Take a look around your office. How diverse is the mix of people? Statistically, you're most likely to be surrounded by an equal mix of men and women (perhaps a slight bias to the latter), but you've probably got a mostly male senior management team. As well as women in senior roles, the number of ethnic minorities and over-50s are probably in short supply too. And as for gay colleagues, you probably don't even know how many you work with, as half of them will not be openly "out".
In most cases, the media industry does not overtly discriminate on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, age and sexuality - in fact, it is probably more diverse than many industries. However, the fact that people in these groups are often not putting themselves forward for roles is an issue for the industry and one that still needs attention.
As Britain becomes increasingly diverse, media needs to keep up with these changes. After all, if those working in all levels of media aren't reflective of the general population, how can they expect to talk to the UK's diverse contemporary population effectively?
Ethnicity
8% of media agency staff are from an ethnic minority background, compared to 9% in the average UK business and 31% in London businesses. Of these, 8% are from ethnic minorities and, of these, 70% work in back office functions such as finance, administration, and IT. Source: IPA Ethnic Representation in Agencies, May 2005
Since 1991, UK ethnic communities have increased by 53%. They are projected to represent 12% of the UK population by 2011. In 2026, 38.5% of London's population will be from black/Asian/minority ethnic groups. Ethnic minority disposable income is forecast to be £300bn by 2011. Source: Weber Shandwick's Understanding the Multicultural Market, 2007
On the face of it, these statistics make grim reading. You could conclude that media agencies in particular are discriminating against those from ethnic minorities. You could also assume that those they deign to let in are only hired for support roles, rather than the core business. But these conclusions are too simplistic.
Rather than media failing to give minorities opportunities, it seems more the case that minorities do not see media as an attractive career. With such a small pool of candidates entering the business, it is less surprising there is a lack of ethnic diversity in senior positions.
Ray Mia, channel head of gaming TV station XLeague and of Asian origin, thinks it is unhelpful to focus on the issue of race, but concedes his office staff is predominantly made up of white, middle-class employees with only a "smattering of colour". Mia believes minorities are often pushed by their parents to enter professions such as medicine, law and accountancy because they are seen as "proper", respectable jobs. "Asians in particular are very conservative and these careers are deemed as ‘safe'," Mia says, though he adds that attitudes are slowly changing. This explains why minorities are most often found working in finance, accounts or IT.
Similarly, Trevor Robinson, creative director at Quiet Storm and co-chairman of the IPA Ethnic Diversity Group, believes a lack of knowledge is holding minorities back more than any overt discrimination. "When I mentioned advertising, nobody knew anything. Even my friends were saying ‘do you know any black people in advertising?'," he says. "It would be easy to blame an invisible white face that is supposedly stopping us from achieving, but in the end people go for what they know and feel comfort-able with. They think advertising is something that white people do." Consequently, Robinson is working with London schools to educate them about what the industry has to offer.
A Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development study reveals that the biggest driver for businesses setting up diversity programmes is "legal pressures". But businesses, particularly those operating in the media sector, can reap rich commercial benefits by having a diverse workforce. Ethnic communities are projected to represent 12% of the UK population by 2011, with a disposable income forecast at £300bn.
Yet this important and rapidly growing group does not feel that brands understand them. According to a Weber Shandwick study, 77% of Asians, 78% of black people and 51% of Chinese people in the UK say marketing by mainstream brands has little or no relevance to them.
Sanjay Shabi, CultureCom director at MediaCom, believe this is because of the lack of ethnic minorities creating, planning and buying campaigns. "The UK audience is becoming more diverse than ever," he says. "As an Asian, I have an understanding of how that community goes about their daily lives and how they might perceive communications. I would challenge how anyone outside that community could talk specifically to them."
Gender
85.3% of senior agency managers (chairs/chief executives/managing directors) are white males; 71% of other management roles are also held by men *measured across creative, full service and media agencies, 52.7% of workers in media agencies are female. Source: IPA Census 2006
Over the last 12 months, just 29% of candidates applying for senior positions within media agencies were female. The level of candidates is broken down by: Chief executive 0%; Consultant 0%; Director 8% ; Account director 38% ;Senior management 16%;Account manager 35%;Account executive 52% ;Of the total number of placements made within the industry, 36% were female.Source: Ellis Fairbank media recruitment agency
Jane Lighting, chief executive of Five, says women at the top of media, and business generally, have one of three things in common: "They've either got no children, a husband who does all the childcare, or enough money to throw at sufficient childcare support."
As the statistics show, many women are not prepared to make these compromises and are not applying for senior roles. Pru Parkinson, strategic planning director at Starcom MediaVest, says there are countless examples of "articulate and intelligent" women who have dropped out of the corporate rat race because "life is just too short".
Regardless of maternity legislation, a woman's decision to take time out to have children will often prove detrimental to her career. Parkinson claims: "It's a people industry and it keeps moving on without you. You may want to go back part time after kids, but if a client and a creative agency call a meeting on your day off, you're either there or you're not."
But more than children or gender, Parkinson believes the lack of women in senior management is due predominantly to personality type. Men tend to be "aggressors", while women are "nurturers". "Traditionally, there has been more of an ‘aggressor' culture at the top of media agencies, which is characterised by the likes of 7am meetings and jumping on a plane last-minute to see a client, or doing evening dinner meetings," she says.
Sue Elms, head of Millward Brown's global media practice and former managing director of Carat Insight, agrees that inherent female personality traits are preventing women from rising up the ranks. Women, she says, "still can't get heard and suffer from a lack of self-confidence".
"When I started 22 years ago, I was told ‘whatever you do, don't go into the TV buying department because you'll be eaten alive'," remembers Elms. "When I did go in, I was terrified. It was very, very laddish and macho."
But it doesn't have to be this way. At digital media agency Advertising.com, for example, many of its directors are female, such as Carla Cotterell, key accounts director for Europe. She set up Ad.com's Wonder Woman Network to help women progress their careers through mentoring. Cotterell confirms that having women in senior positions inspires other women to follow in their footsteps, as does the company's strong diversity policy.
"Ad.com doesn't care what age you are, if you're a woman, or of mixed race (as I am)," says Elms. "The company just wants the biggest mix possible. After all, we've got nine offices across Europe and we need that cultural sensitivity."
Sexuality
An estimated 5-6% of the UK population is openly gay; An estimated 15% of London's population is gay; (These are estimates only from Gay.com. Tracking sexuality is not easy because, unlike gender and race, it can be concealed and is not a legal requirement to disclose on the census or when applying for jobs.)
Only 50% of gay people are openly "out" at work in the UK. Source: Out Now Consulting
"Trying to sell gay media to straight, white, generally homophobic men is a real challenge," says Gaydar's PR manager Susann Jerry.
David Muniz, Gaydar's commercial director, adds that the common reaction to a presentation about the group's radio station at media agencies is "men looking at their feet and shuffling but not saying anything". He believes that attitudes to gay employees is a much bigger issue than the industry realises.
Recently, Gaydar organised a drinks party for gay men and women in media, and Muniz was surprised by the number of people who turned up who were not "out" at work.
"Buyers and sellers in media agencies are not a diverse group. They are dominated by white males," he contends.
"To do niche marketing properly, you need to have people in those specific niches - whether that be women, race or sexual orientation - working on the account."
But as well as this, if you are employing someone who is gay and he or she doesn't feel comfortable revealing this at work, then the chances are you won't get the best out of them.
Ian Johnson, managing director of Out Now Consulting, says his research shows that only 50% of gay people are openly "out" at work in the UK.
"This is not just hampering the employee, it's hampering the business. You hired them. You trained them. But they are wasting their energy in the workplace hiding what they are," he says.
Melina Jacovou, founder of media recruitment firm Propel London, is a lesbian who doesn't believe sexuality has any bearing on how well someone can do a job.
However, she adds: "My sexuality is a big part of my life and it makes me what I am."
Consequently, Jacovou has created a working environment where employees are open about their sexuality, so it is not an inhibiting issue.
However, there can be few other industries with such high-profile, senior hitters who are openly "out" as media - Dawn Airey, Stevie Spring and Charles Allen are but three.
Yet, Alistair Cansdale, account director at Mediaedge:cia, says being gay at an agency in the north of England was "horrendous".
"It was male-dominated and very old school. I couldn't come out there, so I left after three months," he says. At MediaEdge:cia he came out on the first day.
"It's the happiest place I've worked. If you don't come out, you can feel a bit scared and you can't be yourself and work to the best of your ability," he adds.
As a result of this article, the IPA has now confirmed that it is in a dialogue with Gaydar and is considering commissioning research into sexual orientation diversity within the advertising industry.
Age
In the 1991 Census, 37% of the UK was 45-years-old and over. By 2011, this figure is forecast to be 43%;
The IPA found that the average age in a media agency is 30.5-years-old, compared to 34.7-years-old in creative, full service and other non-media agencies 64% of the workforce is 30 and under 10% is over 40 2% is over 50. The highest percentage of workers fall into the 26-30 category (38.6%) with only 0.2% over 60, lower than creative, full service and other non-media agencies (0.8%). The average age of those people in the highest levels of agency management (chair/chief executive/managing director) across all disciplines is 45.7-years-old. 72% agree that agencies risk becoming out of touch with older consumers and 99% agree they risk losing valuable experience and expertise. Source: IPA's Age in Advertising report carried out in September 2006
These findings don't surprise Helen Coult, senior consultant at recruitment agency Ellis Fairbank. In digital media in particular, she is used to interviewing candidates in their early 30s for chief executive positions. Although she has plenty of over-50s on her books, they are typically much harder to place.
"Although companies are not technically allowed to state age, when I ask about the culture and who might fit in best, it can become clear that someone who is 50-plus is not necessarily going to fit in, or get on with the very young people on the team," she says.
"Some agencies very much want everyone to be the same, with the same interests and outlook, as that goes with the brand of the agency."
The IPA's Age in Advertising report, published last year, shows that many people in advertising across all types of agencies feel the age bias is detrimental to the industry.
But the report also highlights that older people are not always as technologically astute as younger people, or willing to put in extra hours in the evenings or at weekends.
Starcom chairman Jim Marshall, who is 52, concludes that media is "probably a young person's industry because the energy levels and pressures are in some ways a bit like the City".
However, he does not agree that this affects the planning and buying of media in campaigns targeting the "grey" market. He argues that an interest in the product or category is probably more relevant than the
age of the audience being targeted.
Millward Brown's Sue Elms adds that rather than ageist, the media industry is "knowledge-ist" and that employees, particularly older ones, have a responsibility to take an interest in changes.
This is something that she has done and now, at 45, claims she feels "more up to date with digital and new media than most 20-year-olds".
It's her knowledge that helped her land a top job in media as managing director of Carat Insight.
"I have made a massive effort to keep up and live the new world," Elms says.
"Keeping up with technology is a big issue with the more mature workforce. But another issue with these statistics could be people lying about their age: no one in media wants to reveal they are over 50."