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“For People Who Say They Can’t Find Diverse Talent, It’s a Cop-Out”

03/02/2023
Publication
London, UK
288
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Ayanna Jackson, EVP, DEI & Mosaic Center at American Advertising Federation, speaks to LBB’s Addison Capper about the history and potential of its ‘Most Promising Multicultural Students’ program

Each year since 1997, US students of racial or ethnic diversity have been applying to the ‘Most Promising Multicultural Students’ program, a powerful initiative from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Earlier in January, the 2023 winners were announced via a judging panel that included representatives from Ally Financial, Nissan Motor Corporation, Captura Group, Cummings Creative Group, Hearts & Science, Lake-Sumter State College, Promedica, Publicis Health, RPA, and The Trade Desk. What's more, leading agencies and companies, including 72andSunny, BBDO, Dentsu, Meta, FCB, IPG, McCann, Omnicom Group, UM Worldwide, The Trade Desk, Wieden+Kennedy and others, all of which have been long-standing supporters and consider the program a valuable resource in recruiting diverse, entry-level talent.

Students will participate in a four-day industry immersion program in New York that will include professional development and personal branding workshops, the ‘Building Bridges for Our Future’ awards ceremony and luncheon, and recruiter’s expo. The Most Promising program gives advertising, media, communications, and tech companies the opportunity to tap into the high-achieving talent of 50 diverse college students.

To find out more about the program, its history, and long-term ambitions, LBB's Addison Capper spoke with Ayanna Jackson, EVP, DEI & Mosaic Center at American Advertising Federation.


LBB> Tell me about the Most Promising Multicultural Students Program - what is it exactly?


Ayanna> The Most Promising Multicultural Students program (MPMS) is an initiative that was developed by AAF over 25-years ago to connect the advertising industry with the nation’s top multicultural college students. AAF’s mission is to serve as a ‘unifying voice for advertising’ and one way this is pursued is through promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the advertising industry. The MPMS program removes barriers and gives access to industry leaders that these students may otherwise not receive. It creates a pipeline of high-achieving diverse talent that the industry says it needs.

Frankly, for people who say they can’t find diverse talent, it’s a cop-out. They’re just not looking, and the lack of diverse talent will prevent companies from evolving.
 


LBB> How do you go about selecting the students and putting the ‘50 Most Promising Multicultural Students’ list together?


Ayanna> The inductees are chosen by the Most Promising Judges Council. The council is comprised of senior industry leaders from diverse disciplines and organisations. This year’s judging panel included representatives from diverse organisations like Ally Financial, Nissan Motor Corporation, Captura Group, Cummings Creative Group, Hearts & Science, Publicis Health, RPA, and The Trade Desk. They assess student’s applications based on a specific criteria, coupled with personal essays on the importance of inclusion in the advertising industry.
 


LBB> When and why was the program established? Who is the target audience of the program?


Ayanna> The catalyst for the Most Promising Multicultural Students program began in 1994 during an advertising event in Chicago, which was held to recognise a newly created scholarship for African-American students studying advertising at the University of Illinois.
 
The scholarship’s namesake — congresswoman Cardiss Collins — was the fourth African-American woman in Congress. In 1991, Collins was named chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Competitiveness, which oversees communications and technology (a very big deal back then and today!).
 
Throughout the evening, the buzz in the room among corporate executives was, ‘We’d like to hire more multicultural professionals, but we just can’t find them’. That buzz led to the birth of the Most Promising Multicultural Students program in 1997.
 


LBB> Is it true that Tiffany R. Warren [chair of AAF’s National Board of Directors] was once upon a time a graduate of the program? Are there any other notable graduates?  


Ayanna> Since its inception 25 years ago, there have been more than 1,000 students who have participated in this program, many of whom have gone on to do amazing things in our industry, from advertising to marketing, communications, public relations, and more.  Tiffany R. Warren was a graduate of our inaugural class, and she’s been an outspoken advocate. As ‘Tyff’ wrote last year on the occasion of MPSP’s 25th anniversary:
 
“As a graduate of the very first year, I can testify first-hand to the importance of this initiative. It gave me my first shot.  So it’s a proven showcase for future industry leaders. Yes, we have seen a strong shift in recent years towards increased equity and inclusion, but there is still much work to be done as we navigate our way towards a more satisfied and inclusive workforce.  And everyone has to be on the front line in supporting programs that continue to deliver on the promise of bringing the very best to our companies.”
 


LBB> What benefits are there for students selected to the program?


Ayanna> Most Promising inductees have an opportunity to meet with professionals from top advertisers, media companies and advertising agencies. The industry immersions provide invaluable professional development, networking and learning experiences. Over the years, leading agencies and companies, including 72andSunny, BBDO, Dentsu, Meta, FCB, Fluent360, IPG, McCann, Omnicom Group, UM Worldwide, The Trade Desk, Wieden+Kennedy and others, have been long-standing Most Promising supporters, and consider the program a valuable resource in recruiting diverse, entry-level talent.
 


LBB> Why does the program launch in February?


Ayanna> There’s a tie in with Black History Month, and it also works best with the students’ schedules. This year’s Most Promising Multicultural Students program will take place in New York City, from February 13-16.  For those who wish to support a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, you can learn more here


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