Bloomberg has labeled April 24th, 2008 to be Diversity in Advertising/PR Career Day. It’s a one day conference created to provide multi-cultural professionals with a forum to network and explore career opportunities in the advertising industry. Sixty employers will be on hand from McGarry Bowen to TBWA. You can sign up for the even here. The is the second year for the event. Last year, New York City and top NYC advertising agencies pledged to diversify their ranks, but also to allow City officials to monitor the diversification process.
You remember all that hubbub involving the Human Rights Commission, hearings and NY City in 2006, right? The hearings were canceled when 16 advertising agencies signed diversity agreement with the NYC Commission on Human Rights in September 2006: Arnold Worldwide, Avrett, Free & Ginsberg; BBDO; DDB; Draft New York; Euro RSCG Worldwide; FCB New York; Gotham, Inc.; Grey Direct; Grey Interactive; Kaplan Thaler Group, LTD; Merkley + Partners; Ogilvy & Mather; PHD USA; Saatchi & Saatchi; and Young & Rubicam.
Not one of the industry’s better moments. We called over to the NYC Commission on Human Rights to find out the delivery date for the report the industry’s diversification process. We got the run around. “We’re collecting data still and I’m not sure when it will be coming out, but will be a matter of public record,” said a spokeswoman. We’ll keep our eye on it.