More than 100 companies have met the requirements to be included in the ANA’s first ever list of “Certified Diverse Suppliers for Advertising and Marketing.”
The list includes agencies, media, production, promotion, and research companies and follows an ANA report released in May, “The Power of Supplier Diversity.” That study revealed a large majority (75 percent) of ANA members have strategic plans in place to hire diverse suppliers for their overall organizations, but only 40 percent have such strategies specifically for marketing and advertising services.
The release of the list also follows a June letter from the ANA and its diversity initiative, The Alliance for Inclusive & Multicultural Marketing (AIMM), the “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.
“The ANA is resolute in its belief that supplier diversity offers many benefits to corporations,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice. “It provides opportunities for business expansion as new consumer needs emerge based on shifting demographics. Supplier diversity drives competition between existing and potential suppliers while promoting innovation, as diverse vendors can offer new products, services, and solutions.”
The May study also showed that the biggest benefit of a supplier diversity strategy is community empowerment and positive social impact, which were cited by 84 percent of respondents.
Identifying diverse suppliers represent a significant challenge for marketers, according to the May report. As part of its commitment, the ANA pledged to curate and publish a list of diverse suppliers that work in the marketing and advertising industries. Liodice stressed that the list just released is a “living” resource that will be updated on a regular basis. He added that the ANA welcomes suggestions for diverse supplier additions, or for providing other ideas or recommendations, here.
A copy of the complete list is available here. Note that all companies on the “Certified Diverse Suppliers for Advertising and Marketing” list have been certified as diverse suppliers by organizations which include:
- NMSDC: National Minority Supplier Development Council
- WBENC: Women’s Business Enterprise National Council
- NGLCC: National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
- WOSB: Woman-Owned Small Business
- MBE: Minority Business Enterprise
