Adweek recently published the bizarre page depicted above. The bizarreness comes from the loaded question that implies guilt. It’s akin to asking, “Are you beating your spouse more than ever?” Plus, it’s pretty hilarious to quiz Joyce King Thomas, as her agency is facing a $30 million age discrimination lawsuit. Like the company lawyers would have permitted her to speak the truth. Anyway, given the latest hoopla surrounding diversity on Madison Avenue, it seemed appropriate to present another page. All remarks are actual quotes—nothing’s been made up!
Is there a market for an agency that touts its diversity and is, at the same time, truly diverse?
ReplyDeleteOne that is owned by as diverse a group as possible?
A startup that has, let's say, ten owners---each with equal ownership?
In which all of the aggrieved parties (women, blacks, Asians, Latinos, age 60 pluses) have representation in the ownership and direction of the agency along with the privileged parties?
If publicly held agencies and private black-owned, white-owned, Asian-owned, Latino-owned agencies don't provide the desirable diversity to match the culture, isn't there a vacuum?
Nature may abhor a vacuum, but the market seizes upon it and usually makes a bucketful of money.