Top takeaways from Publicis’s signature talent event on identity and impact

Just… wow.

Pausing for Action: Identity & Impact was an astonishing event—two packed days to reflect on our experiences and identities, connect over the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives we’ve taken across our organization, and discuss the hard work that’s still ahead of us to further build inclusive cultures and foster equity across our group.

We’re going to try to break down some of the top takeaways and biggest surprises, but that’s a fool’s errand. There was too much magnificence to fit into one article—or two—or ten.

What you really need to do is watch the full slate of dynamic programming.

DAY ONE

 

DAY TWO

Part One: Identity

Part Two: Impact

 

Here are some of the ways we had our world rocked.

Our clients have high expectations

“Many of our clients have made public pledges for actions and improvements on behalf of their customers and consumers,” said Renetta McCann, Publicis Groupe’s Chief Inclusion Experience Officer, at the top of Day One. “Our clients’ expectations have increased considerably in the last year.”

They're asking some really tough questions. How exactly does your agency team embed DE&I across all facets of the work that we do together? Who's on your team? How does that team reflect our consumer customer base? How do you take care of your team members? And we're expecting this kind of interest and activity to only increase in the future.”

Disrupting from within

During Carla Serrano’s enlightening conversation with trailblazing ballet star Misty Copeland, she asked the dancer, “What’s the secret to surviving disrupting from within?”

“For me it's been about having really open conversations and dialogues with the people at the top,” Misty said. “And not coming at it from a place of “You are wrong for this.” After the murder of George Floyd, a lot of the rhetoric was Allies don’t need to speak out right now, just listen, and I think there's no way for real evolution and learning if you don't get some feedback and hear what the other side has to say. So my secret was in being vulnerable and open and listening, which can be so difficult.”

Holding managers accountable

During the Q&A period, a Publicis employee asked “What is being done to ensure that managers are committed to and executing the Seven Actions?”

According to Leo Burnett CEO Andrew Swinand, “This is one of the areas where the Groupe has made the most progress. We actually have weekly meetings where management shares numbers, and tracks progress, down to the agency level. I can say with certainty that there’s a much greater level of accountability in terms of tracking our DE&I progress now than there was before.”

Potential vs paper

Another audience question, addressing the challenges of building a pipeline for younger talent that who might not have a conventional educational background: “What do you do when you find someone that has potential but doesn’t have the piece of paper?”

Magnus Djaba, Saatchi & Saatchi Global President (and CEO of Creative Practice UK), answered:

“I talk to a lot of clients, but I’ve never met a client who says “I’ve got the same old problems and I’m looking for the same old answers.” Filling our organization with people who look the same, talk the same, and went to the same schools, doesn’t seem like the smartest way to deal with clients who’ve got different problems, and need different solutions. We need different people to solve them. Yes, it’s a social and moral imperative, but let’s be clear—it’s a business imperative. We will not survive if we don’t change the look of our organization.”

The grim global context

Day Two kicked off with an exciting announcement—the promotion of Geraldine White to U.S. Chief Diversity Officer. Geraldine took the stage to remind us of the big picture of what we’re up against.

“I want to begin by acknowledging the continued trauma that has impacted so many of our communities,” she said. “The onset of COVID gave rise to an increase in anti-Asian sentiment and violence, often masked as xenophobia. The senseless and systemic injustices and serial loss of life of Black people in our country and throughout the world were highlighted with the murder of George Floyd. Shifts in health care provision are adversely impacting transgender children. We've witnessed the continued rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic hate crimes and violence, and this past week’s discovery of the remains of 215 indigenous children in a former residential school in British Columbia.”

“The unfortunate reality is that none of these issues of injustice are new. And I encourage that rather than enter into divisive debates that only cause more harm, we make use of what we've learned throughout this crisis and instead acknowledge the collective opportunity that we all have to support one another each day through this continued journey.”

Deliberate ignorance

“Every one of us grows up with poison in our brains, from the moment that we are able to consume and absorb what’s out there about other people, or even ourselves,” said guest panelist Helen Zia. “Anybody who can unlearn that poison has a responsibility to help others unlearn it.”

“And this mutual ignorance is deliberate. It is calculated. It is meant to keep us divided, because if we don’t know each other and we’re afraid of each other, we can’t come together. And it’s going to take all of us to make the kind of systemic changes that need to be made.”

Short takes

The insights and wisdom came fast and furious on Day Two. Here are some short and sweet sound bites from your colleagues.

“I feel like I have a lot to learn from my Black colleagues, who have been standing up for and marching for themselves and for their brothers and sisters and for other underrepresented groups for decades. That’s something some Asians are only now learning how to do: be loud and proud.” – Joanne Chan | CEO, Turner Duckworth

“I refer to myself as a diversity triple threat: a queer immigrant of color. Chief Communication Officer for Publicis Health. And my educational privilege, my relative economic privilege, didn’t protect me from—frankly—my face. This is the fact that walks in the world. I still get stopped by security coming back from lunch. I’m the Chief Communications Officer, but I am still going to be reduced to being the Chinese delivery guy.” – Kipp Jarecke-Cheng | Chief Communications Officer, Publicis Health

“We still have so much work to do, to make the workplace safe for trans folks. This is a strong opinion, but if you refuse to put your pronouns in your signature, that’s transphobic. The fact of the matter is, there are 26 states trying to pass anti-transgender legislation right now. It is still not safe for so many people in our community.” – Jenn Renoe | Associate Media Director, Publicis Health Media

“Two in five Americans come from diverse backgrounds. 40% of the country has a specific way they want to be engaged with. Reach is not the same as relevance or resonance. Both are necessary when you are looking to drive behavioral change.” – Arnetta Whiteside | Director, Multicultural, Publicis Media