diversity at PR & marketing agenciesPublic relations and marketing teams often suffer from a lack of diversity that can lead to image-damaging blunders and damage bottom line results.

PR agency executives agree that more diversity satisfies client expectations, boosts creativity and reflects the changing demographics of multi-cultural markets, argues new research from the City College of New York’s Branding and Integrated Communications Program, in conjunction with the Holmes Report. The same conclusions apply to marketing and advertising agencies.

The Dove Soap Example

Some PR and marketing experts also warn that lack of diversity increases the risk of a mistake that creates a PR crisis. A prime example: the recent Dove video clip that appeared to show a black woman turning into a white woman after using its soap. The three-second video posted on its Facebook page showed three women of different ethnicities, each removing a t-shirt to reveal the next woman.

Commentators called the video clip racist. They compared it to old-time advertisements that boasted soap could turn black skins white. Dove apologized and removed the clip, saying it “missed the mark.” The clip was meant to be “a celebration of diversity,” it stated.

“As the only woman of color in the marketing department of a $2 billion company, I have to tell you from my personal eyewitness account of working several years in corporate, urban projects, these Dove ads do not surprise me,” wrote Sonya Blade for the BK Reader.

Offensive Creative Ideas

Blake says she has frequently encountered creative ad ideas that were highly offensive. The creative team had no idea how offensive they were until she told them. Most of the marketing staff had little or no exposure to other cultures.

“Corporations have to make more of an effort to be diverse in their recruitment or they not only lose respect from our community publicly, but financially– they will feel the effects later in their profit margins,” Blade said.

The Onus is on PR Agency CEOs

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ethnic composition of the PR industry is 10.3% African American, compared with 13.3% of the U.S. population; 5.4% of PR practitioners are Asian-American compared with 5.6 percent of the total American population; and 3.3% are Hispanic-American compared with 17.8% of the population that is Hispanic or Latino. While women hold the majority of PR jobs, they hold only 30 percent of C-suite positions in agencies.

PR agency CEOs have the responsibility to press for greater diversity, said speakers on a panel at City College in New York, according to the Holmes Report. Only CEOs have the power to spur changes in the organization’s philosophy.

“Make sure you’re listening to the diverse people, not just bringing them in the door,” advised Judith Harrison, SVP of diversity and inclusion at Weber Shandwick, a panel speaker.

The City College research reveals that CEOs define diversity and inclusion differently. Some stress racial diversity; others emphasize gender diversity, said City College associate professor Angela Chitkara. Despite widespread agreement on the need for diversity, most CEOs do not consider the goal a top priority. That’s what needs to change. Professional sports have shown how to start in hiring office staff: The hiring process for all open positions must include at least one minority.

Bottom Line: Diversity has become a business necessity. Team members from different backgrounds can spot potentially offensive marketing ideas. All-white PR and marketing agencies will not be able to legitimately claim they’re adequately staffed to service global brands whose consumers are increasingly diverse.