Marketing professionals to share their workplace experiences by filling in an anonymous,  15-minute survey.

Survey to run globally with the support of the world’s biggest industry associations. 

Johannesburg, 15 March 2023: Marketing and advertising professionals from around the world are being asked to share their views on the state of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the industry by participating in the second Global DEI Census in marketing. South Africa – often considered a global pacesetter in DEI following the country’s transition to democracy in 1994 – is among the 33 countries participating in the Census, which goes live here on 15 March 2023.

The initiative is supported by a coalition of 10 global marketing and advertising organisations. These include WFA (World Federation of Advertisers), VoxComm, Campaign, Kantar, Advertising Week, Cannes Lions, Effie Worldwide, IAA, Global Web Index (GWI) and Adweek. In South Africa, an alliance comprising MASA, the local WFA affiliate and sister industry bodies, the ACA, ARB, IAB, IMC, Kantar South Africa and MRF will spearhead this project to ensure wide reach across the corporate, agency, SMME and freelance marketing landscape.

The DEI Census questionnaire is based on a format used in the UK by the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA as the “All In Census”, but with slight adaptations for legal and cultural reasons. Equivalent local industry coalitions support the rollout of the questionnaire in each of the 33 markets. The Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) has taken custody of the Census in South Africa. Brian Yuyi, Masa CEO comments:

“This is the second wave of the inaugural 2021 WFA Global DEI Census. And as the South African WFA affiliate, MASA is immensely proud to be associated with this global effort working with our local partner industry bodies and Kantar South Africa.

“We are cognisant that the marketing, advertising, and communications industry is facing the same challenges as the rest of the country. But times of adversity are the most relevant to take stock of the what it will take to move us forward as an industry and country. Only by refreshing and adding to our body of knowledge can appropriate action be taken to address gaps in diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We urge all stakeholders to take just 15 minutes to complete the survey and be part of the change they want to see in our industry”.

The primary purpose of the Census is to measure the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the marketing and advertising industry. It also quantifies people’s sense of belonging, the level of discrimination and negative behaviours. The results will indicate how much progress has been made since the inaugural 2021 census, which covered 27 markets.

“DEI continues to be one of the critical success factors for the marketing industry agencies and the clients they partner with. As the landscape changes, it is vital that we consistently update our insights,” says Ivan Moroke, CEO, South Africa, Insights Division at Kantar.

Moroke emphasises, “All voices need to be heard to shed light on the true state of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the marketing industry. And with key developments in the MAC Charter, the census comes at an opportune time.”

To participate, marketing professionals from across the marketing ecosystem – advertisers, agencies, media, ad tech and platforms – will be asked to complete an anonymous 15-minute questionnaire covering their demographic profile, including race, ethnicity, religion, age (in accordance with local legal frameworks) as well as their experiences at work.

“The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC) is committed to the upliftment of our industry and is proud to support this important initiative however possible,” says Dale Hefer, IMC CEO.   

Gail Schimmel – CEO at ARB, adds, “The ARB is excited to support MASA and our international body, ICAS, in rolling out this census. The wider the participation, the more meaningful the results will be, so we call on the industry to participate. As we review the MAC Sector Charter, the information from this census will be critical.”

Says Mathe Okaba, CEO of the ACA, “The ACA supports our industry partners MASA in rolling out the second DEI survey. The census allows a deeper, regularly updated understanding of our sector. The regularity of the census allows for deeper understanding of  DEI in our sector and is critical in guiding our engagement with the MAC Charter Council on the state of transformation within the industry.”

The Census will be open for responses between 15 March and 15 April, with the global coalition working closely alongside national associations, multinationals, agency groups and all other relevant industry groups to promote participation.

The Census results are due to be released in June 2023. The results will showcase areas of progress and highlight areas of regression. So far, over 100 organisations have pledged to promote and help support the initiative, making it the biggest collaboration within the marketing and communications industry to date.

The inaugural Global DEI Census of 2021 found that one in seven professionals said they would likely leave their company and the industry because of a lack of diversity and inclusion. It also identified that the most common forms of discrimination were experienced based on gender, age and caregiving responsibilities (those looking after the young, the elderly or the sick) as well as race, ethnicity and disability. The full results and analysis from Wave 1, which covered 27 markets and attracted more than 10,000 responses, can be seen here.

Since the first global Census, the WFA has published a Charter for Change, outlining how global organisations, such as advertisers, platforms and agency-holding groups, can take concrete steps to drive more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. The Charter is designed to complement action plans devised and driven at local level by local coalitions designed to address specific local challenges.

“We believe that South is rich in talent and potential, as such, the accountability is on us as a collective to walk the journey of transformation. DEI requires support, accountability and action to see results and create a sustainable environment. We are excited to be part of this conversation locally and hope to make an impact in the industry this year,” concludes Claudelle Naidoo, IAB Board Member and CEO of EssenceMediacom South Africa.

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About MASA
A successor to the old Society of Marketers, later ASOM (Association of South African Marketers), and then the MFSA (Marketing Foundation South Africa) up to 2005, MASA is the member association and professional body for the South African marketing community and the representative voice for organisations and individuals in the marketing industry.

It represents the business interests of marketers, and promotes professional and ethical marketing practices, the adoption of common standards, self-regulation, and independent and credible marketing industry research.

MASA is also focused on marketing skills development. It seeks to provide leadership, support, and mentorship, and is the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) accredited custodian of the Chartered Marketer, Marketing Practitioner, and Associate Marketer Designations in South Africa.

MASA is active in leading and influencing transformation, policy, legislation, education, and training, learning and development, and best practice on marketing and related business topics. For more information, visit www.marketingsa.co.za

About ACA
The ACA is the official, representative body for the Communications and Advertising profession in South Africa, representing agencies in the profession (who at present contribute approximately 95% of South Africa’s measured ad spend) to government, media and the public. The ACA is a voluntary body formed by and for the industry, focused on and committed to self-regulation and to defending the highest standards of ethical practice. For more information visit www.acasa.co.za

About ARB
The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) is the self-regulatory body appointed by the industry to administer the widely-accredited Code of Advertising Practice which regulates the content of advertising in South Africa. The members of the ARB are MASA, IAB, ACA, NAB, PFI and Aware.org. For more information visit www.arb.org.za

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership is comprised of more than 150 leading media companies, brands, and the technology firms responsible for enabling excellence in digital marketing focusing on identifying and targeting audiences, delivering and optimising campaigns to these audiences and the innovation and selling of such activities. The non-profit, non-government, trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, publishers. and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. For more information visit www.iabsa.net

About The IMC - Integrated Marketing Council
The IMC, (incorporating the Nedbank IMC Conference) is a neutral platform aimed at securing marketing’s place at the Boardroom table.  Through our various initiatives, we are committed to our philosophy that Marketing is Business©.

The IMC is also committed to upliftment of the youth and provides bursaries and other benefits to marketing students.

About Kantar South Africa
Kantar is the world’s leading evidence-based insights and consulting company. We have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of how people think, feel and act; globally and locally in over 90 markets. By combining the deep expertise of our people, our data resources and benchmarks, our innovative analytics and technology we help our clients understand people and inspire growth.

About MRF
The Marketing Research Foundation (MRF) is an independent non-profit company, acting as the custodian and repository of research expertise for marketers and their advertising industry partners. Its main objectives are to establish, commission and manage comprehensive, valid, reliable, and continuous consumer behaviour research, surveys, investigations and reports, that provide data for targeting and segmentation, as well as multi-product/brand usage and multi-media information that reflects the totality and complexity of the South African society.

About WFA
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) makes marketing better by championing more effective and sustainable marketing communications. It is the voice of marketers worldwide, representing 90% of global marketing communications spend – roughly US$900 billion per annum.

WFA connects the world's biggest brand owners and national advertiser associations in more than 60 markets, bringing together tens of thousands of brands at local level. Together, they create a global network which offers a unique source of leadership, expertise and inspiration. More information at www.wfanet.org

About EACA
Established in 1959, the Brussels-based European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) reunites more than 2,500 communications agencies and agency associations from nearly 30 European countries. EACA’s purpose is to engage with EU policymakers, the industry and stakeholders in order to provide its members in with the most favourable business and legal framework they need to thrive. Through initiatives like inspire!, edcom, and the IMC & Effie Awards Europe, EACA is continuously working on the educational, qualitative, and sustainable aspects of advertising in Europe. For more information, visit www.eaca.eu.

About VoxComm
Established in 2020, VoxComm is the new global voice for agencies, championing the value that agencies bring to their clients as turbo boosters for growth. With 36 national trade associations from around the globe, VoxComm stand for the power of commercial creativity in all its forms – across strategy, ideas, content and media – as a proven lever for growth that businesses neglect at their peril. For more information, visit www.voxcomm.org.