Advertising Association Launches ‘All In’ Diversity Census

The Advertising Association, in partnership with the IPA and ISBA, have launched their ‘All In’ census. They are conducting their “first fully confidential and aggregated industry census” to help build a better, inclusive industry for all.

The census will be recorded and analysed by Kantar and will provide “the very best record of the make-up of UK advertising’s workforce and a vital benchmark for progress.” The census will record all aspects of diversity and inclusion to deliver the industry’s leaders with wide-ranging data for the first time on how the industry performs on inclusivity. The questions will be based a range of topics, including gender, ethnicity, salary and social background.

The distribution of the census is supported by the members of the AA, such as the News Media Association, IPA and ISBA to reach the teams at thousands of agencies, media companies, brands and tech companies.

Kathryn Jacob, chief executive of Pearl & Dean and chair of The Inclusion Group, said: “We know there is a systemic problem to tackle in our industry, that of fully inclusive representation in our workforce. To make the most meaningful change, we must set a benchmark to measure and track progress against.

“This census is a vital starting point for everyone to help build an industry that truly represents the world we live in today. I encourage people to spread the word – March 10 is the day for all in our industry to come together and say ‘I’m In’.”

The results will inform the AA’s action plan, which will be launched in the summer, addressing how greater inclusivity across all areas of the industry’s talent can be achieved and “to make genuine and concerted progress on building a workplace that is inclusive for all.”

Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said: “The All In campaign will help ensure our advertising industry is built inclusively. I am grateful to the Advertising Association for their hard work in this area and look forward to seeing the outcome of the Census and the positive impact it has on diversity and inclusion in the sector.”

The All In census is a short survey, easily completed within 30 minutes. All UK advertising and marketing services professionals are invited to take part, even if their company’s management has not announced its participation. To take part, click here.