All In, the industry initiative run by the Advertising Association, the IPA and Isba, has published updated action points focused on uplifting black, disabled and working-class talent.
The action points were announced at the LEAD North conference on Thursday.
They are: investing in internal or external sponsorship programmes to attract and retain black talent; asking staff or visitors if they have accessibility needs; and adopting a new Early Careers Social Mobility toolkit to assess how they are developing working-class talent.
The actions were informed by the latest All In Census, which surveyed 19,000 advertising professionals, in March 2023. For example, 31% of black respondents reported feeling “undervalued” compared with colleagues of equal competence; 39% of disabled people’s employers were unaware of their condition; and 20% of professionals were from a working-class background compared with the national average of 40%.
More to be done
The inaugural All In Census was launched in 2021, resulting in an eight-step action plan that covers gender, mental health as well as Asian, LGBTQ+ and older talent.
Kathryn Jacob, chair of the inclusion working group and CEO of Pearl & Dean, said the action plan is “just as important today”.
She added: “Progress has been made, but there is still more work to be done. The road to inclusion is complex and ever-evolving, and that is reflected in the updates to the All In action plan. Our objective is to continue to promote, encourage and advocate for better representation, inclusion and equity in UK advertising’s workforce.”
The last census took place in March 2023, with the next wave due in March 2025.
More information on the action plan, the March 2023 results and the new action points can be found at the All In Hub.
