Ad Gab Asks Why Gender Equity in Creative Departments Matters – Little Black Book | LBBOnline

Report on DDB Group Aotearoa’s ‘The Ad Gab’ Initiative and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Advancing SDG 5: Gender Equality

DDB Group Aotearoa has launched a podcast series, “The Ad Gab,” which directly supports the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. The initiative is designed to empower women within the advertising industry by providing a platform for their voices and experiences.

• Objective: The stated purpose of the podcast is to celebrate and elevate women across the advertising sector, aligning with the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
• Targeted Content: The second episode, ‘Why Gender Equity in Creative Departments Matters’, specifically addresses the need for women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in professional life (Target 5.5).
• Workplace Representation: The organization reports that women comprise nearly 50% of its creative department, with many in senior roles. This demonstrates a tangible commitment to gender balance and challenges industry norms.
• Addressing Unseen Barriers: The dialogue within the podcast explores the often-unseen emotional labor carried by women, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of workplace equality and seeking to end all forms of discrimination (Target 5.1).

Promoting SDG 8: Decent Work and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The podcast and associated corporate programs contribute to the promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all (SDG 8), while also working to reduce inequality within and among countries (SDG 10).

1. Fostering Inclusive Work Environments: The initiative aims to create a workplace where women can lead, challenge, and inspire, which is a core component of providing decent work and fostering inclusive economic growth.
2. Addressing Pay Parity: Future podcast episodes are scheduled to tackle the topic of pay parity, directly addressing SDG Target 8.5, which calls for equal pay for work of equal value.
3. Mentorship and Development: DDB Group Aotearoa’s commitment extends to “The Phyllis Project,” an annual mentoring program. Such initiatives support women’s professional development, promoting equal opportunity and contributing to the reduction of workplace inequalities (Target 10.2).
4. Amplifying Diverse Voices: By focusing on diversity and inclusion, the series reinforces the importance of representation, which is critical for reducing systemic inequalities within the industry.

Strategic Commitments and Future Impact

The “The Ad Gab” series is part of a broader, ongoing strategy by DDB Group Aotearoa to champion gender equality and inclusive practices.

• Continued Dialogue: The series will continue to explore key topics including parenthood and leadership through the lens of diversity and inclusion.
• Public Accessibility: Episodes are made available on public platforms such as Spotify and YouTube, ensuring the message of gender equality and empowerment reaches a wide audience, potentially influencing broader industry standards.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article’s central theme is the celebration and elevation of women in the advertising industry. It directly addresses gender equity, the unique value women bring to creative teams, and the importance of women in leadership roles. The podcast series “The Ad Gab” is explicitly designed to be “a platform dedicated to celebrating and elevating women,” which aligns perfectly with the goal of achieving gender equality.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The discussion focuses on the professional environment within the advertising industry. It touches upon creating an inclusive workplace where women can thrive, lead, and inspire. The article mentions that future podcast episodes will tackle “pay parity,” which is a core component of decent work and economic growth for all.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  By focusing on gender equity within a specific industry, the article addresses the broader goal of reducing inequalities. The initiatives described, such as the podcast and mentoring programs, are aimed at empowering a specific group (women) to ensure their inclusion and representation, thereby reducing the professional inequality they face. The article notes the importance of amplifying women’s voices to reinforce “why representation and visibility in creative departments matter.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

  The article directly supports this target by highlighting the need for more women in creative leadership. Veronica Copestake is quoted saying, “As more women find their voice in creative leadership, it’s vital we continue to talk openly about what equality really looks like day-to-day.” Furthermore, DDB’s CEO, Priya Patel, states that their goal is to “foster an environment where women can lead, challenge and inspire others,” and proudly notes that women make up “almost 50% of our creative department here at DDB, many in senior roles.”

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.

  This target is identified through the article’s mention that “Future episodes will continue to tackle key topics, including… pay parity.” This explicitly connects the initiative to the goal of achieving equal pay for work of equal value, a key component of decent work.

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… sex…

  The entire initiative described in the article is an effort to empower and promote the economic and social inclusion of women in the advertising industry. The podcast series “amplifies those voices” and the mentoring program “The Phyllis Project” are concrete examples of actions taken to promote inclusion and reduce gender-based inequality within the sector.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator related to Target 5.5 (Proportion of women in senior and middle management positions):

  Yes, a specific quantitative indicator is mentioned. The article states, “We are proud to have women make up almost 50% of our creative department here at DDB, many in senior roles.” This percentage serves as a direct measure of women’s participation and representation in leadership and key creative positions within the company, aligning with the official SDG indicator 5.5.2 (Proportion of women in managerial positions).

• Indicator related to Target 8.5 (Gender pay gap):

  Yes, an indicator is strongly implied. By stating that a future podcast episode will address “pay parity,” the article implies that the gender pay gap is a key metric being considered and discussed. This aligns with the official SDG indicator 8.5.1, which measures the average hourly earnings of female versus male employees.

• Indicator related to Target 10.2 (Promotion of inclusion):

  Yes, the article mentions qualitative indicators. The existence and continuation of initiatives like “The Ad Gab” podcast and “The Phyllis Project” mentoring programme can be used as indicators of the company’s commitment and actions towards promoting the inclusion of women. The article frames these as part of DDB’s “ongoing commitment to supporting women.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: lbbonline.com