Melbourne’s ad agency boom has a diversity problem
Although Melbourne's ad agency boom is undeniably refreshing, there's one oh-so predictable problem with these new ventures, writes Mr Smith partner Sarah Bailey.
Two new ad agencies have recently launched into the Melbourne market. One is a brand new start-up and the other is the Melbourne arm of a highly successful decade-old outfit in Sydney.
It’s all a bit exciting really: fresh new blood and hustle, pithy press releases about new eras, new offerings, reimagined structures and finally ‘giving the industry what it truly needs’.
Bailey: All-male formula will remain the safe bet until we have something to compare it to
I’m definitely of the view that the advertising arena benefits from a dynamic competitive landscape, so I think all this newness is a good thing.
As far as I’m concerned, these recent offerings immediately have a valid place alongside the longstanding global networks and adolescent local outfits. I hope they thrive.
But, but but, a loud voice in my head says firmly: isn’t there something wrong with this latest newness?
And that’s the thing. As excited as I am to gossip with peers about these new ventures, and speculate about their likely success, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed:
Oh so male.
Oh so white.
Oh so predictable.
So to add to the predictability, I thought I’d weigh in as a white woman in advertising and explore a few key points, with a particular focus on gender.
Of course, in the comment section climate we exist in, you call attention to stuff like this with significant trepidation. Therefore, I will do my best to avoid playing the victim card, refrain from entering the impossible merry-go-round of merit-based tit-for-tat and most importantly, avoid criticising the very experienced, highly credentialed men that will be running these new agencies.
As long as I stick to playing the ball, not the players, I figure it should be fine.
Maybe female leaders are just risky?
Seeing as both of the businesses I am referring to have recently been backed by large global consultancy firms, I guess we can all agree that a male leadership team continues to prove itself a Good Business Decision. Which makes sense. We are all conditioned to think that men make the best leaders because it’s all we know. They have a good track record, after all.
Leo Burnett was widely criticised back in 2015 after it hired an entirely male creative team
In truth, this all-male formula will remain the safe bet until we have something to compare it to. It’s like a little puzzle without the fun: female leadership is considered risky and will remain so until we invest in women and back them to ensure they are more visible and successful, but doing this is a risk.
Ugh. Let’s just table it for now and discuss it again at the next board meeting.
Men of merit
Casting in business is critical. Even in an increasingly tech world, people are still generally recognised as being a company’s greatest asset. So perhaps in these two examples, appointing women to these critical roles was simply not considered to be the right decision.
As a business person myself, I can’t criticise the desire to put the best person in the job, or to prioritise crafting the best team with great dynamics, I can only question whether there really wasn’t an appropriate female option out there. Not even one.
I’d like to think that a woman was at least short-listed for one of the key power roles. At least considered to be bought into the inner sanctum of the shiny new start-up. I can personally think of several strong female candidates off the top of my head, many of which will no doubt end up doing amazing things in very senior roles at these companies. Just not the top roles.
Everyone wants a leader with leadership experience
Linked directly to the earlier points, it makes sense that when you have a role mapped out you want to find a candidate that has done it before. You want proof and evidence. Ideally you want a guarantee. This is despite knowing how powerful the concept of potential is.
(It’s sort of like how our clients want proof and evidence that something is going to work when we present them with an amazing idea that’s never been done before and tell them to take a leap of faith but they end up wanting to go with the safe option – like that.)
The problem is, women in their thirties are often overlooked for senior management roles due to unconscious (and blatant) bias, or miss some critical years of hard core negation training due to time spent parenting, so they wind up having less leadership experience on their resumes than their male counterparts. Ergo they are less likely to get the top roles and continue to miss out on valuable leadership experience.
And we’re back to that annoying puzzle again.
It seems to me, that at some point, a savvy forward-thinking business will take a leap of faith, back a dark horse in the hot seat and be handsomely rewarded for unleashing a secret weapon. Until then, it’s probably safer to encourage our clients to be brave and take the risks – they are way too conservative anyway.
Maaaate
We all know that it’s mainly who you know, a bit what you know and a lot about who likes you. We all want to work with people we like. Bonds are formed in advertising trenches and juniors excitedly plot ad land domination over late night Thai take-away as eyes are rubbed and pitch documents are yanked into shape.
So of course it makes sense that when the opportunity arises years later, friendships become partnerships and the idea of working and playing together is hugely appealing.
There is no issue with this per se, and arguably good rapport is useful in chemistry sessions, but it doesn’t really save a spot at the table for new voices or different perspectives. Mates are mates for a reason, they reinforce our beliefs and make us feel good about our opinions.
Group think is great on a Saturday night, not necessarily constructive as you are trying to figure out how to approach a brief where none of you are the target market.
Well ladies, there is nothing stopping you from doing the same
Of course this is true. Women all over the industry could just exit their mid to senior level leadership roles where they have been patiently waiting for recognition and start up their own agencies. Of course they could. In fact they should. What are they even waiting for?
The thing is, that not many men jump from mid level roles to running their own agencies. They wait until they have the cash, the connections and the confidence to go it alone (with their buddies).
And of course, as females, when you fail, your failure represents all women so there is a bit of added pressure for women to pile on top of the other normal day-to-day pressure. It’s almost enough to make you wait another year, continue to prove yourself an asset to your current agency and be promised a leadership role very soon.
I really am excited about the shifting landscape and wish the new ventures the best, it just would have been nice to see more diversity in the top layer. And we didn’t even delve into race, sexuality and cultural background – perhaps another time.
When you look at the Australian advertising agency landscape overall, it’s impossible to deny there is a narrow casting brief, especially at the top. We have a type.
In an industry where distinctiveness is a core competitive edge, uniqueness is something we hassle our clients about having, not to mention that diversity in top management has been proven to garner better business results, I just wonder how this broadly adopted tried and tested approach will eventually play out.
Sarah Bailey is a business director and partner at creative projects production company Mr Smith. She previously worked in account management at Ogilvy Australia and as managing partner at DDB Melbourne
Really important conversation to keep having, and thank you Sarah for this contribution.
Interestingly, it seems it’s not an Adland-alone issue, nor a Melbourne or Australian one: women make up barely a third of US start-up owners … and even less if you exclude sole traders: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/09/upshot/why-women-dont-see-themselves-as-entrepreneurs.html?mcubz=0
It’s a wicked problem that’s unlikely to be solved with a single silver bullet. But continued and continuous examination of our own assumptions and biases, whether we’re male, female, or other, is a good place to start.
User ID not verified.
Wow how incredibly opportunistic of you.
User ID not verified.
Could you let me know what’s the diversity breakdown of Mr Smith. Race diversity in your leadership team is….?
User ID not verified.
Why Mr Smith? MISTER ….Smith
User ID not verified.
Looking ‘Oh so white’ and heavily male balanced from this angle
http://www.mrsmithprojects.com/people/
User ID not verified.
Great to have this discussion.
It seems women are great but rarely trusted to be on that absolute inner circle.
I know The Monkeys Melbourne team are all fantastic at their job but I do wonder if a woman even made it to the short list.
Also, I love the comment in this article about us all complaining about how conservative our clients are.
User ID not verified.
To the people above who read this and their first instinct is to try and attack the author or her agency – have a think about why that is for a few minutes. You work in advertising, you should have some basic knowledge of psychology.
User ID not verified.
Thanks for adding your voice. It makes some people uncomfortable and it brings out the #notallmen crowd but agencies produce their best work when the team working on it is diverse – in gender, race, sexuality AND thought. And as clients start to better understand their own audiences and who controls the discretionary spend they will start demanding more from agencies in this space.
User ID not verified.
Of course. There are three of us in the leadership team: 1/3 female, 2/3 male. 100% white.
Not ideal obviously. We are currently, unfortunately, fairly reflective of the broader industry.
As I said in the article, I focused almost solely on the imbalance of gender in the top adland roles. Admittedly, I find it an easier issue to hold up as an example of a broader diversity problem. Unconscious bias in regard to sexuality, race and culture can be even more ingrained and difficult to navigate. As you have righty suggested, it is something that my company is definitely not immune to and needs to address just like everyone else. Encouragingly, I think some of the larger corporates are making good progress in this area and hopefully we can all learn from them.
User ID not verified.
Ha, yes, I know, an annoyingly ironic name in regard to this particular topic and something I raised when I first joined the company too.
The ‘Smith’ part comes from the idea that in olden times the people that made things and got their hands dirty were ‘smiths’ – blacksmiths, coppersmiths etc. As we are a production-oriented creative company, this reference made sense when the founders were looking for a name. They wanted a prefix that could represent a collective of people and landed on ‘Mr.’
Now, I’m not excusing it, but I actually think the male name choice highlights the gender issue really clearly. If our company was called ‘Ms Smith’, people would make the assumption that we are a female oriented company and specialise in communications directed toward women. I know I would. It would be seen as a statement to the market, a helpful positioning sign-post. In contrast, the ‘Mr’ prefix name mainly goes unnoticed and people assume we do non-gendered work (which we do). Maleness is for everyone, femaleness is for women. Similar trends have been found across the film industry, books, TV, clothing labels and kids toys. Men and young boys are not interested in things that are ‘for women’.
So, the Mr Smith name was probably a better business choice and makes us more broadly appealing. And people do seem to respond well to the name, we get a lot of positive feedback about it. Barely anyone mentions the gender reference which really just reinforces the points above.
Anyway, as I said in the article, this issue is complex and there is a lot – conscious and unconscious – for us all to overcome which is why it is important to discuss even when it is uncomfortable. Challenging our own thinking, prejudices and situations can only lead to the shifts that are required.
In hindsight, maybe ’The Smiths’ would have been a better name choice. Maybe it’s something that we will consider changing in the future. Thanks for your question.
User ID not verified.
It’s definitely not limited to Advertising/Marketing. I think though, because these industries shape so much of what we see in the world and can play an active role in reinforcing, or challenging the status quo it is even more important that it is addressed in these businesses.
User ID not verified.
Exactly. I agree the guys at these new agencies are great. From what I know myself and hear, they are decent, experienced and talented.
That is not the issue. This discussion, from my point of view, is structural not personal and should remain so.
User ID not verified.
I love comments like this. So cryptic! If you are referring to the notion of observing something that happens in the world and then providing a point of view on it, I think that’s actually just called journalism. But I’m excited that you think there will be some opportunities coming my way as a result, I’ll be sure to keep a look out for them.
User ID not verified.
would you have written this if you were male? and working for Mr Smith?
User ID not verified.
Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be cryptic. I guess what’s obvious to some is cryptic to others. Just trying to point out a point of view that so neatly fits your birthright could be seen as lacking integrity in addressing the issue and more just fueling it for your own needs (i.e. Not journalism).
As a guy I agree with most of what you say. But I worry you cheapen your argument when it’s so obviously self serving. I guess a way around that is adding something to the debate not just pointing.
All that said I also admire anyone willing to put themselves out there for debate (insight or no insight).
User ID not verified.
Once we solve the gender and race issues we can move onto the class issue, surely we can create better ads if not everyone is from upper middle class and above. Also because I’m going to punch the next person in the face from Adland that asks why I never went skiing as a child and is confused when I explain what poor means
User ID not verified.
This is a much better read than the Gentleman’s Gin Club post. More women voices please!
I’m proud to be part of an all-women leadership team (5/5). We recruit based on talent and have a majority women team also.
User ID not verified.
So what’s wrong with being a white male?
User ID not verified.
Thanks for clarifying.
I’m not sure I agree that I, or anyone else, can’t have integrity on an issue just because of my personal gender/situation – if true, that would be a shame.
As studies have proven repeatedly, we all benefit from diversity so making changes to correct the imbalance in this area is actually an en masse self-serving exercise, not an individual one.
I would love to see more men proactively coming forward with similar points of view on the issue but unfortunately they tend not to. I suspect because they struggle to feel as passionately about it as someone who can imagine the injustice.
And I certainly don’t think that when men do weigh that they have more validity because their view is not ‘self-serving.’
Anyway, hopefully I’ve added to the debate by highlighting that even in the freshest most exciting new iterations of our industry we are not seeing gender diversity (or other diversity) at the top levels. Despite having huge respect for those that are in the roles, I personally think this is a missed opportunity and from the discussions I have had with several peers, many agree. Hopefully articulating some thoughts gets people thinking about their own company structure and contributes in some small way toward taking the issue from being simply noted, to something that is actively addressed in workplaces (which I appreciate is much harder than writing an article).
User ID not verified.
Why don’t we ask the more pertinent question of what’s wrong with being a female? Because that’s certainly the prescription you subscribe to.
When the ad industry welcomes ‘competition’ on their level, there’ll be nothing wrong with being a white male. 🙂
User ID not verified.
Great write-up, Sarah. I love it. Lots of good points, but what would be even better if the comments under any article advocating for better diversity were constructive? It’s like YouTube comments here; you would think it would be a bit more intellectual given the egos and so-called-clever dinosaurs around here.
I’m all for hearing men’s concerns, and redirecting and redefining what they all seem to cram in as socialist, leftist feminism when all women and men who advocate for diversity are saying is – diversity is good for our industry, your business, your customers. So why not buy and invest into it as much as you do technology and your champagne parties?
Guess not. Well then, goodbye great talent. Enjoy your decreasing margins.
User ID not verified.
If there was a like button, I would use it on this comment.
User ID not verified.
Hey Sarah, I’m not white (but I am female) and I’m happy to join your leadership team to shut up these fools.
If you haven’t solved every single diversity problem (while you advocate it) well then clearly you’re just a ‘self-serving bitch’ to them, right? Jesus Christ. One step at a time. At least you’re trying, which is more than any of them are willing to do. Are any of your trolls even taking one step? Nope.
If not, prove it. I love being shown I’m wrong.
User ID not verified.
Because Mr and Mrs Smith was already taken?
User ID not verified.
Its because maybe men are better at creativity that so few women make it in Advertising. In my meetings with Australian ASX listed Board members, the well of capable female Board Directors who started their own businesses or were CEO’s is empty, and there should be a temporary halt to diversity programs until the ability pool of women catches up . Maybe that wil never occur due to the higher ratio of men of high IQ to Women (statistical fact). Picking people on merit is the best outcome for everybody..
User ID not verified.
Totally agree Lucy. This is a big one. A few years ago I looked into average salaries of media/marketing roles compared with the rest of the market and it was something like 80% of roles in our industry were in the top 20% of earners in Australia. And of course even the lower paid juniors are on a pathway to large salaries. Clearly this creates an empathy challenge which is particularly important to address when it comes to comms that talk to everyone.
User ID not verified.
Thanks Julie!
Yes, it is always an interesting discussion. Progress in regard to gender is definitely happening which is great but there is a clear limit to what people feel is ‘right’ so clearly we are not there yet.
To me, it seems like people have become more comfortable with the idea of one or two women in senior roles but no more than that – despite an all male leadership being totally fine.
I’ve had several discussions with people about a hypothetical scenario where two women run for President and Vice President (or PM). The response to this tends to be ‘whoa, that would be too much’ ‘totally unnecessary’ and then vague comments around them ‘not possibly being able to have the right perspective’ and this approach not conveying equality…As I said, interesting!
User ID not verified.
I’m so glad someone bought some satire to the table – always good to have a little smile in-between the important, useful contributions.
With so many more women graduating from university than their male counterparts (and with higher scores) it seems to me that intelligence is probably not the issue. Perhaps it’s more a case of our modern workplaces still adhering to the traditional structures that were created by, and for, men. Merit is all good and well if the system was set up to enable a fair playing field. Until then I think the merit argument really just hides fear of increased competition and change.
User ID not verified.
I have no idea. I would like to think so but to be honest I don’t spend a lot of time thinking ‘what would male me do?’
What I do know is that the men I work with are certainly in agreement with these views and actively looking to address diversity in our business.
User ID not verified.
Thanks Adam!
User ID not verified.
It seems to me that there are a lot of young/middle-aged? white males out there who are fearful of having the (their) status quo being upset. If success and promotion in any industry is to be based on merit, what have they to be fearful of? After all, most of them consider themselves to be more meritorious, if not more intelligent, than their female colleagues.
Having worked in a white male dominated sector for over 4 decades, the upward trend in the proportion of non-whites and females during that time demonstrated an obvious benefit to all relevant parties: the employer, the employees (of both genders) and the customers. Long live diversity, equal opportunity and meritocracy.
User ID not verified.
I asked you first
User ID not verified.
Can I ask why you chose gender diversity as the burning issue to adress and not race diversity? Do you think it’s because you’re a white female – thereby having a convenient answer for one, but not the other?
User ID not verified.
@Sarah,
I like what this article intends to do, however, I have one major critique.
In the future please start calling it as it is – ‘white STRAIGHT males’ in the ad industry.
I am a white male, but gay, and my experience is by no means as easy as the straight white males in this industry. And people are fooled if they think it is.
You don’t see me invited to the liquid lunches the straight males go to, I’ve been called bitchy or difficult for arguing a point in meetings – straight men are called ‘passionate’. I’ve heard people say ‘what a faggot’ after heated meetings when you don’t share the same opinion in group meetings – and most recently I heard a well-known ECD say the words ‘ ‘We hired a gay isn’t that the same as a woman’.
It’s really important to not package gay white males into the ‘white male’ group.
Regards
Ben
User ID not verified.
Ben, I am really sorry that you have had these experiences. What you have described is appalling and makes it clear that we have SO far to go as an industry.
Certainly my intent is not to lump everyone in together and I agree (and mentioned) that sexuality is not well represented in the top levels either. Probably I felt that the straight was implied but take your point and empathise with everything you have to say.
User ID not verified.
Hi Jen, as I mention in responses above, I definitely find it easier to articulate my thoughts on the gender aspect of this issue while appreciating that diversity broadly is a problem. I am more schooled on stats and facts in this area to back up my thinking so I am more confident to speak publicly about it. Plus, a lot of people I know were talking about the situation I outlined with a specific lean toward gender so that’s the angle I took and I called that out knowing that it only scratches the surface.
For the record, I think the industry has a diversity problem that is not limited to gender and I am keen to become more educated on the specific barriers and challenges that exist around race, sexuality, age and cultural diversity too.
Hopefully this makes sense.
User ID not verified.
Perhaps you should look at the latest Census figures re the dreaded ‘white’ takeover. 69% of Australians are from English, Scottish and Irish descent. Which presumes the majority of Australians are white, which is perhaps why there are so many of them in Advertising. Your rash generalisations make your article a little rant without any back-up at all for your sweeping pseudo intellectual comments.
How dare you question the new company without any conversation with them. Then proceed to slam them with self-righteous and pompous declarations about their business. Why [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy] and publish in this unpleasant platform. Last read and post from me for Mumbrella.
User ID not verified.
…and you’re a white woman.
User ID not verified.
Oh dear. It seems you have not read the article properly. And it’s also a shame that you have interpreted it as a rant when it was meant to prompt a mature discussion.
So just quickly:
I clearly focused mainly on gender and the lack of diversity in TOP advertising roles. The latest data shows that only 3% of top leadership roles in the industry are held by women. I believe I am right in saying that 51% of people in this country are female.
I think this is far from ideal and as a numbers person, I am sure you will agree.
Re the white takeover you reference, I admit I do not have the exact stats but I feel confident in assuming that there are lot more than 69% of white males in the top media/advertising roles. Very happy to be told otherwise.
As I have stated in the article and in the comments, I have absolutely nothing against these new companies or the people who will be running them. They have great reputations and I personally rate them. Being former leaders of large network agencies I’m sure they are aware of the challenge around diversity in the industry and doubt they would feel affronted by it being called out. It is an issue that we will all need to work together to solve and it might not always be comfortable. Sometimes examples help to illustrate a broader problem and that was a technique I chose to employ.
I’m sorry you have been so offended on their behalf.
User ID not verified.
Hahaha! Massive toldya! Go Bails!
User ID not verified.
As a business director having a go at two agencies in Melbourne and making it clear who they are without having the courage to name or even contacting them isn’t a great ‘business development’ strategy for a saleswoman/business director?
User ID not verified.
One problem is confidence compensates for a lot in this industry.
Stupid people with high confidence can do well.
Men are less likely to lack confidence than women.
Men back themselves, even when they shouldn’t. Evidence should tell them otherwise.
Women don’t back themselves, even when the evidence clearly shows they should.
It’s a great combination. Very clever women put their heads down and keep working to prove themselves while men waltz about rolling their eyes about everyone else’s incompetence….because they are awesome! I love agencies.
User ID not verified.