Resource List of Certified Diverse Suppliers for Marketing/Advertising

[Updated February 15, 2023]

Our curated Certified Diverse Suppliers list, initially published in July 2020 is being updated regularly. The February 2023 edition has 13 additional suppliers for a total of 469 companies. The list is also available in a spreadsheet which allows users to sort as needed.

Now more than ever, supplier diversity is a vital part of the success of an organization’s commitment to DEI strategy that can deliver positive social and commercial impacts. The ANA Certified Diverse Supplier list has been created to support marketers starting or improving their supplier diversity program.

A diverse supplier is a business owned and operated at least 51 percent by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved group. A few of the common classifications include the following: minority-owned enterprises (MBEs), and women-owned enterprises (WBEs), small-business enterprises (SBEs), among others. Over time, the definition of diversity has expanded to include businesses owned by other minority groups such as LGBTQ+, Veterans, and People with Disabilities.

The ANA and the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) has been active on this issue for quite a while. In support of this initiative, we have fielded multiple surveys and written various reports on the matter:

A Diversity Report for the Advertising/Marketing Industry. The report reveals that representation of women in the industry overall and in leadership positions continues to be strong. Further, there has been an increase in the ethnic diversity of the marketing teams of ANA member companies — the most significant growth of ethnic diversity in the five-year history of this report! The overall ethnic skew of the marketing/advertising industry is now 32.3 percent diverse, up from 30.8 percent a year ago. (November 2022)
Guidelines for Buyers (Agencies and Marketers) When Doing Business with Diverse Media Suppliers. These guidelines were created to improve their ways of working together. (May 2022)
And Now a Word From The Diverse Suppliers: The Supplier Perspective On Certification. This report notes the advantages of certification for diverse suppliers and the ease of participation. (December 2021)
The Growth of Supplier Diversity. Which provided a deep dive into supplier diversity in marketing/advertising, covering areas including benefits, challenges, spend, goals, and measurement. Finding diverse suppliers was identified as the top challenge for supplier diversity in marketing and advertising. (May 2021)
ANA/AIMM Commitment to Equality, Inclusion, and Systemic Change. The letter called for the development of an equitable creative supply chain through strategic investments in agencies, broadcasters, suppliers, and producers owned or run by Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. (June 2020)
The Power of Supplier Diversity. The report highlighted that identifying diverse suppliers represents a significant challenge for marketers. (May 2020)

Additional resources on this subject matter include: