It is no surprise that in the midst of a mounting cost of living crisis discussions on social media around nepotism have been rife. “Things feel really unfair at the moment and I think actually there’s been quite a few examples in politics and in popular culture that have made people actually say ‘you know what this is really unfair,’” explains Lisa Thompson, Business Director of Strategy & Planning at Wavemaker and Co-Founder of Common People.

“They always say that creative revolutions come when there’s discontent growing in broader things. I think we’ve come off a few years where it's getting harder for people. Not just at the most extreme ends of the kind of financial situation,” explains Thompson. 

Lisa Thompson and her Common People Co-Founder Jed Hallam, Global Head of Strategy, Arcadia at Snap are well aware that class is having a ‘moment’ in broader culture. Yet, the pair have been passionate about levelling the playing field and combatting ad land’s classism issue for far longer than the phrase ‘nepo baby’ has been trending on social media.

Their industry forum for working-class people in adland, Common People, was created based on the insight that 29% of the UK is from a working-class background, yet the ad industry is home to just 12% of working-class talent. A gap which they are seeking to close. 

Creating space for common people

The industry’s classism issue is one that has been exacerbated over the years. Thompson outlined the scale of the issue in an essay for her IPA Excellence Diploma. In the past, the industry boasted a diverse class makeup. However, over the years a bid to professionalise the industry through the introduction of graduate schemes and a shift toward London-centricity has created a much less broad class make-up. 

Opportunities given to people with connections, London-based unpaid internships and a smoke-and-mirrors approach to the industry with job titles that make little sense to people with no prior knowledge, have all created barriers to entry.

Common People is a collective on a mission to expose the issues causing the class divide and help more ‘common people’ to enter and stay in the advertising industry. The goal is to bring together working-class people and create a more inclusive industry for all. “We’ve seen a real traction in the number of people joining the Whatsapp group and we’ve got a really flourishing community,” explains Thompson.

In 2023 Common People are keen to keep up the momentum. Hallam shares that some key focuses for the group this year are removing social barriers, setting up economic help and support through a Common People fund and capitalising on the cultural moment class is having to amplify the message. “We’ve got a lot more focused on how we were using our energy. A lot of the areas of focus we’ve lifted pretty much from Class Ceiling. That book is such an incredible resource and I would urge everybody to be reading regardless of background,” says Hallam. 

Creating better class diversity within the advertising industry is by no means an easy feat, but Common People believe it is essential as it leads to better creativity and ultimately better work. “Even regardless of class background, most people want to have a more fair society and a more fair creative industry,” says Thompson. She continues: “There’s a lot of people that I'm sure would agree that with class diversity we’d have better decisions being made and better ideas coming out of it. That is why Common People is so important, class diversity isn't just the right thing to do, it is the best thing to do for creativity.”

“It’s really important. It's by no means a silver bullet for all levels of diversity but it is so intersectional with so many other aspects of diversity and inclusivity. I think it can do some real good.” adds Hallam. 

Capitalising on a cultural moment

With conversations around class prevalent in popular culture, Common People is hoping to use the momentum to maintain traction for the group. Robert Peston’s Speakers For School ‘Don’t let the nepo babies win’ campaign shows how engaging with discourse around nepotism within popular culture can be used to highlight unfair opportunities in both business and society. 

Earlier in the year Hallam engaged in conversations around ‘nepo babies’ and points to an article on Vice about how nepotism in the UK can be far more sinister than in the US. This is because its prevalence in business means it has a much firmer grasp on the workings of society. “Mic Wright, a freelance journalist, put together a map of the tabloid newspapers, the journalists and their family connections. It’s fascinating because of the amount of surname changes that have taken place and the drop of dukes and dames.  It’s an eye opener. All of a sudden you realise that the network is created entirely through nepotism.” says Hallam.

“Advertising is just the same” continues Hallam. He explains: “I’ve worked at some pretty progressive agencies, but I’ve probably been asked on a yearly basis can you see such an such’s nephew or such and such’s son wants to do work experience in the planning department. You can't say no because it's your boss and you want to help some young and talented person. But at the same time it comes at the expense of someone else that might need that help more.”

Hallam points to the example of Fred Again, the successful DJ and Record Producer whose Godfather is Brian Eno. Hallam maintains that while Fred Again is no doubt talented and worthy of his success, his connection means that ‘straight away you’ve got an immediate co-sign into the creative industry’. “Absolutely there’s no shadow of a doubt that he’s talented, he makes music that affects people and that’s culturally resonant. But you have to ask, are there other people that are as talented that didn't have the same opportunities? It's not a criticism of Fred Again although he’s an easy target, it's a criticism of the system.” says Hallam.  

Thompson believes that it’s important for both the industry and industry leaders to be aware of these kinds of conversations and to be astute to what’s happening within culture. “At a pure creativity level a lot of creativity starts from the fringes,” says Thompson. She continues: “We need to also remember that everyone's cultural frameworks are different, so we need to watch ourselves when we talk about things like ski holidays or certain plays and just be aware that your experience might be different.”

Creating a culture of equity

Being aware that everyone’s entry point into the industry is different and being mindful of cultural reference points can help to create an environment of acceptance and curiosity, rather than one of isolation. 

As President of Bloom North, Thompson is able to combine her passion for class and gender equality to provide practical advice and guidance for women in the industry. She explains: “There’s a fact that you’re 5 times less likely to work in the creative industry if you are a working class woman,  than if you are a middle class man. That’s before you even overlay some of the other things like race.” says Thompson. Her work at Bloom allows her to take a more intersectional approach to inclusion. 

“We’re trying to do lots of practical things. Having conversations about finance. Sadly we’re having to do self defense courses because women don’t feel safe. We have a young Bloomers network designed to help young people starting off in the industry, doing training and teaching them to do things they think everyone knows how to do, like networking,” says Thompson.

The group is also launching a podcast called the Blooming North for those who aren’t able to make it into town for events. The team is aiming to bring in new voices in the form of a Head of Allyship. “I’m really mindful in everything that we do that you’ve got to listen to other voices. It is very easy to get quite shouty and angry but a drama professor at university once told me you’ve always got to earn a shout.” says Thompson. A leader who very much earned her space to shout, by  backing up words with practical advice and tangible actions to create change.

To create a more socioeconomic diverse workforce she urges leaders to get rid of educational entry requirements in favour of a genuine curiosity and passions. She wants other leaders to think about introducing accessible apprenticeship schemes, to pay people fairly for their work, their time and their travel for interviews.

She suggests conducting a question and answer resource for an entry level job role ahead of any applications or interviews. As well as removing any jargon from a corporate website. On top of that it’s important to explain everything to potential recruits with clarity. She explains: “Remember that our culture is quite weird. We go out for lunches and drink. It's not just about class, it's weird unless you know someone in the industry.” She continues: “Put in time to explain your job and explain the industries before you start or else you’ll just get the same people.”

Leaders with intentions to learn

Both Jed and Lisa have a wealth of practical advice for creating a more inclusive workplace, but first leaders must embrace a learning mindset and acknowledge that there is still much to be done. 

“Our industry is exceptional at creating the right optics because it’s what we do for a living, it's what we tell clients. We take something and give it a different shine and promote it. I think a lot of leaders have slipped into that behaviour with how they are internally.” says Hallam. He continues: “We create optics whether that’s looking at recruitment numbers rather than retention numbers. But then what we’ve done is not really a purpose thing, it's more of a marketing thing. Intention is really important.”

He urges leaders to truly set an intention  to listen to people. He explains: “Our industry has a lot of people that wait for their turn to talk rather than listen. It sounds so much leadership 101 but it makes so much difference if you’re actually hearing what people are telling you. Although it's far less tangible, acting with genuine sincere intention rather than just wanting to get a headline [is vital].”

Setting intentions and being honest about the state of play no matter the starting point is the only way to make true progress. “Break it down into small sets and let's review. Sometimes we put the emphasis on celebrating diversity wins when actually sometimes that just makes people tell a good story when we could be doing more.” adds Thompson. “Ironically the big financial consultancies and the law consultancies are doing some really good stuff in the space and making real inways. Simple stuff like paying people to come for an interview, pay people for your time. The industry has money and there’s lots of ways that we can do stuff. I don't think we are doing enough and we need to put our money where our mouth is.”

Now leaders have a choice to make in bridging the gap between action and intention. By listening to others and implementing practical, simple actions, the opportunity to make change is well within reach. Now is the time for deeds, not just words. As Thompson explains: ‘class diversity isn't just the right thing to do, it's the best thing to do for creativity.’