I recently participated in a panel discussion for an academic publication in the advertising and marketing space, with the focus of the conversation on the past, current, and future state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in my field of marketing communications. The panel was composed of veterans, mid-career professionals, academics, and young bloods.
We talked about the state of the industry and how diversity can help the industry to spur more creativity and inclusiveness. We also chatted about the motivations behind why some folks want to continue to gatekeep opportunities for more diverse perspectives and team members in the field.
One question that came up was for each of us to think about a campaign or program where the ethos of DEI was so important to the program that it ended up having a positive effect on results moving forward. I reflected on the award-winning work I pitched and led for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. I talked about the mission of the initiative that they were involved in, the Financial Services Pipeline, a collective of financial institutions launched to increase the number of diverse financial professionals. The thrust was knowing how if nothing were done to increase visibility around career opportunities for key demographics, there would be no diverse folks or people of color in the financial services industry. With all the talk of wealth building and legacy creation in marginalized communities, this was one program that needed to be marketed, and at its foundation was a commitment to diversifying and including people who historically had not been considered. It had cascading effects in the areas of hiring, supplier diversity, and much more.
I have included a link to the award highlight description of that campaign below from Ragan. This is one of those projects that makes me look back on my career highlights and be proud of my leadership and courage. I call it up now in the mission I continue to have in shaping the next generation of communications strategists.
