Resource List of Certified Diverse Suppliers for Marketing/Advertising
[Updated September 29, 2023]
Our curated Certified Diverse Suppliers list, initially published in July 2020, is being updated regularly. The October 2023 edition has 16 additional suppliers for a total of 502 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:
- Suppliers Serving Predominantly Multicultural and Diverse Audiences for Marketing and Advertising, Non-Minority Owned and/or Non-Minority Certified (updated March 2022.) These are most often companies which do not qualify for the Certified Diverse Suppliers list. In addition to the PDF an Excel document that allows users to sort by column is also available.
- The 4A’s maintains a BIPOC-owned media list.
Don't miss our upcoming Diversity Fairs:
- Tuesday, October 3, 11:00 am-2:00 pm: Minority-Owned Production Companies
- Friday, December 1, 11:00 am-2:00 pm : Meet Asian-Owned Companies
Here, you can find some of our previous events to support this effort:
- August 3, 2023: Meet Hispanic-Owned Companies
- June 1, 2023: Meet Women-Owned Companies
- April 18, 2023: Meet Black-Owned Media Companies
- November 18, 2022: Meet Veteran & People with Disabilities-Owned Companies
- October 4, 2022: Meet Minority Small Business Companies
- June 30, 2022: Meet Hispanic-Owned Companies (Part2)
Please help us to diversify our industry supplier chain! The process for inclusion on the ANA Certified Diverse Supplier list is simple, and this resource for marketing and advertising professionals has proven to be of great value. To join the list, please complete this form and provide your certification(s). This initiative is open to all, including nonmembers.
If you have any questions or would like to suggest updates to this list of Certified Diverse Suppliers, please contact us at diversesuppliers@ana.net.
Source: “Certified Diverse Suppliers for Marketing and Advertising"