After three years, the 4A’s still finds a significant lack of diverse representation at the most senior levels of agency communities. By Tahlisha Williams Headlines over the past few months have painted a clear, yet disconcerting, picture of the DEI&B landscape. Across most industries, companies are struggling to chip away at the DEI&B commitments they’ve […]

The 4A’s Workers’ Compensation program provided a record covered payroll amount of $13 billion, while insured employees increased to 156,000.  The captive since its inception has returned $275 million in cumulative dividends back to its members. The Program’s Board of Directors, which is comprised of 4A’s member representatives and specialized counsel, declared the dividend in […]

by Shelley Zalis Seventy million people in the United States have learning and thinking differences, such as dyslexia and ADHD, according to Understood.org. That’s roughly one in five people. Yet, according to a Universum EB Now report in 2020, only 7% of companies globally have neurodiversity recruiting plans in place. The current workplace is not set up for […]

Marketing and agency executives know that running or participating in agency reviews is costly. A single review’s collective expenses—in severe cases reaching $1.2 million—might surprise even the most tenured leaders. Read the full article on AdWeek.

Survey shows diversity actually worsened in some areas, such as creative, last year By Lindsay Rittenhouse   Despite all the talk about improving the industry’s diversity problem, a new report from the 4A’s finds not much progress has been made, especially at the leadership level. Read the full article on AdAge.

They explain what brand leaders need to remember for more successful partnerships By Jameson Fleming One of the most important reasons agency CEOs flock to Cannes each June is for their clients. It’s an opportunity to wine and dine with countless partners, build bonds and secure current—or even new—business. Read the full article on AdWeek.

In Hollywood, it seems that the old entertainers’ adage ‘the show must go on’ has fallen out of favour. A strike by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), has seen TV and film production in the USA screech to a halt, as well as promotional activity like interviews […]

by Steve McClellan It’s no secret that many agencies and brands are dissatisfied with the way formal agency pitches are often conducted given the expense, time consumption and other distractions involved. A new study from the 4A’s, ANA and market research firm Advertiser Perceptions calculates just how expensive and time-consuming reviews are these days. Marketers spend $408,500 […]

Study commissioned by ANA and 4A’s find incumbent shops spend more than $400,000 to defend By Jack Neff The average agency review costs a combined $1 million for marketers and agencies involved, according to a study by Advertiser Perceptions commissioned by the Association of National Advertisers and 4A’s. Read the full article on AdAge.

As a follow-up to the ANA/4A’s Agency Search Simplification Report, both organizations felt it would be beneficial for clients and agencies to understand the actual costs involved in the agency review/pitch process. Agencies historically devote significant resources into the pursuit of new business and to the defense of an existing account when it is put […]

During periods of economic uncertainty, should you play, pivot or pause? Answers abounded courtesy of the PR and marketing leaders who gathered in Cannes for this exclusive conversation convened by The Sway Effect. by Barbara White-Sax PARTICIPANTS -Alyssa Bernstein, SVP of corp comms, TelevisaUnivision -Will Cady, global brand ambassador, Reddit -Laura Clare, senior director of […]

by Chris Witherspoon, Op-Ed Contributor, June 18, 2023 In June 2020, I wrote an opinion piece entitled, “Why I Signed a Letter to Rewrite the Future of Advertising.” It was in response to being one of 600 Black executives penning an open letter to the advertising industry, demanding action to address the systemic racism and […]