The Advertising Council Australia (ACA) today launched create spacea program to inform and accelerate greater inclusion and diversity in the advertising industry.
The first phase will see the ACA organize the first census of the Australian advertising industry – the Create Space Census – on Wednesday 1 December.
The anonymous census, conducted in partnership with global news agency Kantar, will provide an accurate representation of demographics and experiences in the area.
It will combine data on gender identity, social and ethnic origins, mental health and family circumstances with experiences of workplace inclusion, revealing strengths, identifying gaps and highlighting priorities for targeted and immediate action. industry-wide.
The results will inform a Creating Space report and action plan to be launched in 2022.
ACA Board Member and Chair of ACA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Lorraine Jokovic: “From talent attraction to problem-solving ability to selection criteria of customers, we know that diversity and inclusion is critical to the long-term prosperity of our industry, but we lacked the data to quantify the size of the challenge to implement strategic change. Create Space will give us the map and the measurements to do that,” she said.
ACA’s National Engagement Manager, Hannah Sturrock: “The future of our industry depends on the experience of our employees, both lived and learned. And now there is serious competition for strategic and creative talent from brands, platforms and tech startups.
“To attract and retain the best people, ad agencies need to create an environment where all people thrive, feel heard, supported and safe to perform at their best. It cannot be faked or formulated. We all need to be committed to creating space for others in the industry, and fast, and be ready to challenge our biases.
The December 1 Create Space Census is an anonymous online survey that can be completed in 20 minutes. ACA member agencies will have direct access to the survey to encourage agency employees to participate, but all Australian advertising, media and marketing professionals are welcome to participate by accessing the survey on createspacecensus.com.
ACA CEO Tony Hale: “Creating Space is a commitment to creating space in our agendas to participate in the census, and a promise to create space in conversations, to create space in leadership , to create space in our work and to create space in our culture. for diverse people to come in, grow and belong in our industry.
“Census Day is a critical time for all of us. We are asking everyone in a position of influence to support this initiative and commit to creating space in their team calendars on December 1 to encourage everyone to share their experiences and ensure the census’ industry representation is accurate.
“To the professionals working in the industry, make sure you have your say on Census Day and be part of the change. The more people who participate, the better the data, the clearer the lay of the land, and the easier it will be to identify the areas we urgently need to address to make our industry more inclusive and welcoming to all.”
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