Experience Advocacy Taskforce and AFFINITY have launched a new website to combat ageism in media and advertising.
The media and advertising industry is heavily skewed towards younger professionals, leaving older individuals behind.
Statistics from the 2023 census by the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) reveal that individuals aged 30 and under comprise 81 per cent of the workforce. In contrast, those in their 40s represent a mere 13.1 per cent, while those in their 50s make up just 5.1 per cent. These statistics stand against the broader Australian workforce, where recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicates that 62 per cent of workers are over the age of 40.
To address this imbalance, the Experience Advocacy Taskforce (EAT), formed in 2022 by Greg Graham, has launched a new website in collaboration with AFFINITY. This platform aims to reframe and redress workforce ageism in the media and advertising industry, encouraging agencies to value experience as part of their diversity and inclusion efforts.
“In a world of diversity and inclusion, the topic of ageism does not get nearly enough attention. And it’s our goal, with the help of AFFINITY, to challenge and encourage agencies to take ageism more seriously,” said Greg.
“The initiative was recently unveiled at Cannes in Cairns, providing resources and information for agencies committed to tackling ageism in their workplace practices”.
“We’ve loved working with AFFINITY on the launch of the Experience Advocacy Taskforce. This was a fantastic team effort. They took our messaging, driven hugely by the wonderful Meredith Ansoul, scoped, did all the strategy work, and built the site from the ground up. Our new site provides information and useful resources, and we encourage agencies to take the time to visit it to make the commitment to tackle ageism head-on,” he added.
“Greg is a legend in the industry. We applaud him for his commitment to making a difference through creating and driving the Experience Advocacy Taskforce. We jumped at the chance to apply our expertise in strategy and technology to help grow the discussion around this last bastion of discrimination. Somehow many people think it’s still ok to describe a professional by referencing their age with outdated euphemisms like ‘veteran’ – we all know that’s not ok for heritage, sexuality, or gender. Why is it still ok for age?” said Angela Smith, CEO of AFFINITY.
“What we love about the taskforce is that they’re focused on practical and meaningful initiatives rather than the scourge of tokenism and look-at-me stunts. It was a no-brainer to make an active contribution to this important movement,” added Smith.
Moving forward, the industry looks poised to evolve further as agencies recognise the value of age diversity in driving creativity, innovation, and sustainable growth. Initiatives like the EAT are crucial in ensuring that all professionals, regardless of age, have equal opportunities to thrive.
