Hasta La Creative!

After years of talk but very little progress, it seems marketers and agencies are finally taking solid steps toward diversity. Consider what happened with the space of a week: First, General Mills told Ad Age it is requiring the creative departments at the agencies participating in its review to be staffed by at least 50% women and 20% people of color.

Then, HP Chief Marketing Officer Antonio Lucio sent a memo to HP’s five advertising and marketing agency partnersGyro, BBDO, Fred & Farid, FleishmanHillard, and Porter Novelliasking for a commitment “to radically improve the percentage of women and people of color in leadership roles” in their organizations.

Mr. Lucio, who said HP is creating a scorecard to track its own efforts, expects agencies to deliver formal plans within 30 days and make good on such plans within 12 months, the memo read. Below, in an interview with Ad Age, he explains the reasoning behind his effort.

Continue reading at AdAge.com