Essay 1061

Word on the Web regarding recent AdAge reports:

Two more comments for the AdAge article presented in Essay 1036…

> Pushing off the diversity hearings is a disappointment to say the least. The unfortunate truth is that unless companies are publicly embarrassed about their diversity efforts -- or rather, lack therefore of them--very little will change. Most agencies will do the bare minimum to comply which amounts to little more than window dressing. So once again, agencies get to “dodge a bullet.” Call me psychic, but based on this “agreement” I think the industry is going to be having the exact same discussion in 10, 15, 20 years. — NY, NY

> I’m not sure where our colleague from Windham is coming from, but I’ll add my 2¢. I don’t think anyone is saying that unqualified minority applicants should be hired ahead of qualified white candidates, yet you wouldn’t guess that from the usual comments. I know coming from the media side, it’s rare you see minorities in higher positions. I’ve worked at a number of agencies and I can say that in most instances, the bulk of minorities are in support positions (admin assistant) or clerical positions (billing, traffic etc). Look around your agencies, how many Directors/Supervisors are minorities? I’m all for the hearings, let’s hear what the agencies have to say. — New York, NY

One more comment for the AdAge article presented in Essay 1056…

> On the one hand, Omnicom has pledged money for education to an African-American populated college… That’s good. Does it mean that Omnicom will have its agencies pursue an active recruitment policy from this very school? I seriously doubt it! On the other hand, when did poor diversity/minority hiring practices in the advertising workforce suddenly become “African-American” only? Did I miss something? It was my understanding that these conglomerates were being scrutinized for having failed (once again) to improve their minority/diversity hiring & promotion practices. My understanding of the definitions of “Minority” and “Diversity” transcends “African-American” … or maybe I’m just daft. I’ve been working in the advertising industry for over 20 years — never once have I had to bring my ethnicity (Hispanic) to the table in order to get hired or promoted — that would actually be an insult to me. I’ve worked hard and have earned every bit of my success. Did I meet bigots along the way? Of course! Merely obtuse individuals that should be pitied for their lack of intellectual responsibility. It is disturbing and yes, sad, to see that the more things seem to change the more they seem to stay the same. M. Rocafort-Mercado Principal Hispanic DM Solutions San Antonio, TX — San Antonio, TX