Taking the creative + ad industry and the brands who select them to task, Ad+d Culture is a new platform calling for diversity in agency hiring practices and introducing a resource to help create change. Diversity in advertising overall can make a difference in breaking down barriers of systemic racism, but only if we all do our part.
Ad+d Culture is a new foundation born from the creative studio, RAXO, challenging the players in the ad world, both big and small, to represent the voices they’re advertising to by allocating a portion of their marketing budgets to minority-owned agencies. Not only are we calling out the ad industry as a whole, we are also calling upon the companies hiring them to step up, review internal selection processes, and take action. Amplifying the voices of minority-owned agencies, Ad+d Culture proves, with interactive data, that working with a diverse team delivers better results and campaigns that resonate across all audiences while also ensuring that avoidable mistakes are not being made.
76% of executives acknowledge the role of business in perpetuating systemic racial inequality and are committing to action now more than ever.
Porter Novelli’s 2020 Executive Purpose Study
All minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, as well as BIPOC creatives, working in agency environments that are run predominantly by white men, have felt the impact of the lack of diversity on a personal level. Not only is this problematic for a creative work environment, it is problematic for the industry as a whole. When your agency is not diverse, how can you really speak to a diverse audience?
RAXO’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner Marla Gonzalez explains, “It’s time to really look at minorities in advertising as an advantage. We want to empower agencies that are diverse because it’s authentically part of their culture and not just a trend. At the end of the day, they should be creating amazing work for all people, not just one demographic.”
Diverse company culture is 35% more likely to outperform those lacking variance.
BCG Henderson Institute
Highlighting the value of diverse agencies, Ad+d Culture features the work of minority-owned agencies and provides them with another platform to connect with potential clients. Featuring a data-filled microsite backing up our challenge; social media content, interviews and editorial features, along with a database network of agencies with diverse teams, Ad+d Culture makes it easy for brands to find and partner with them by uploading vetted RFPs directly through the site. This month’s editorial features The Charles Agency, a full-service, black-owned and operated creative and digital agency centered around the belief that individuality sparks creativity.
Companies that participate by pledging budgets toward featured agencies or offering RFP opportunities will receive recognition and coverage as industry changemakers on Addculture.com. Initiatives launching next year include developing an incubator program for small minority-owned agencies as well as a podcast series delving deep into the issue at hand and sharing real stories and interviews from key players in the ad industry.