this area of multicultural marketing.” Wonder how many non-minority adpeople have ever heard of these awards.

As for “the multicultural guidelines for advertising,” also known as the Mosaic Principles and Practical Guidelines, well, you be the judge. Click on the essay title above to download the document. The objectives and strategies make total sense. But is anyone following, enforcing or even acknowledging it all? The value of this minority manifesto is diminished if it remains a dream deferred and unread.

Snyder exhibits his experience as a lawyer and huckster in answering the second question. Everyone is welcome to try deciphering the statements. If the industry has made progress by recognizing “we’ve all learned that we [have] to surround ourselves with diversity,” why does the issue remain a major problem? The only time it’s seriously addressed is when Madison Avenue is faced with the threat of legal action from organizations like the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Snyder admits, “I think we have a long way to go.”

You think?