Dive Brief:

• Ethnic representation among marketers dropped last year, reversing a yearslong trend that saw diversity on an upward trajectory, the latest annual report from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) and SeeHer revealed.    
• While diverse ethnicities accounted for nearly one-third (32.3%) of the industry in 2022, that share slipped to 30.8% in 2023. Representation of Hispanic and Latino employees declined from 10.9% in 2022 to 9.5% in 2023, widening the gap with the group’s 18.73% share of the U.S. population, while other demographics remained stagnant.
• Progress was made in some areas, with senior-level marketing roles reaching 27.9% ethnic diversity, the second-highest figure recorded in the study’s six-year history. Women also continue to drive the advertising and marketing workforce, making up a majority in 2023.

Dive Insight:

The ANA’s latest assessment of representation in the marketing workforce offers another sign that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is under fire. Marketers made DEI a priority in the wake of mass protests for racial justice in 2020 but the concept has received stronger blowback as U.S. culture wars intensify, with some brands landing in the crosshair of political crusades. 

Many chief diversity officers have been left out in the cold as a result, and the ANA’s report indicates that marketing organizations have let their DEI efforts slip into the rearview. At the same time, a fluctuating economy has led to layoffs at brands and agencies that could negatively impact representation and stymie progress.

The ANA report positioned the declines in representation experienced last year as substantial, sharply reversing prior trends, and urged leadership to rectify the situation. Diversity among marketers previously increased from 27.6% in 2019 to 32.3% in 2022. 

“It is clear that our long-term focus on [diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging] must not waver,” said Bob Liodice, CEO of the ANA, in a statement attached to the report. The research was conducted in partnership with SeeHer and AIMM, divisions of the trade body that focus on women’s representation and broader multicultural and inclusive marketing goals, respectively. 

“The findings in this report should embolden our community to double down on diversity and to ensure that it remains a critical human resource strategy for all,” Liodice continued. 

Breaking down the marketing and advertising verticals in 2023, 10.3% of workers were Asian, 9.5% were Hispanic or Latino and 7.2% were African American or Black. Of those groups, only Asian employees had larger representation in proportion to their U.S. population. About 12.05% of the country is Black or African American, per census data cited by the ANA. 

“The findings from this study shed light on the current state of DEI in the industry and confirm that we must do more to recruit, attract and retain diverse talent,” said Gilbert Dávila, co-founder of AIMM, in a statement. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the industry fosters a diverse workforce so that we drive more authentic connections with consumers, foster more creativity and innovation and ultimately spur business growth.”

While the macro picture for DEI in marketing faces challenges, strides were made at the top level. Along with the jump in representation among senior-level marketing roles, CMOs reached 17.3% ethnic diversity, the highest number recorded since the ANA began running the study.

Over half of senior marketing leaders (57.7%) were women, according to the ANA board of directors and diversity benchmarks shared by select member companies of the trade body, also the highest number seen in the study’s history. In addition, entry-level talent was majority female at 68.9%, showing marketing and advertising continue to be appealing career pathways for women.