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Advertising Industry Launches ADCOLOR Industry Coalition To Strengthen Diversity Retention throughout Marketing Profession

Advertising Industry Launches ADCOLOR® Industry Coalition To Strengthen Diversity Retention throughout Marketing Profession
Coalition Seeks Memberships from Entire Marketing Community For Industry-wide Education Initiative

New York, NY - Leading advertising trade groups and agencies today announced an expansion to the structure of the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition, transforming it into a full-fledged, industrywide membership organization with the goal of facilitating knowledge sharing about programs and initiatives that strengthen diversity retention throughout the marketing profession.

Spearheaded by the ADVERTISING Club of New York, American Advertising Federation (AAF), American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Arnold Worldwide and Omnicom Group, the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition plans to build upon the industry's many current programs that educate and recruit talent, honor outstanding multicultural marketing campaigns and recognize successful multicultural professionals.

"By shining a light on the important work organizations are doing to stimulate diversity retention, the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition will help ensure that diverse people who join the marketing profession stay and have robust careers," said Bob Liodice, President and CEO of the ANA and Co-Chair of the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition.

Added Nancy Hill, President and CEO of the 4As and Co-Chair of the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition, "Diverse backgrounds, perspectives and persuasions contribute to a more inspiring and creative environment - the kind that stimulates marketing professionals to produce the best work possible."

Among the industry's current diversity initiatives are the ADVERTISING Club of New York's Changing Face of Advertising education program and Future Leaders student scholarship and intern programs; the AAF's Mosaic Center on Multiculturalism; the 4A's Multicultural Advertising Intern Program and Center for Excellence in Advertising at Howard University; the ANA's Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference; and the ADCOLOR Awards celebrating the accomplishments of diverse role models and industry leaders. Individual advertising agencies and holding companies, such as Arnold Worldwide and Omnicom Group, have embraced diversity by implementing proactive diversity initiatives.

The ADCOLOR Industry Coalition's new education initiative will focus on the following:

  • Underscoring the benefits of strong diversity retention efforts
  • Identifying diversity retention best practices and programs others can replicate
  • Facilitating industry-wide networking among diverse marketing professionals
  • Inspiring widespread adoption of diversity retention initiatives

To fund its industry-wide education campaign, which will tap the power of public relations, digital communications, social networking and events, the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition is recruiting memberships from associations, agencies, advertisers, media organizations, research firms and production companies. Members will be publicly acknowledged, receive information and educational updates, participate in forums, events and task force meetings and have the opportunity to spotlight their programs and practices in the campaign.

Annual membership dues for associations and businesses are $5,000. Interested organizations can join by visiting http://adcolor.org

About The ADCOLOR® Industry Coalition
The ADCOLOR Industry Coalition is a program of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and supported by the ADVERTISING Club of New York, the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), Arnold Worldwide and Omnicom Group. The Coalition was originally established in 2005 to celebrate the accomplishments of diverse role models and industry leaders. In 2009, it was transformed into a membership organization with a specific focus on strengthening diversity retention throughout the marketing industry. Visit http://adcolor.org for more information.

The following individuals comprise the Executive Committee of the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition:

Nancy Hill, President and CEO, 4As; Co-chair ADCOLOR Industry Coalition
Bob Liodice, President and CEO, ANA; Co-chair ADCOLOR Industry Coalition
Gina Grillo, Executive Director, ADVERTISING Club of New York
Connie Frazier, Executive Vice President, AAF
Chris Manna, Chief Operating Officer, ANA
Lisa Unsworth, Chief Marketing Officer, Arnold Worldwide
Tiffany R. Warren, Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom Group

Media Contacts:

Rachael Adler
CooperKatz for the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition
917.595.3038
radler@cooperkatz.com

Melanie Scherenzel
CooperKatz for the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition
917.595.3052
mscherenzel@cooperkatz.com