#26 Anne, is ensuring diversity in ads, the key to a double bottom line? - Interview with Anne Joffre from Procter & Gamble

with Anne Joffre Bonnaillie

Ads that portray women in a professional setting receive significantly less funding than those that portray them in traditional gender roles, found a 2022 research by CreativeX. Data like this show that while the portrayal of women on screen has changed over the last decades, the media and advertising industry still has a long way to go in terms of diversity and representation.

A company that makes a stand for a more equal and inclusive world in advertising is Procter & Gamble, home to brands like Always, Gillette and Pampers. Their two main goals in this field are 100% accurate representation of women on screen, and hiring 50% female directors behind the camera. After five years, they are at more than 80% with the former and 47% with the latter.

And as today’s guest, Anne Joffre will tell you, these results not only create a positive impact for society, they’re also a driver of business growth for P&G.

Anne is Senior Director, Brand Building Integrated Communications at P&G. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion both on a personal and a professional level, and shares openly about these two sides throughout the episode.

You will hear about what the key factors of success were for the company, how Anne developed the case for change internally, and the sound advice she has for organizations who want to combine being a force for good with the business perspective.

This episode was recorded at a Role Model Series event that Fish in the Boardroom organized in cooperation with INSEAD Women in Business Alumni Club. Questions were asked by Kathrin Niederlaender.

“There was also a research company called ADX who had the most prestigious research award that had demonstrated the correlation between gender equality in advertising and business building potential, like a plus 25% for ads that are portraying women in a progressive and positive manner.”

What you will learn:

• A DE&I initiative will see results faster if top management embeds it into their strategy and prioritizes actively supporting it.
• If you want people in the organization to embrace the change you are trying to make, you have to help them to see DE&I not only as a force for good, but as a must-have to expand your reach and capture new markets.
• When you are first starting out with a DE&I initiative, employees will need information and tools to help them adapt to the new perspective. While this internal capability is being built, big change can come from making inclusive representation mandatory.

Tips:

• Prepare a compelling business case for top management that shows the potential for growth in making DE&I a priority. Getting long-term commitment is easier when you have a few wins you can point to early on, so focus on getting those first.
• Set a clear expectation of inviting females into the areas of the business where they are traditionally underrepresented. This will let people know they need to plan ahead for finding the right talent.
• Be clear about your objectives and how you will track them from the start. Communicate that as part of the success drivers of the project and give regular feedback on progress.
  

Find Anne online:
LinkedIn: Anne Joffre Bonnaillie