Wanted to offer a few quick thoughts on the Advertising Age editorial suggesting Madison Avenue adopt its own version of the Rooney Rule—supplementing the comments currently being generated by Derek Walker, Harry Webber and Ken Wheaton.
For starters, it’s hardly the first time someone has recommended the solution.
But as Ad Age points out, there are differences between the NFL and the advertising industry.
The NFL featured strong minority representation in the player ranks before diversifying the coaching ranks. Mad Ave only has strong minority representation in specific roles with little influence—including receptionists, mailroom attendants, security, janitorial maintenance and Chief Diversity Officers. In some ways, Mad Ave is barely at a stage where it could benefit from the Rooney Rule; rather, the industry should initiate something along the lines of Civil Rights-era affirmative action.
The NFL runs via a league system with leadership that has authority to institute change. There is no Commissioner of Madison Avenue. 4As President-CEO Nancy Hill, for example, has zero power to mandate anything except trade conference agendas and dinner menus.
The NFL can fine and officially reprimand teams for failing to comply with diversity objectives. A handful of agencies claim to reduce bonus pay for executives who miss hiring targets. Heaven forbid the negligent honchos might experience base salary cuts—or be terminated altogether.
The NFL doesn’t operate Negro Leagues, aka multicultural agencies. Minority shops—Black, Latino, Asian, GLBT, etc.—pose a sticky problem, as well as offer excuses for White agencies and clients alike. White agencies insist that they can’t horde the minority shops for talent, claiming network policies frown on recruitment between sister firms. This is bullshit, of course, as White agencies never hesitate to swap and steal White executives from anyplace, anytime, anywhere. On the other hand, clients continue to use minority shops to satisfy their own supplier diversity programs, ultimately perpetuating the unequal segregation.
The NFL and professional sports organizations condemn and/or banish people like Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder and Al Campanis for making ignorant remarks about minorities’ capabilities. Mad Ave responds to people displaying cultural cluelessness with a shrug—or praises them for being honest. Plus, the industry seemingly echoes Campanis’ sentiments through special internships and extra training at Howard University.
The NFL has a visible public image. It’s tough to hide discrimination and racism while being covered by multimedia sources worldwide. Mad Ave still enjoys a certain level of anonymity, allowing agencies to conceal the inequities. Hell, you can’t even count on Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton to bring the heat on the industry.
Finally, the NFL has visionaries like Dan Rooney. Most of the key decision makers on Mad Ave look like Andy Rooney and act like Mickey Rooney (playing Andy Hardy).
When 99% of ad execs are silent on the issue of diversity, something is terribly wrong. When ad diversity officers can't name a single accomplishment within their holding company something is wrong.
ReplyDeleteWell-said.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Justice Department sits by and let's this arrogance and flagrant disrespect for the rule of law go by for more than 40 years,(the U.S. Government is the nation's largest advertiser)something is dreadfully wrong. When no client in America will publicly condemn such an obvious breech of the Bill of Rights, something is horribly wrong. The something that is wrong is with Black people for standing for it. We suck. Not them. Us.
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