Equality for all: The 4A's commitment to save DE&I

Equity efforts need a strong commitment from leadership and sustained, outcome-driven investments to succeed.

By Cathy Chan Butler

"DEI must DIE," the infamously bold statement from Elon Musk at the end of 2023, is a tone that unfortunately led us to where we are today.

Just four short years ago, everyone was making DE&I pledges in response to the tragic murder of George Floyd. Today, many are driving away from their commitments, casting doubt on the sincerity of DE&I initiatives and exposing them as a mere public relations exercise, ready to implode that the first sign of turmoil.

This shift is evident through numerous corporate actions this year. Most recently, Jack Daniels, Harley-Davidson and Molson Coors ended diversity initiatives, citing mounting pressure from conservative activists. But they are hardly alone. Tractor Supply and John Deere have also backtracked on their DE&I efforts. And lest we forget, earlier this year, Microsoft reportedly laid off an entire DE&I team after initially putting millions of dollars into it.

An equal, if not more harmful, action is companies like SHRM, the leading organization for HR professionals, announcing that it would drop the term "equity" and focus on inclusion and diversity, or "I&D," moving forward.

Removing equity is not progress; it's regression. It gives companies and their employees a false sense of security. It speaks to a deep lack of understanding of the importance of both inclusion and equity.

Equity is measured in terms of outcomes. Equity is often the harder and messier work that addresses systemic barriers through efforts such as salary parity, parent and family policies, institutional leadership programs and succession planning. It drives necessary, long-term change.

The challenge of meeting equity goals have led to increasing emphasis on inclusion, or rebrands to a new acronyms like Diversity & Belonging (D&B), Merit, Excellence & Intelligence (ME&I), or dropping DE&I programs altogether.

The hard truth is that equity efforts need a strong commitment from leadership and sustained, outcome-driven investments to succeed.

By neglecting any letter in DE&I, organizations risk not only perpetuating systemic inequalities and hindering their ability to attract and retain top talent, but damaging their reputation. This neglect feeds the cycle of underrepresentation in leadership, hinders creativity and ultimately, impacts the bottom line.

The potential reputational damage to organizations makes it all the more important for us at the 4A's to remain laser-focused on DE&I.

Our DE&I work began more than 50 years ago when we founded the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP). Since then, we have seen more than 4,500 ethnically diverse professionals make their mark on the industry through hands-on training and exposure. Our work has expanded to the Vanguard leadership program, providing accelerated opportunities for mid-level Black and LatinX professionals.

But there is more to be done, and we must continue to evolve and transform to keep up with the changing needs of agencies and individuals we support. We've created salary benchmark studies, diversity surveys, guidelines for investing in diverse media companies and candid, action-oriented events, such as Advancing Talent and the Equity and Inclusion Congress. These initiatives help us understand the state of DE&I in our industry, assess progress, needs and gaps and tailor offerings to address them.

We are not stopping here; we must also continue to do what our members need most: advance DE&I. We're committed to meeting their ongoing needs and equipping them for the future.

Moving forward, we'll focus on three key areas in need of evolution and which align to our renewed mission: to empower and equip individuals and companies with unparalleled resources that accelerate careers.

Expanding leadership development: We have successfully improved the outcomes for thousands of ethnically diverse students through our 4A's Foundation programs. Moving forward, we will expand the acceptance criteria, evolve the curriculum to include more one-on-one coaching and skills-based learning and broaden our reach within and beyond the advertising, marketing and communications industry. This evolution recognizes the need to scale faster for greater reach and impact, serve more individuals, deepen their skills and improve economic opportunities.

Research, resources and tools: Our research has provided an industry-wide view of DE&I benchmark data, salary and compensation reporting. We will expand these resources to include diagnostic tools such as a DE&I Maturity Model, Accessibility Appraisal, Pay Equity Analysis and Talent Assessment and Succession Planning tool. We will also reinstate our annual benchmark survey to track progress. These changes recognize the need to provide members with action-oriented resources and tools so they can see how they are tracking against their goals.

Partnerships: We recognize that our members also include individuals with disabilities, who are neurodiverse, veterans, LGBTQIA+ and more. We will expand our learning and resources through partnerships with experts such as Understood.org, Do the WeRQ and others and continue creating programs with partners that reflect the world in which we live.

The 4A's is committed to every letter in DE&I. To achieve generational and societal change, we must advance DE&I through individual and systemic actions.

While we celebrate progress on inclusion, a continued full focus on all aspects of DE&I will drive lasting, systemic change. We and our members will ensure this by prioritizing every letter in the acronym.

Cathy Chan Butler is the 4A's EVP of talent, equity and learning.

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