The places we work are not as diverse or inclusive as we would like them to be. The idea behind the All In campaign – created by the AA, IPA and ISBA – is to work towards a place where the people behind creating, producing and distributing the ads are representative of the wider society we serve. 

The All In Census will once again gather data on those working in UK advertising and marketing, which will inform specific actions to help build a workplace where everyone feels they belong.

We received an astonishing response to the first All In Census. It took place during the March 2021 lockdown and was supported by over 16,000 people working in UK advertising and marketing services across brands, agencies, media owners and tech companies. 

The inaugural survey took place under quite different circumstances – in a world of remote/lockdown working, one year after the covid-19 pandemic first affected all our lives. In addition, this year, we’ll be spreading the word through our Havas Young Lions Campaign, which will reach the ad industry not just through social, but through targeted digital OOH.  

We have seen brilliant engagement from our members across the AA, IPA and ISBA and the wider industry. Creating a ‘stop the clock’ on a certain date built a sense of community and group involvement – plus the news spread like wildfire on social. In March 2021, we were trending first on Twitter in London on census day. Two years on, and with almost 100 All In Champion companies supporting this work, we hope to exceed the record participation we saw last time. 

Once again, we will encourage leaders to send a calendar invite to all relevant employees (those with a role in advertising or marketing) to mark 15 minutes on March 15 to fill out the survey. This endorsement from leaders signalled how important this work is. 

The richness of the data helped build the most detailed understanding yet of the industry’s make-up and shaped the All In Action Plan, a phased series of nine actions which companies across the industry are encouraged to implement. 

The actions have been prioritised by the biggest data points and created entirely by people with relevant lived experience. For example, the All In Census found nearly a third of Black respondents reported that they are likely to leave the industry due to a lack of inclusion experienced – so in response, one of our first actions was to look at improving the experience and representation of Black talent in the industry. Similarly, 43% of physically disabled people believe their company could offer more support with their health condition – and the corresponding action was to ask the industry to use the BDF accessible premises checklist. 

Each action is supported by clear data, and a tangible ask that when implemented, can make a real difference to the experience of our colleagues in the workplace. 

Two years on, our working patterns have changed and all our lives are impacted by the cost of living, competition for talent, global events and more. We need a read on how we identify and how we feel about where we work. We also want to benchmark against 2021 and see if there is any progress following so many businesses adopting the action plan. It’s obviously early days and it would be optimistic to expect the dial to move significantly, but it might identify any new actions or how to evolve existing ones. 

We’ve also added some questions around some of the key themes of the talent crisis – the more people that take part, the better we can understand how to help solve these issues.

This year’s All In Census will also respond to new trends we’ve seen develop in the last two years – focusing  on the talent challenge we face and the new ways of working we are seeing post-pandemic. Undoubtedly, the pandemic will have affected how new employees experience their working environments, and may have also changed how existing employees view the office. This year’s survey will feature specific questions on retention in the advertising industry as well as new questions to gain a deeper understanding of topics such as hybrid working.

As before, an added incentive to encourage teams and colleagues to take part is that member companies who reach a certain level of responses can also receive their own set of aggregated data, which we know has been an invaluable asset to those who have received it. 

Make sure you have your say and take 15 minutes on March 15: https://adassoc.org.uk/all-in-hub/ 

Bertille> At McCann Worldgroup we have a data-driven approach particularly in relation to our conscious inclusion efforts. We were delighted to be able to contribute so we can benchmark ourselves internally and externally.

Bertille> Making sure they understood why the data was collected and the positive impact it would have, but also reassuring them about how it would be used. 

Bertille> It has been so helpful to help us map our diversity, equity and inclusion effort, so we can prioritise our efforts to focus on the most pressing issues. 

Bertille> It would be great to see whether the makeup of the industry has changed, and to benchmark ourselves against it. This insight will then be used to deepen our strategy and programming - ensuring we are more effective.

Lisa> In 2021, our 240 in-house agency and marketing colleagues took part in the All In Census survey. We also subsequently attended the summit for tips and advice on how to implement learnings. 

Lisa> Key to getting the company involved in the All In Census in 2021 was backing from senior leaders in the marketing and agency department. Our marketing and trading director, Chris Cater, and MD of The Agency, Nicola Wardell, championed the importance of the census, and we shared this through numerous channels and communications to ensure as many people as possible took part.

Lisa> As a marketing and creative agency team based in Guernsey, we have a challenge on our hands when it comes to broader representation - particularly with socio-economic diversity. It really helped us figure out where we currently were, not only in terms of representation, but also the all-around experience of our workforce, and informed the creation of a roadmap - in collaboration with our HR department - for improvements in key areas. It also provided fresh perspectives, tools, and food for thought for the wider Specsavers group's D&I initiatives. The roadmap contributed to us being recognised and celebrated as one of the first All In Champions in June 2022. 

Lisa> It would be interesting to see the progress businesses have made since the last census, and if working dynamics, post covid-19, have accelerated or hindered improvements in representation and experiences. It might also flag up areas of concern that are proving harder to overcome, in which case we might need to think differently and change our approach.

 

Jane> As members of the All In steering committee, we were natural champions of the campaign. We felt the census was a vital step towards making progress on diversity and inclusion in our industry. After all, we can’t move forward without a full picture of where we currently stand.

 

Jane> Our leaders urged their teams to complete the survey on ‘census day’. And, they reassured employees that their personal data would be kept completely confidential. The census doesn’t record names, so those taking part genuinely can’t be identified.

 

Jane> As well as giving us a bespoke, contextualised and free inclusion and diversity report, it helped sharpen our focus on several areas of our DEI work. 

 

Jane> I hope to get deeper insight around strands we hold less data on as an industry. In particular, I’d love to see more on social mobility, given we’re investing £5 million this year - rising to £10 million by 2025 - in our ‘4Skills’ programme which trains people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.