17080: Droga Put The Con In Consultancy.

 

Digiday reported on David Droga’s shift at Accenture Song, speculating on the consultancy’s future.

 

Whoop-dee-damn-doo.

 

Does anyone really think Droga transformed Accenture Song into a creative powerhouse—or even a creative outhouse?

 

As Digiday noted, Accenture Song “has evolved its focus from the creative elements of marketing to a more CRM and customer-data focus.” That’s not exactly a triumph for someone purporting to be a creative maverick.

 

Accenture Song is a lot of song and dance—and Droga’s swan song.

 

The Rundown: What Droga’s move at Accenture Song means for a creative group in flux

 

By Michael Bürgi

 

Accenture Song is in for change, as its leader and creative power, David Droga, steps upstairs to the parent company Accenture’s corner office as vice chair. Droga, considered by many to be one of the last of a generation of creative agency leaders, is being replaced by Ndidi Oteh, who’s been running Accenture Song’s Americas unit for the last 17 months but is a longtime Accenture vet. 

 

The immediate question is how will Droga’s absence from Song affect that company’s creative chops? For one, Nick Law, a creative exec who joined Song a little over three years after a career at R/GA, Publicis and Apple, becomes creative strategy and experience lead following his stint as creative chairperson.

 

Droga told the Wall Street Journal he’s “happy to catch my breath, because I’ve been sprinting since I was 18.” He was not made available for comment, nor was Oteh. 

Some thoughts on what his ascendancy means: 

 

Yes, creative is still important — just not as much

 

In some ways, the skillset and rolodex Droga brought to the job isn’t as necessary in today’s Accenture Song, which has evolved its focus from the creative elements of marketing to a more CRM and customer-data focus. Which makes sense for a company that’s primarily a consultancy. 

 

As Giacomo Lee, editor in chief of ERP Today, wrote back in December about the company, “Accenture Interactive’s rebranding to Accenture Song in 2022 is more than just a rebrand job, and a clear pointer to Accenture’s ambitions in CRM and customer data.” He cited the acquisitions of Unlimited (a customer engagement agency), Mindcurv, (a German digital experience and data analytics company) and The Lumery, an Australian martech consultancy), among others.

 

Creative misses (and wins) of late

 

Although Droga could hardly be blamed for it, one need not look much farther than the marketing fail that was Jaguar’s rebrand, which not only never showed the car it was trying to markets, but was also deemed out of touch with its garish colors and androgynous figures. The resulting fallout led the luxury auto brand to begin looking for a new creative agency. If anything, it falls on Law’s shoulders — but he just got a promotion, so the buck didn’t stop with him either. Accenture Song remains the owner of Droga5 and a host of other creative shops, including some that fall under Unlimited’s wing. To balance the possible loss of Jaguar, Accenture Song did pick up creative duties for British window maker Velux Group. Not exactly the same cachet client — but maybe that’s not a priority for Accenture.

 

“The big question to be asked is what value Accenture places on creativity… and wasn’t that always the question?” posed Chris Mele, who leads creative and design shop Siberia. “It’s one thing to keep it going when you have an undisputed legend waving that flag, but what will it look like three years from his exit, and will clients that value creative excellence give them a look?”

 

The money is still flowing

 

All the press coverage Droga’s move got cited revenue growth from $12.5 billion in 2021 to $19 billion last year, which is an uptick any agency holding company would envy. And Ndidi Oteh gets to oversee that, given her 13 years of experience at Accenture. 

 

She may not be a household name in the agency community today, but she most likely will be. For now, her reputation is said to be collaborative, according to that same press coverage. And besides hiccups like the Jaguar disaster, by most measures, Accenture Song is still chugging along in a competitive world. 

 

“I do think Accenture has done a really great job integrating companies that do exceptional, creative and design work — for us seeing Work & Co acquired was eye opening,” said Siberia’s Mele.

 

But another agency CEO who declined to speak for attribution, described Droga as the Chuck Norris of the agency world — and that without him, Accenture Song is in danger of becoming “a rudderless environment.”

17079: TRG—Not Your Founder’s White Advertising Agency…?

 

Advertising Age reported on the TRG resurrection post-Stan Richards’ resignation, publishing a crapload of content that feels like performative PR.

 

The White advertising agency, ironically and/or appropriately, is still struggling to get in the black.

 

TRG has still not fully recovered—how its CEO plans to get the agency on the map again

 

By Lindsay Rittenhouse

 

Can a song about cat litter put an agency back on the map?

 

Pete Lempert, the newly appointed CEO of TRG, thinks so. A longtime principal of the agency who took on that role in March, Lempert is charged with getting the Dallas-based independent formerly known as The Richards Group back on the industry’s radar. It’s been five years since its founder Stan Richards stepped down following a racist remark he made during an internal meeting. And yet, the agency has still not quite managed to shake perceptions that its reputation and culture are dated.

 

Lempert, the agency’s second CEO since Richards stepped down, said he’s ready to get TRG out there again, and believes work such as recent campaigns the agency has done for World’s Best Cat Litter will help to signal a new direction for the agency. That campaign—including a spot last year for its Poop Fighter brand featuring an R&B song about a cat named Rose whose poo-poo does not smell like a rose—offers the type of category-breaking advertising for which the shop wants to be known, he said.

 

“It’s got some moxie,” Lempert said of the World’s Best Cat Litter work, “and it has to because that category is not easy to become distinct in. That’s a client who said, ‘Look, we want people to see our work, we don’t want it to be wasted.’”

 

TRG has been back on a bit of a winning streak after several significant client losses in 2024, such as automaker Stellantis, which ended its 15-year relationship with the agency, as well as Credit One Bank, which had worked with TRG since 2019.

 

Lempert said TRG has brought in 13 new clients in the last 12 months, something he personally takes pride in as he served as the agency’s new business director before becoming its CEO.

 

“That sends a really good signal about the health of the company,” he said. “We’re looking to build the business and to be back on the radar with consultants.”

 

Still, some in the industry, including consultants and former employees, said TRG hasn’t evolved enough from the Richards incident in October 2020 to celebrate just yet. Some said its rebrand to TRG from The Richards Group in 2022 and its appointments of longtime agency veterans feel like surface-level changes. (Lempert joined TRG in 1994 and his predecessor as CEO, Glenn Dady, spent 45 years there.)

 

TRG then and now

 

“The Richards Group was, and still is, an insular culture that prides itself on doing things ‘Stan’s way,’” said Jay Pattisall, a VP and principal analyst for Forrester, who also worked as a brand strategist for TRG from 2000 to 2003. “Rebranding the agency to its existing acronym TRG and installing top lieutenants like Dady and Lempert are designed to produce an appearance of change while The Richards Group culture quietly lives on.”

 

Pattisall added that there are positives to that, praising the shop under Richards as “a creative force to be reckoned with” that produced iconic campaigns for clients including Continental Airlines, Corona, Chick-fil-A and The Home Depot.

 

Richards founded TRG in 1976 and several people, including former employees, said he oversaw everything that came out of that agency until he stepped down in 2020. These people said everyone was expected to follow Richards’ creative vision, which did produce some timeless ads, including “We’ll Leave the Light on For You” for Motel 6 and the famous Chick-fil-A cow mascots.

 

That said, “Stan also created a merciless culture,” Pattisall said, before adding regarding the 2020 incident: “Employees whistle-blowing the founder’s bad behavior can only be interpreted as a cry for help and a call for change.”

 

Richards was not available for comment.

 

Looking to the future

 

Lempert argued that TRG has taken “strides” to evolve the agency’s culture in the past five years. Rules are “less strict” these days than when everyone had to follow Richards’ vision, he said.

 

“We’re fiercely independent,” he said. “For many, many years, we celebrated our independence in different ways, but now we own ourselves and that’s a liberating and an interesting place to be.”

 

Lempert said TRG is much more diverse culturally than when it was “owned by one man.” (Since its founder left, it was owned by a nonprofit under Dady and is now fully independent under its own LLC.)

 

He pointed to TRG’s new chief creative officer, Terence Reynolds, who is Black; three of TRG’s executive leaders who are women; and said that nearly 55% of the agency’s 215 total employees are women. Lempert added that TRG also employs workers from various parts of the world, including Asia, India, Europe and Africa.

 

The agency posts its staff diversity breakdown on its website. In 2024, TRG reported that 25% of employees were people of color, and a spokesperson added that among new hires, 50% were people of color. Its 2025 numbers have not yet been posted.

 

TRG’s various employee resource groups, which were set up under Dady, are also “designed to represent the interests of different people within the agency,” Lempert said.

 

Several consultants interviewed expressed faith in TRG’s new leadership, despite it being around since Richards’ early days.

 

“Pete seems like a good guy,” said one anonymous consultant, arguing that it’s time for the industry to give TRG a chance.

 

“It’s not their fault that Stan made a big mistake,” this consultant said. “The folks running TRG deserve a break and it’s a long enough time. I think the industry is wanting to really see what the new TRG is doing … and there should be more evidence of that.”

 

Mason Reed, managing director, retail acquisition and corporate marketing at TRG client Charles Schwab, said he finds the fact that Lempert has been with the agency so long to be a strength.

 

“Pete’s longevity at the agency provides a centering point for the teams at TRG,” Reed said. “Rather than relive stories of yesteryear or trade on past successes, he’s always building and empowering teams for now and the future. He has a brilliant way of balancing continuity with progress.”

 

Everyone interviewed for this story spoke highly of Reynolds.

 

Despite being another longtime veteran of TRG, having spent 30 years of his career with the agency, most recently as executive creative director, several people interviewed said they are looking to him to revive the shop.

 

Reynolds was recently inducted into the 2025 American Advertising Federation’s Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame, AAF District 10. He’s recognized for work such as the launch of the Hummer automotive brand early in his career, and then leading creative at TRG for brands including Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Charles Schwab, Flowers Foods and Metro by T-Mobile.

 

Pattisall said Reynolds can be the change TRG needs, calling him the “real deal.”

 

“Terence is talented, empathetic, inspirational and kind,” Pattisall said. “He’s everything TRG needs to become something bigger and better. Stan used to dismiss employees assembled to welcome clients by performatively saying, ‘Thanks very much, folks. Now let’s go have fun.’ Under Terence Reynolds’ creative direction TRG has the chance to genuinely have fun.”

 

Working to get a foot in the door

 

Lempert said he’s started reconnecting with search consultants who used to frequently invite TRG into some of the industry’s biggest pitches. TRG has begun getting invited to pitches again, but most of the agency’s recent wins have come directly from the brands, according to Lempert.

 

“We were just really trying to get our bearings and we were quiet because we didn’t have a lot to say,” he said of the immediate years following Richards’ resignation. “But [now] we have a good story to tell.”

 

TRG recently won Gameway, a company that makes premium video game lounges for airports, becoming its first brand advertising agency of record. In addition to Schwab and World’s Best Cat Litter, the agency’s current client list includes America’s Best Eyecare + Eyewear, Scripps Health, Sewell Automotive Cos. and Nature’s Own.

 

TRG’s current client accounts breakdown is 60% agency-of-record business and 40% project-based, said Lempert, who noted that many of the project-based clients have grown their business with TRG following an initial project.

 

Lempert said TRG wants to be known for delivering category-breaking work that drives real business impact. “Lately we’ve been dealing with clients who are a little smaller, but they’re a little hungrier and they’re more interested in doing work that’s a little bit out there.”

 

He added: “None of our creative is worth anything if it doesn’t help build our client’s business, and that’s the way we’re going to get noticed.”

 

Schwab is one of TRG’s largest and longest-standing clients, operating in one of marketing’s most conservative categories, but it has trusted TRG in following a similar creative approach.

 

TRG was behind Schwab’s out-of-home campaign that included augmented reality murals and anamorphic 3D billboards in New York’s Times Square, intended to draw in younger investors. The 2024 effort promoted the Schwab Investing Themes tool, which allows investors to choose from themes with baskets of relevant stocks that can then be customized. The financial firm declined to provide any campaign results.

 

“It’s pretty out there for a financial advertising company,” Lempert said. “It was dramatic to look at. It was super attention-getting in a high-visibility spot. And it worked.”

 

Mixed reviews of TRG so far

 

Still, it may take more time to rebuild TRG’s reputation. Currently, consultants seem to have mixed feelings.

 

“To be honest, they are a complete non-entity,” said one agency search consultant who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The rebrand, although necessary, left them with zero equity [or] awareness and they’ve done nothing to build it back up.”

 

Lisa Colantuono, president of agency search firm AAR Partners, is one consultant who is apparently already won over.

 

“Over the past few years, TRG has transformed challenges into opportunities, demonstrating resilience and a renewed commitment to creativity and collaboration, paving the way for a brighter future,” Colantuono said. “Stan took responsibility for his actions and publicly fired himself, earning admiration from many marketers for his accountability and integrity in the face of adversity. This commitment to accountability is deeply rooted in TRG’s culture, ensuring they uphold the highest standards in all their client partnerships.”

 

Yet that specter still looms. Lempert admitted that many people in the industry are likely “wondering if we’re still the agency that we used to be.”

 

“We’re not the agency we used to be, but we are doing great,” he said. “We’re actually in an upswing right now. People tend to think of us as we were five years ago, and we’re just not that agency anymore.”

17078: Cannes Lions Offers Defense Against Creative Creeps.

 

Adweek reported Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will stage Safe Zones open to any attendee who “feels uncomfortable, in need of support,” or wants guidance from a posse of protective professionals. The stunt appears to be an exclusive response to sexual harassment and predatory perversions historically directed at White women attending the event.

 

Somebody should award a new trophy to the most outrageous sex offender—call it the Cannes Loins. Adland certainly presents plenty of contenders for such an honor.

 

Cannes Lions Introduces Safe Zones Staffed by Trained Professionals

 

Three safeguarding spaces will be accessible to attendees who feel uncomfortable or need support

 

By Rebecca Stewart

 

Cannes Lions has introduced three dedicated Safe Zones, which will be staffed by trained professionals from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., 22 hours per day, during the festival, its DEI chief Frank Starling told ADWEEK. 

 

From June 16-20, the confidential spaces will operate inside the main venue at Palais des Festivals, Pantiero Terrace (near to the Cannes Lions registration space), and at La Roseraie park at the opposite side of the Croisette. They will be open to anyone who “feels uncomfortable, in need of support,” or wants advice from safeguarding professionals.

 

Their introduction follows several women speaking out about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault at the 2024 Cannes Lions event, which drew more than 12,000 delegates from 94 countries.

 

Organizers did not state whether the new safeguarding measures were directly related, but Starling said they had “evolved through active listening, feedback, and collaboration.”

 

Reports of such incidents included two U.S. undergraduate students telling ADWEEK they had filed a report with Cannes police accusing a U.S. ad industry contractor of sexual assault. They said their encounter happened in the garden of the Carlton Hotel in the early hours.

 

In another account, Dagmar Bennett, TV documentary and partnerships director at underrepresented talent initiative Brixton Finishing School, wrote in Campaign that a senior male business associate asked her if she would exchange sex for money. 

 

Changes were made based on input from the festival’s Community Safeguarding Committee, said Starling. This year, the group included industry anti-harassment initiative TimeTo, Brixton Finishing School, and Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership’s (WACL) Empower Cafe, among others.

 

“The Festival should be a place where everyone feels welcome and safe. That’s why we’re continuing to work hand-in-hand with our delegates, partners, communities, and local authorities, creating an environment where everyone feels respected and included,” said Starling.

 

In addition to these changes, organizers will bring greater visibility to numerous “alert buttons” installed by the City of Cannes by including their precise locations in the official Cannes Lions Festival app and its inclusivity guide, per Starling.

 

These inconspicuous and easily accessible alarms were implemented in 2015, with more added in 2021. The systems are equipped with a camera and a microphone and are directly connected to Cannes police. 

 

The closest buttons to the festival action are in front of the Palais steps; at the entrance to the SNCF train station; on Place Roubaud in La Bocca; and at Macé beach.

 

Cannes Lions Safe Zone triage process

 

“We’re proud to be working with trusted partners to ensure everyone can participate in the Festival free from unwanted attention,” Starling said. He explained that a “clear triage system” will be implemented at Safe Zones to determine relevant next steps and support for delegates.

 

Once an incident is reported, professionals have three options based on its severity: offer counsel; work with on-site festival security to help manage the situation appropriately and discreetly; or involve local authorities if the matter needs escalating.

 

As in previous years, Cannes organizers will collaborate with partners on a dedicated anti-harassment campaign that will launch during the festival and run across its key venues and media.

 

In 2024, TimeTo and Cannes Lions partnered to launch Celebrating Safely, a guide providing advice and education on sexual harassment for all festival attendees.

 

This year, Starling said the campaign will encourage delegates and partners to consider their “own behavior and the impact it can have on others.”

 

“We’re asking everyone to pause, reflect, intervene safely, and take responsibility for creating a respectful, inclusive experience for all,” he explained.

 

Bystander intervention training

 

In the run-up to Cannes Lions, TimeTo will deliver dedicated bystander intervention training, available to all. Starling said information on this training will be provided to delegates ahead of the event.

 

“We want our community to feel empowered to safely and effectively intervene if they witness inappropriate behavior,” Starling said. “By offering this, we hope to educate participants on how to identify problematic situations, choose appropriate intervention strategies, and support those affected so that collectively, we can create a festival environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and supported.”

 

The two students who shared their experiences with ADWEEK in 2024 described being groped and told to accept men’s “forwardness,” in full view of other people. However, they said no one seemed to notice, as everyone was in their own “bubbles.”

 

At the time, the women said they shared their experiences to spur more “safety and accountability” for women and students at the festival.

 

This year, Cannes Lions is under new ownership following events and services business Informa’s $1.6 billion purchase of parent company Ascential.

17077: FYI M&A BS.

Adweek published data from reader surveys showing a majority of Adland drones think mergers and acquisitions will negatively impact jobs and clients. The countering respondents will change their opinions upon being deemed redundant—and ultimately terminated—when caught in M&A messes.

 

Ad Agency Employees Wary of Industry Consolidation

 

Many worry ongoing M&A activity will negatively affect jobs and clients

 

By Paul Hiebert

 

As advertising agencies continue to merge, restructure, and acquire each other—Publicis’ purchase of influencer marketing platform Captiv8 is the most recent example—agency employees are nervous about the sector’s future.

 

As a result, many are looking to leave.

 

A recent ADWEEK Reader Survey shows 29% of ad agency employees feel ongoing consolidation across the industry will have a negative effect on their job. A smaller amount—21%—indicated more M&A activity would have a positive outcome.

 

At the same time, more than twice as many respondents believe ongoing agency consolidation will do more to hurt brand clients (44%) than help them (21%).

 

More than 350 ADWEEK readers who took the poll said they presently work at an ad agency. The majority of respondents indicated their agency focuses on a mixture of media and creative. More work at an independent agency than one owned by a holding company, such as WPP, IPG, or Omnicom.

 

While currently employed in the field, many survey participants might soon leave the industry.

 

Additional data reveals more than one in three ad agency workers are currently looking for jobs in other fields.

 

People have good reason to be concerned, as the ad industry hasn’t seen job growth in recent years.

 

Between March 2023 and March 2025, the number of jobs at U.S. ad agencies declined 3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By contrast, employment in the professional and business services category, which includes ad agencies, dropped 1% during the same period.

 

On the brand side, marketers are also having a difficult time navigating the economy amid trade wars and sinking consumer sentiment.

 

A separate survey from market research firm NewtonX shows nearly four in five U.S.-based marketing decision-makers say it’s harder to plan ahead today than it was the same time last year.

 

Overall, 8% of marketers intend to increase spending on advertising in 2025 due to tariffs, while 27% expect to pull back.

17076: DEIBA+ Repetition, Regurgitation, Rebranding, Rerun, Retch.

Advertising Age published yet another DEIBA+ perspective imploring “business leaders” to recommit to progress vs just rebranding performative rhetoric. The contrived content—from an author who appears to annually draft inclusion instructions—is devoid of original thinking. It even utilizes a clichéd royalty-free stock image.

 

To put a twist on the definition of insanity attributed to Albert Einstein, “Insanity is publishing the same divertorial over and over again, expecting White advertising agencies to give a shit.”

 

Why business leaders need to reinforce inclusion, not simply rebrand it

 

By Latraviette Smith-Wilson

 

It’s been five years since the murder of George Floyd, a moment that ignited global outrage and catalyzed a long-overdue reckoning with systemic injustice. In its wake, American businesses made bold declarations and pledged to be part of the solution.

 

Now, diversity, equity and inclusion has been recast as a villain in an elaborately produced drama. These performances condemn efforts to expand fairness and opportunity as harmful. They cast fairness as favoritism, inclusion as division and access and opportunity as flawed.

 

Data linking diverse companies to outperformance gets no spotlight. Innovation advantages from inclusive practices never make it into the program notes.

 

Reality versus the narrative

 

In Edelman’s Summer 2024 Trust Barometer, 64% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats said workplace DEI initiatives are effective in addressing racism. Most also agreed that political misuse of language undermines progress, while inclusive investment drives long-term employee loyalty across demographics.

 

Like any business initiative, implementation hasn’t always been perfect. Efforts reduced to checkboxes, PR stunts or reactionary statements have compromised real progress. Some training has favored mandates over dialogue, breeding resistance instead of understanding. And when metrics, while vital, eclipse culture and change management, companies miss deeper insights that drive innovation and growth. These growing pains require refinement, not a curtain call.

 

Some companies have responded by rebranding their efforts. JPMorgan Chase now refers to its initiatives as “Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion.” Mayo Clinic adopted the “Office of Belonging,” and Kansas State University now uses “Office of Access and Opportunity.” Whether these and other changes reflect a strategic response to political headwinds or a necessary evolution of language, the meaning must outlast the marketing.

 

Semantics matter less than substance. A rebrand won’t move the needle if the commitment isn’t real. What matters is whether organizations are doing the work, embedding these principles and not just performing the part. The goal isn’t to win a language war. It’s to build organizations where fairness, opportunity and belonging are not slogans, but standards.

 

So, how do companies move beyond the script? For business leaders stalled in a “wait-and-see” posture, here are five ways to step back into the role:

 

Audit for authenticity

 

Revisit commitments made in 2020. What was promised? What was delivered? What is needed now? Treat this as a leadership and accountability checkpoint, not a branding exercise.

 

Elevate inclusive growth to the C-suite

 

Embed diversity, equity and inclusion into the heart of innovation, growth and talent strategies—from product development to AI governance. This lives well beyond HR and isn’t about compliance, but about competitive advantage and future readiness.

 

Build fluency, not scripts

 

Move beyond performative training to foster real cross-functional learning, dialogue and cultural competence. Leverage technology, including AI-driven insights, to understand employee sentiment, measure impact and tailor learning in personalized ways.

 

Make inclusion a leadership standard

 

Set clear expectations for inclusive behaviors at all levels, and make those expectations visible in decision-making, team dynamics and accountability structures. Tie recognition and advancement to outcomes and employee experience metrics.

 

Communicate with courage

 

Stakeholders are watching. Say where you stand, what you’ve learned, where you’re going and why. It’s about progress, not perfection; transparency builds trust.

This is a pivotal scene for corporate leaders: Will they react to the moment or define the future?

 

Future-focused organizations recognize that principles of inclusion and fairness, however labeled, belong at the heart of vision, culture and operations. Research shows companies with diverse teams make better decisions, drive higher revenue and attract top talent. Inclusive workplaces foster stronger employee satisfaction and retention, and environments where the best ideas rise to the top.

 

Consumers increasingly expect businesses to reflect their values, and companies embracing diversity, equity and inclusion are better positioned to build trust and brand loyalty. Silence is not neutrality but missed opportunity. This moment calls for business leaders to step into the role stakeholders expect: as stewards of progress, innovation and opportunity.

 

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer confirms that business leaders have a license to address societal challenges, especially where they can drive impact, improve performance, remedy problems to which they contributed and protect stakeholders. Representation and fairness align with these imperatives, giving CEOs a mandate to advance equity and inclusion as a strategic advantage.

 

Despite headlines suggesting widespread retreat, the reality is more nuanced and optimistic.

 

Littler’s 2025 survey of C-suite executives found nearly half (49%) aren’t considering rollbacks to diversity, equity and inclusion, with only 8% seriously contemplating changes. During 2024’s heightened scrutiny, 76% of organizations maintained or increased their commitments. Businesses staying the course recognize that abandoning these efforts betrays both business interests and the values that strengthen economies.

 

Undeterred by political disfavor, many corporate boards are doubling down.

 

Shareholders at Goldman Sachs, Apple, Levi’s, Costco, John Deere and Disney have recently rejected proposals to dismantle DEI programs. These votes affirm what the smartest businesses already know: Inclusion drives performance.

 

The business case has been made. Now, the spotlight is on the corporate community, facing its moment of reckoning. Will leaders rise to meet it?

 

The fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death isn’t just a marker of time, but a mirror held to our commitments. This isn’t about yesterday’s statements or whether diversity, equity and inclusion—or its latest rebrand—will survive the current storm. It’s about whether today’s leaders will act on the values and vision they profess and lead the way forward.

 

Employees, consumers, communities, and shareholders are waiting—not for applause lines, but for action.

17075: Saluting Memorial Day 2025.

Black Enterprise spotlights 7 Sites That Pay Homage To Black Military Soldiers On Memorial Day—which is seven more sources recognizing Black soldiers than the average White advertising agency—or White House—will acknowledge.

17074: NCMEC Nixing Nudes…?

 

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children directly targets youth without parental consent and involvement? “Take It Down” could apply to the lame advertising campaign.