Building brands and building business legacies which create a positive influence is dependent on embracing marketing for good and marketing for growth.

This was the uplifting message delivered by Ali Hanan, Founder of Creative Equals, opening the annual RISE conference in London today.

Hanan shared her personal journey of driving inclusion across the creative industries. She explained: “Just 3% of Creative Directors were women when I started out. There were more men called Dave on the Cannes Lions jury than women.” While recent data from Major Players has underlined a decline in women in the creative industries, Lions now has a representative jury.

Hanan underlined the emotional labour and burnout that can come hand in hand with attempting to thrive in an ecosystem which does not embrace inclusion and belonging. “It does not feel like a badge of honour to be the only, it feels like being in a broken system,” she explained. 

Sharing Creative Equals' journey in shifting this isolated experience for diverse talent, she pointed to the power of community. She paid tribute to Diageo which has been the long-term supporter of the Creative Comeback programme. She shared that a member of the recent New York cohort recently netted a role as Simone Biles’ social media manager.

Hanan shared Creative Equals' ethos that ‘who makes the work shapes the work’ and how the organisation has pivoted that belief to apply it to marketers and brands. Successfully supporting marketing leaders to recognise the opportunities which come hand in hand with inclusive marketing.  

She underlined that inclusion is good for business. Highlighting the Unstereotype Alliance research into how inclusive advertising supercharges brand building.

An ethos underlined by P&G’s marketing chief’s Marc Pritchard’s assertion that over half of the organisation’s growth over the last three years has come from previously excluded audiences.

Hanan explained: “That is a story about growth, but what if we don’t just talk about margins but we talk about making work with meaning?”

Setting a challenge to the industry she urged the audience to embrace the power of positive representation and inclusive business practices. She explained: “What if advertisers embrace the idea that you can be what you can see. This is our power and this is our privilege.”

“We can take away shame, we can normalise,” she added.

Hanan added that while advertising professionals are now more trusted than politicians, there is still more to do to build trusted and successful brands. “I believe that the UK advertising industry is one of the progressive in the world,” said Hanan, crediting organisations and movements such as the ‘All In’ initiative, Outvertising,  WACL and MEFA for pushing for progress. As well as the fact that the UK Advertising Standards Authority has been at the forefront of challenging gender stereotypes in advertising. 

Hanan concluded her passionate speech by underlining the business importance of reflecting the diverse world we live in. The biggest risk being rolling back on the progress made to date towards inclusion. She highlighted the fact that Accenture Song just got dropped off the pitch for Transport for London after ‘sunsetting’ its DEI goals. 

Leaving the audience with a rallying cry, Hanan concluded: “It can feel overwhelming, but now is not the time to stay silent, now is not the time to retreat.” 

She added: “Growth comes when we really double down. Now is the time to hold the line and move forward.”

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