Black Representation in Marketing (BRiM), an alliance formed by a 15-strong steering group of brands and agencies, has today launched its cross-industry framework, supported by the Advertising Association.
The BRiM steering group, which has shaped the direction of the initiative, is made up of companies including BrainLabs, Deloitte Digital, Dentsu, Droga5, Facebook, Omnicom Media Group, PepsiCo, Publicis, Shell, TUI Group, Unilever, Universal Pictures, VCCP, Wise and Wunderman Thompson.
Chair of the steering group is Nicola Mendelsohn, VP Facebook EMEA, while an 18-strong supporting advisory board is being chaired by IPA president and chairman of VCCP, Julian Douglas.
The framework incorporates existing efforts and resources, providing principles, commitments and tools to champion fair representation of black people in marketing.
It aims to cover the complete marketing journey. It starts with the creative output, and extends to the ecosystem of partners who create the marketing assets, as well as the core team at the heart of strategic campaign decisions.
The framework further provides examples of commitments that people in organisations should consider adopting, with readily available templates and tools at hand when putting their efforts into practice.
Mendelsohn said: “If we want to increase Black representation in our industry, we need to stop thinking it is someone else’s job. Creating long-term and meaningful change requires collective action. Our hope is for BRiM to be the catalyst for that action.
“The BRiM framework provides practical steps that anyone can take, whether you’re a CMO or graduate starting out, to challenge the lack of Black representation head-on. We all have a responsibility and opportunity to move the needle on this issue – once and for all. I encourage everyone to join the BRiM community and download the framework today.”
Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association said: “The Advertising Association is hugely proud to support BRiM. It is the most comprehensive programme yet to accelerate change and improve the inclusion and development of Black talent in our industry. It is essential that we make progress on this critical area as an industry if we are to achieve our goal to build back better following the impact of the pandemic.”
A virtual launch event for BRiM will be held on 5 May 2021 between 12-1pm. Everyone in the industry is invited to join. Further details on how to register are available here.
