15469: 4As President And CEO Marla Kaplowitz Has A Dream. Or Daydream.

 

Upon taking another look at the Digiday article on Chief Diversity Officers, the comments from 4As President and CEO Marla Kaplowitz warrant examination. Here are the excerpted quotes:

 

For Marla Kaplowitz, president and CEO of the 4A’s, the recent hirings point to agencies beginning to deliver on promises they made following last year’s protests.

 

“The real issue is race, ethnicity. This industry has not made progress and we have to be intentional,” Kaplowitz said. “These organizations have to signal change and they have to deliver action. That’s why you see the real shift in a good way in this past year.”

 

Agencies have taken big swings at diversifying talent, releasing annual workforce statistics and admitting where there’s work to be done. Each swing is vital and necessary to better reflect who this industry serves, said Kaplowitz.

 

“This country is composed of diverse people and backgrounds, and that’s what we should be embracing,” she said. “If you are in this business, you are meant to not only shape and influence culture, but to mirror it. And if you don’t actually have the people in your organization that can reflect society, then you’re not able to do that.”

 

In the future, Kaplowitz hopes the industry will move past the need for chief equity and diversity officers, and will instead have diversity and allyship embedded in company culture.

 

“It’s going to take a long time, but I don’t think anyone believed that a year ago we were going to have a quick fix in one year because this was a centuries long [problem] in terms of society,” she said. “But wouldn’t it be nice in 10 years if these roles just didn’t exist because we didn’t need to focus on it in the same way because we were all working in enlightened workplaces and communities?”

 

Perhaps Kaplowitz’s words were rearranged and presented out of context. Or maybe Kaplowitz is a culturally clueless cretin. Probably a combination of the two possibilities.

 

When Kaplowitz took her role in 2017, she gushed, “I think the 4As has done a tremendous job with diversity and I want to make sure that continues to grow…” Yet over four years later, she concedes, “This industry has not made progress [with racial and ethnic diversity] and we have to be intentional…” Gee, it could be argued that Kaplowitz is a patronizing politician—or an intentional liar. Probably both.

 

Most outrageous is Kaplowitz wondering, “But wouldn’t it be nice in 10 years if these [CDO] roles just didn’t exist because we didn’t need to focus on it in the same way because we were all working in enlightened workplaces and communities?” Gee, why not further the fantasy by suggesting the elimination of 4As heat shields like MAIP, Vanguard and Glass Ladder—as well as the termination of Simon Fenwick? Then take the ignorant notion to its logical extension by envisioning the end of multicultural marketing, Adland’s separate and unequal ghetto. Gee, perhaps Kaplowitz is a delusional dreamer—or just a fucking idiot. Probably both.

15412: The 4As Mirrors Adland In Its Exclusivity, Hypocrisy And Lies.

 

AgencySpy posted on 4As “Leadership” team changes—which the trade organization partly made to bolster diversity. Of course they did. 4A’s President and CEO Marla Kaplowitz admitted that racial and ethnic representation at the leadership level had slipped in recent years. “I took ownership of that and recognized that we needed to make some changes,” said Kaplowitz. “Because if we’re going to be advising the industry, helping agencies address these really critical needs, we also have to walk the walk. We have to make sure that we are making the same kinds of changes, that we understand some of the challenges, we are being transparent, we are sharing our diversity data.” Of course they are. But seriously, after decades of pontificating, promoting, publishing, pushing, and positioning itself as a diversity defender, Kaplowitz’s admission is beyond pathetic. It’s patently offensive. The 4As does represent the advertising industry—by perpetuating systemic racism.

 

4A’s Leadership Team Changes Reflect the Growing Needs of Membership Base

 

By Kyle O’Brien

 

The 4A’s has made a series of promotions and new hires to its leadership team to better serve its members. The trade organization announced several new roles to build on the organization’s mission to help its members compete, as it grows a diverse leadership team.

 

Ashwini Karandikar joins the 4A’s as the new evp, media, tech and data, while 4A’s vet Mollie Rosen takes on a new role as evp, strategy, insight and innovation. To help expand member engagement and cater to the evolving needs of the membership, which is split between holding and independent companies, Greg Walker has been promoted to evp, member engagement and development, independent agencies and retention, while Brian Nienhaus has been promoted to evp, member engagement and development, holding companies and growth.

 

“When we really looked back on this past year, we recognized that we had an opportunity to invest more in our membership and do more for our members,” 4A’s president and CEO Marla Kaplowitz told Adweek.

 

Kaplowitz said that the last year gave the organization a chance to review what was best for the membership, as well as making new positions to reflect the needs of a membership that is split down the middle between independent agencies and holding companies.

 

“It’s an opportunity for us to invest in the differing needs as they continue to evolve over time and making sure that we’re putting enough time and attention into creating new capabilities and new offerings,” Kaplowitz added, also acknowledging that the member base is spread out all over the country and so the promotions reflect different regions. Walker is based in Atlanta, Nienhaus in Chicago, and new hire Karandikar based in Iowa.

 

Karandikar will provide leadership, guidance, advocacy and consultative support to member agencies on all media and data related issues including measurement, analytics, brand safety, programmatic, digital and distributed ledger technology. She has over 25 years of experience in advertising and business development who most recently worked as a senior advisor for McKinsey’s high tech, media and telecom practice. Prior to that, she spent 10 years at Dentsu, initially at iProspect and then led programmatic group Amnet in the U.S.

 

After leading the 4A’s member engagement and development for the past seven years, Rosen will focus on opportunities to enhance the member experience, leading the 4A’s business intelligence and insight team as well as creative technology and innovation. She joined the 4A’s in 2014 after nearly 20 years in agency client leadership roles at McCann, D’Arcy, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and Leo Burnett Atelier.

 

Walker, who last served as svp, member engagement and development for the southern region at the 4A’s, will lead independent agencies and retention, with oversight of the 4A’s Forum program, the Management Practitioners Forum event, and the business leadership committee. Walker has spent the past 11 years with the 4A’s strengthening the membership in the south and facilitating strong relationships driving growth and retention.

 

Nienhaus was most recently svp, member engagement and development for the central region at the 4A’s. In his newly focused role, Nienhaus will oversee member development and prospecting, the 4A’s Strategy Committee, the annual StratFest conference and Jay Chiat Awards.

 

A focus on DEI

 

Like much of the industry, the 4A’s took stock of its diversity and inclusion over the last year, and while Kaplowitz stated that diversity had always been strong, it had slipped in its diversity on race and ethnicity at the leadership level.

 

“I took ownership of that and recognized that we needed to make some changes. Because if we’re going to be advising the industry, helping agencies address these really critical needs, we also have to walk the walk. We have to make sure that we are making the same kinds of changes, that we understand some of the challenges, we are being transparent, we are sharing our diversity data,” Kaplowitz said.

 

To that end, last fall the 4A’s brought 300 HR, talent and leadership professionals together at an equity and inclusion congress to create an equity and inclusion manifesto. It lays out differences for holding companies, independent agencies, as well as the industry over the next two, five and ten years. The group will reconvene again this fall to share progress on the issue.

 

In addition, the 4A’s implemented a program last year called Vanguard, which is a coaching and mentorship program for mid-to-senior-level Black professionals in agencies. The organization also offers a workplace enlightenment certification program, addressing six areas: age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability. The equity and inclusion practice at the 4A’s, led by Simon Fenwick, is planning more products and programs moving forward.

14412: Delivering Diversity From Facebook To 4As.

Adweek reported the 4As hired Simon Fenwick to serve as EVP Talent Engagement and Inclusion. In his previous role, Fenwick oversaw recruitment and diversity initiatives at Facebook—that bastion of inclusion. Prior to Facebook, Fenwick held talent and diversity positions with IPG Mediabrands and Starcom, more dubious diversity devotees. Oh, and he’s only been in the U.S. for about 14 years. Given the industry’s current climate, it’s amazing the 4As didn’t hire a White woman or woman of color for the job. Or maybe not.

Facebook Diversity Leader and Recruiting Manager Heads to 4A’s

Organization names Simon Fenwick evp, talent engagement and inclusion

By Lindsay Rittenhouse

The 4A’s has snagged Facebook executive Simon Fenwick as its executive vice president of talent engagement and inclusion. Fenwick will oversee the organization’s diversity, learning and development programs starting Jan. 2.

Fenwick’s role will span the 4A’s foundation, which includes the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) and the 4A’s High School Programs, the Workplace Enlightenment Certification (WEC) and the Learning Academy.

Since March, Fenwick has been overseeing creative and brand recruiting and diversity initiatives at Facebook. Before that, he spent two years as executive vice president of global talent and diversity at IPG Mediabrands and from 2012 to 2015 served as senior vice president, group director of global talent at Starcom.

“Today, more than any time in history, people and their experiences across a connected world have become the true currency of a successful business,” Fenwick said in a statement. “As such, I believe in bringing people together to facilitate change and drive success.”

He added, “With the 4A’s being a true champion of diversity and inclusion, they’re the perfect home to help elevate people’s unique experiences to better the industry as a whole.”

According to the 4A’s, Fenwick volunteers with several organizations supporting the LGBTQ community and those that provide early career opportunities for diverse youth. Born in Kenya and raised in New Zealand and Australia, Fenwick has lived in the U.S. for the past 14 years.

He will relocate to New York from San Francisco for the new role, under which he will report to 4A’s CEO Marla Kaplowitz.

“As we continue to advocate for a more inclusive industry, Simon brings the passion, drive and experience to make that a reality,” Kaplowitz said in a statement. “From our MAIP program, which provides a platform to launch and sustain careers, to WEC, which creates safe and productive work environments, Simon will offer invaluable expertise to make the industry a better place to work.”

14243: Equivocal Equity.

Adweek published a perspective from 4As SVP Talent Engagement and Inclusion Keesha Jean-Baptiste, who sought to introduce a semi-fresh term into the dismal diversity discussion: Equity. Sorry, but Jean-Baptiste probably won’t succeed in her attempt to reboot the global conversation. For the average advertising executive, the net impression of equity will not be significantly different than equality, inclusion, fairness, etc. Additionally, equity entails more work than the familiar terms. If there’s one thing White people in adland have demonstrated quite clearly, it’s their unwillingness to exert extra effort to end exclusivity. In short, when it comes to tackling true diversity, White adpeople are lazy. This laziness is particularly disturbing when considering the field has traditionally embraced late nights and weekends, nose-to-grindstone hustle and workaholic obsessiveness as the status quo. And it underscores the obscenity of being all in and going all out for divertsity. That is, the ruling majority is committed 110% to promoting White women, yet apathetic and indifferent to people of color.

Jean-Baptiste does call out how the popular emphasis on gender equality has not benefited true diversity. And she even injected intersectionality better than other pseudo-revolutionaries. However, there’s a contradictory angle to Jean-Baptiste’s words—the talk doesn’t match the walk. Specifically, the 4As spends greater time, money and resources on the White women’s bandwagon versus the colored car. And where the hell is 4As President and CEO Marla Kaplowitz on any of this?

Equity can’t happen while inequality, underrepresentation and cultural cluelessness run rampant. Plus, equity requires EQ—aka Emotional Intelligence—which would demand further effort and action. And don’t ignore the fact that equity needs financial backing beyond the typical diversity budget. It’s a bit unrealistic to hope everybody will elevate their games and extend their wallets, especially when the majority of folks show they don’t really want to play and definitely don’t want to pay.

In the end, White adpeople put the “quit” in equity—they give up before legitimately and honestly trying. Oh, and it doesn’t help that a trade association has less than zero authority to mandate or even influence industry-wide change.

To Further Embrace Diversity, Agencies Need to Focus on Equity

It offers an equal share of voice, power, status and influence

By Keesha Jean-Baptiste

The ad industry has been talking about diversity and inclusion for years. But after decades of critical thought, we’re still not there yet. So, what are we missing? What haven’t we tried? What can bridge the gap between the world we see now and the world we want to see?

Equity.

Not to be confused with equality, equity is not only about treating everyone the same. And while the spotlight in advertising has evolved from diversity to inclusion, it’s also important to recognize that equity is not diversity, nor is it inclusion.

Equity is the impact of both; it’s equal access and fairness. And equity is the thing we haven’t pushed or measured.

Equity is focused, intentional correction of imbalances. It’s when efforts to drive more people of different backgrounds into the industry—diversity—and cultures that embrace, involve and engage those people of difference—inclusion—offer diverse groups an equitable share of voice, share of power, share of influence, share of decision-making and share of status. Equity breaks up the dominance of one culture and allows space and room for those who have been unrepresented to have a seat at the table.

So how do we know equity is the big missing element? How can we tell we haven’t achieved equitable share for all?

Take a look at agency award photos. Take a look at who is pictured crowding around a Lion onstage in Cannes. Take a look at your executive leadership team. Take a look at your summer intern group. Take a look at your board.

What you will see is a reflection of the inequity that’s still stubbornly in place. While we are seeing more gender balance, other areas of difference are underrepresented throughout the workplace, especially in management and executive roles.

So how do we create more equitable cultures of difference at work? Here are three areas where you can start moving the needle today.

Talk about race

People like to believe we are in a post-racial world where race no longer matters and racial prejudice and discrimination no longer exist. We’re not there. And until we deal with the fact that we’re not, it will be difficult to see, appreciate and have empathy for other areas of racial difference and the impact that people’s racial identity can have on their lived experience.

As an industry, we’ve been laser-focused on gender diversity but without the critical awareness that gender identity does not live in a silo. You cannot separate my gender from my race because they are intermingled in how I experience life and how people interact with me.

By acknowledging the importance of gender diversity over racial diversity, we’ve actually widened the inequity between white women and women of color and between white men and all people of color. While we’ve seen white men in power passing the baton to white women, who are breaking through to senior management and executive-level positions, we are seeing a decline in such advancement among men of color and men and women of color are still hitting the glass ceiling. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who identify as African-American/black, Asian and Hispanic or Latino make up only about 22 percent of advertising, public relations and related fields.

So add race to the conversation, because if your agency gender balance is improving but you still have racial homogeneity, are you really creating a culture of difference and equitable representation?

If you want to talk about race but are not sure how to start, there are programs like the Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP), AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Students Program and ADCOLOR FUTURES that are actively filling the talent pipeline with candidates and busting the myth that ample racially/ethnically diverse talent can’t be found or that the talent is not ready.

Add cultural competence to your job descriptions

To be culturally competent means to have the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from cultures and backgrounds that are different from yours.

We need to start thinking of cross-cultural competence as a critical ability, something as teachable and necessary as presentation skills. In order to sustain cultures where people of difference feel like they belong, we need to create a workforce of people who know how to navigate workspaces and relationships with all types of people.

It’s important to recognize that cultural competence is a skill everyone should have because equity means we all shoulder the responsibility of being more culturally literate and socially conscious about what’s happening in the world. We shouldn’t rely solely on people of difference to notice when something is inappropriate, offensive or tone deaf.

Correct the ‘only one’ syndrome

Representation matters at all levels. When you look closely at your agency makeup, you may find that there are departments, teams and roles that have either no person of difference or sometimes only one. We have to change that—it leads to isolation and tokenism. Tracking numbers on a macro (office) and micro (team) level makes a difference to spotting the places where diversity is lacking.

Not only does it impact whether people of difference feel a sense of belonging, but it’s also a clear sign that they don’t have the same share of voice, representation and influence in the room and on your teams. Whether it’s one woman, one person of color or one Muslim, how can one person carry that weight for all?

This is where measurement can be incredibly helpful. You need a tangible way of seeing that your efforts are actually being sustained and not falling back. I encourage agencies to participate in Diversity Best Practices (DBP) and the Working Mother Research Institute’s Inclusion Index, an annual benchmarking study that helps companies understand the gaps in their efforts and provides specific strategies and resources to elevate inclusion strategies.

Culture assessments can also be impactful in understanding the experiences, burdens and hidden pressures of those who are the only member of a group. This can create a meaningful dialogue that should not only equip your recruiting teams to improve their practices but should also foster a level of understanding that can help you get real about retaining talent who bring a wealth of different perspectives and, often, untapped insight to your agency.

When every agency adds equity—correcting imbalances—as part of its inclusion agenda, the industry will begin to see lasting change.

Keesha Jean-Baptiste is the svp, talent engagement and inclusion at the 4A’s.

14114: Accelerating Bullshit.

Advertising Age reported on the latest 4A’s soiree—titled “Accelerate”—which ultimately showed the industry is really just accelerating in circles, as evidenced by the following excerpt:

Diversity and equality

Issues of diversity were pervasive at this year’s conference. In her opening remarks, 4A’s CEO and president, Marla Kaplowitz, talked about some of the work the group is doing in this area.

“Although the 4A’s has discussed and created programs focused on diversity issues in the industry, we have not done enough for our members to address inclusion in the workplace,” she said. “It’s time for action, so we are creating a series of playbooks and tools—guides to really help our members.” One new initiative, she said, is an “enlightened workplace certification.”

In a panel Tuesday afternoon on the topic of diverse leadership, Karen Costello, chief creative officer at The Martin Agency, talked about how the agency has navigated the waters since creative veteran Joe Alexander departed following an internal investigation into an allegation of sexual harassment.

“Creative departments are such a unique microcosm at agencies,” she said. “They’re ground zero for the worst behavior in our industry very often, but they’re also sort of ground zero for some of the most empathetic people, because that’s kind of where creativity comes from. So my personal experience at The Martin Agency has been unique because that agency was a bit of ground zero for this Me Too movement in advertising.”

Costello said many of the men at the agency were horrified at what had happened, and asked colleagues how they’d be able to help.

“That’s one of the biggest things: All you need to do is ask “How I can help?” That shows that you’re listening and being empathetic,” she said.

Costello added that the agency has started saying “ouch” as a safe word of sorts—connoting that a comment might be inappropriate or could make someone uncomfortable. “We just create a little bit of an environment that allows people to say, “What you just said isn’t cool, but let’s all just kind of work through this as opposed to making it a big, ‘Oh, you hurt my feelings.’” She added that it’s a balance of employees knowing they can speak up in a lighter way, or be taken seriously if a more in-depth conversation is desired.

First, for Kaplowitz to admit, “Although the 4A’s has discussed and created programs focused on diversity issues in the industry, we have not done enough for our members to address inclusion in the workplace,” is nothing short of pathetic. Why are industry “leaders” so open to share they have not done enough regarding diversity? How long before these “leaders” are held accountable for not doing enough? Hell, shouldn’t someone minimally establish a standard for doing enough? Otherwise, the admissions sound like negligence. Additionally, to announce the creation of playbooks and an “enlightened workplace certification” is even more pathetic, as such lame ideas have already been pooped out and promoted by patronizing White advertising agencies and patronizing White women’s clubs. Does Kaplowitz realize the 4As already published a diversity playbook by Adonis Hoffman—an individual with legitimate cultural competence—that states exactly what White advertising agencies must do for progress? Like too many in the industry, Kaplowitz is regurgitating efforts that have been around—albeit ignored—for decades. It all indicates that the new 4A’s leader has probably not done enough on diversity throughout her career. Ouchy.

Second, Costello’s comments are equally disturbing. To declare creative departments are ground zero for the worst behavior and ground zero for some of the most empathetic people, as well as The Martin Agency being ground zero for the me too movement in adland, deserves a triple ouch. For one thing, it underscores how slow the industry has been to acknowledge me too—hell, the Erin Johnson lawsuit preceded the Joe Alexander affair by at least a year. For another thing, The Martin Agency has been slower to address true diversity. Between gender-based discrimination and race-and-ethnicity-based discrimination, Costello is dealing with a diversity double whammy. Ouchy-ouch. Oh, and it appears the “ouch” gimmick means the Richmond-based White advertising agency is finally undergoing diversity training—or watching instructional videos on the topic. But the viewings are likely a mandate from IPG versus a brainstorm hatched by Costello. Ouch to the nth degree.

In the end, Kaplowitz and Costello might be victims of circumstance. That is, former 4As President-CEO Nancy Hill tried to make diversity a priority and arguably delivered contributions to the cause. However, the trade organization has no authority to dictate anything, leaving White advertising agencies to do the bare minimum or less in achieving positive change. So Kaplowitz is fighting an uphill battle. Meanwhile, Costello inherited the creative reins of a premier shop that has not done enough in the area of diversity and is reeling from the biggest scandal in its history. So she’s fighting an uphill battle too. On the flipside, Ad Age noted, “Issues of diversity were pervasive at this year’s conference.” Um, issues of diversity were pervasive at the 4As Transformation Conference in 2010 too. At some point, the hand-wringing and navel-gazing—as well as the recycling of Band-aid tactics—must be replaced with innovative actions that actually ignite progress. The truth is, the only group in adland to experience progress in the past ten years is White women—as clearly demonstrated by figures like Kaplowitz and Costello. Yet they both admit to not having done enough in the area of diversity. Time will tell if they turn out to be part of the solution or the problem.