ICAS supports second wave of the Global DEI Census

ICAS is delighted to join and support the Global DEI Census 2023, an initiative that examines the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the marketing industry with the goal to identify in which areas change is needed to make the industry more diverse and the advertising industry a better place for everyone.

The International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) is delighted to join for the second time the Global DEI Census which is going live today, 15 March, in 34 markets. The main  goal of the census is to measure the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the marketing and advertising industry, as well as people’s sense of belonging and absence of discrimination, in order to monitor progress on the results of the inaugural 2021 census and identify key areas where change is needed.

The first census found that one in seven people would consider leaving their company or the industry due to a lack of diversity and inclusion, going up to one in four in some markets.^[1] Since the first global census, the World Federation of Advertisers has published a Charter for Change, outlining how marketers can take key steps to improve knowledge of their specific challenges as well as experiences for members of their organisations.

The second wave will allow to measure progress and provide the necessary insights to identify where improvements are needed to drive further change. Given the importance of this initiative, ICAS and its members have strongly supported already the first edition of the census and are keen to support the second wave. 

Guy Parker, ICAS President stated:

The global advertising industry has recognized that diversity, equity and inclusion are critical, not only to create a better society, but also for the industry itself in order to retain talent and create working conditions in which everyone feels welcome and heard. The Global DEI Census is providing a vital benchmark to measure progress and to achieve meaningful change, and we at ICAS are excited to be part of such a significant project.”

The Global DEI Census is supported by WFA, VoxComm, Campaign, Kantar, Advertising Week, Cannes Lions, Effie Worldwide, IAA, Global Web Index (GWI), ICAS, EASA and many of our members. More than 100 organizations operating at global, regional and local level have joined forces to run this research. That makes this effort one of the biggest collaborations in the history of the global marketing industry.

For more information on the Census and to take part, please click here.

^[1] The full results and analysis from Wave 1, which covered 27 markets and attracted more than 10,000 responses, can be seen here.