4as, IAB Education Foundation, Dentsu Aegis Network, Twitter And Wunderman Join Inclusion And Diversity Accountability Consortium (IDAC)

The marketing and media industry’s first measurement-based, diversity and inclusion initiative has added two industry organizations and three additional companies to its growing partner roster. The Inclusion and Diversity Accountability Consortium (IDAC), founded by She Runs It™ and Diversity Best Practices as a quantitative call-to-action, has gained the support of 4As, IAB Education Foundation, Denstu Aegis Network, Twitter and Wunderman, who share a commitment to transform the industry into one that reflects the broader population in its composition.

The inaugural IDAC partners include Blue 449, DigitasLBi, The Estée Lauder Companies, Fullscreen, GroupM, KBS, Leo Burnett, L’Oréal USA, Publicis Communications, SapientRazorfish, Starcom USA and Unilever.

Launched in December 2017, IDAC seeks to produce measurable results by requiring consortium participants commit to three key actions:

• Participate in the DBP Inclusion Index, administered by Diversity Best Practices and the Working Mother Research Institute. The DBP Inclusion Index is a benchmarking tool created to drive change and help organizations accelerate progress in achieving diversity.
• Attend quarterly roundtable discussions specifically organized to confront and conquer nagging challenges that prohibit progress. IDAC hosted its first roundtable on Friday, February 16 in New York. The focus was on measurement and participants surfaced ideas and solutions to overcome corporate reluctance to share hard data related to diversity.
• Serve as industry models by activating policies and programs designed to recruit, retain and advance diverse talent.

“IDAC was built on the principle that ‘what gets measured gets done,’ and we know that our membership – the agencies that comprise the marketing and communications industry – are eager to achieve a more diverse workforce and workplace,” said Marla Kaplowitz, 4A’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Because it is underpinned by data, and accelerated through action and dialogue, we believe that IDAC will help empower our member companies to continue making progress to achieve these goals.”

“Our goal is to remove all barriers to progress, which is why participation in IDAC, including the application process for the DBP Inclusion Index, are free to all consortium members and partners,” said Lynn Branigan, CEO and President of She Runs It. “We welcome and encourage agencies, brand marketers, publishers, PR agencies, martech companies and media content provers to join this movement.”

The IDAC Consortium is open to all industry executives who are willing to commit to the obligations, including the benchmarking research, the roundtable discussions and the corporate practices and policies. Interested leaders can get more information or join the movement by sending an email to IDAC@sherunsit.org, or logging into sherunsit.org/IDAC. The 2018 DBP Inclusion Index application process closes on March 16. The second IDAC roundtable is scheduled for April 13 in NYC. A third session will be held on May 17 in Chicago.

Quotes from IDAC members and Partners:

“Ensuring there are spaces for more women and more diversity is not only good for creativity, but guarantees that we as an industry are moving forward.  We believe diversity needs to be more than just a message – it must be both actionable and measurable,” said Matt Derella, Vice President of Revenue and Partnerships at Twitter.   “We want to push ourselves and our colleagues to better serve clients and consumers by making sure diversity is represented every step of the way.”

“We’re committed to creating a diverse workforce not only because it’s good for our business, but because it’s the right thing to do for our industry and society as a whole,” said Nick Brien, CEO, Americas, Dentsu Aegis Network. “Working with IDAC allows us to hold ourselves accountable to this goal by understanding what progress still needs to be achieved.”

“For years, our industry has struggled to reflect the world in which we all live. There’s been a lot of talk but it’s time to take action,” said Judy Jackson, Global Chief Talent Officer, Wunderman. “At Wunderman, we believe diverse backgrounds, opinions and talents collectively make us stronger and our work better. We are thrilled to join the consortium where we can embrace each other’s uniqueness and together take the steps necessary to create change.

“The IDAC’s measurement study will give us concrete data to keep us accountable with D&I across the industry. We look forward to contributing to the cultivation of sustainable change in the industry and working with industry leaders to keep moving the mission of diversity, inclusivity, and equality forward.” – Megan Hauck, Senior Director, IAB Education Foundation