Agency Circle Results: Aussie Adland Appears Bereft Of Anyone Aged Over 50
B&T remains a staunch supporter of diversity and inclusion via our Change The Ratio conference. It’s on 30th May in Sydney and you can check out all the details here.
The annual Agency Circle results – Aussie adland’s diversity and inclusion survey – and despite some promise, it appears bad news for anyone aged 50-plus.
The 2018 survey results had 1524 respondents from creative agencies, which was a 33 per cent increase to the sample of 1,144 in 2017. Of the people who completed the questions on demographics, they were:
- 76 per cent were Caucasian, 10 per cent were Asian, six per cent multiracial, one per cent Middle Eastern, only five are Black or African American and only one person who completed the survey was Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander
- 59 per cent were female, 40 per cent male, and one per cent were non-binary
- Chair/CEO/MD roles – 71 per cent male, 29 per cent female
- Creative and design roles – 62 per cent male, 38 per cent female
- Account management roles – 71 per cent female, 29 per cent male
- Strategy/planning roles – 50 per cent female, 50 per cent male
- Sixty per cent of the respondents were aged 34 years and under, 34 per cent are aged between 35-50 years and only five per cent are aged over 51-plus
This year also saw the inclusion of 398 respondents from media agencies as collated by the Media Federation of Australia. Although a much smaller database, a look at their results also demonstrates they have a similar racial distribution, a higher percentage of females and overall a younger age profile than creative agencies with:
- 77 per cent Caucasian, 12 per cent Asian, five per cent Multiracial, one per cent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- 65 per cent female, 32 per cent male, one per cent non-binary
- 73 per cent of the respondents were aged under 34 years old, and only three per cent are aged over 50
On the whole, The Agency Circle saw positive shifts year on year, with on average a two-five per cent change in most industry diversity measures across creative agencies. There were more significant improvements in the below areas:
- People feel less likely to be overlooked for a promotion due to any type of discrimination (35 per cent decrease year on year).
- The other biggest area of improvement where perceptions have shifted significantly around parental leave…
- 19 per cent year on year increase in people believing that their culture is supportive of women who take parental leave
- Similarly, a nine per cent increase also for a culture that supports men taking leave
- And a staggering 30 per cent year-on-year increase in people agreeing that their agency culture is supportive of parents
- The result of these significant shifts has led to an increase in perceptions that mothers are being considered for more high-level promotions (up 25 per cent)
And some smaller shifts in the right direction in the following key areas:
- The industry is perceived as getting better at employing a diverse range of people (up four per cent)
- Overall derogatory comments and/or jokes are on the decrease (down five per cent)
- And respondents on the whole feel less strongly that people are over-sensitive to discrimination (down seven per cent)
However, some areas continue to demonstrate very little change. The industry lacks gender, racial and sexual orientation diversity at the senior level. We’re still 77 per cent Caucasian and within our ageing population only five per cent of our industry is aged 50-plus years.
The Agency Circle chairperson, Leo Burnett Australia head of talent, Sarah Palmer (main photo), said: “Our purpose it to provide agencies with the tools and processes to enable the change our industry deserves. This year’s results prove that shifts in the right direction are occurring, in particular improved perceptions around parental leave, however we would still like to see more emphasis placed on senior level positions held by a more diverse cross section of people, and that age is viewed as just a number when it comes to hiring people over 50 years old in our industry.”
Industry aggregated scores are released, however the agencies that take part this year will have the ability to monitor their progress against their own benchmark (from the previous years’ surveys), as well as the industry average, and will be expected to provide their key metrics to demonstrate their efforts.
The Agency Circle does not release individual agency results. Each member has bought into the charter and an honesty system, and agencies that are members will need to demonstrate affirmative progress to remain part of the group.
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.
Age does not discriminate, it will affect everyone.
At the age of 40 I could see I was usually the oldest in the room. At the age of 50 agencies felt uncomfortable with me in the room but clients certainly didn’t as experience from agencies was the thing they craved as they cringed watching the clumsy attempts of young agency staff to justify their existence. Restructures are great ways to deliver a refreshed youthful image they clients want. All too soon “we are looking for someone at a different stage of their career”. I’ve seen so many careers finish way too soon and the disastrous consequences of young teams lacking guidance and mentors. Sadly, agency land is the most ageist in the land.
If we were to nominate the worst offender in the diversity and inclusion stakes within the Media & Advertising industry here in Australia; Ageism would win by a country mile…:)
Yeah they’re all fucking working here
hahahahahahahahahaha