2023

Thank you for taking the time and filling in our global survey. Results will be available for end June - stay tuned!

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Help reshape the world of marketing

Watch the 2021 DEI Census findings

What was the ask?

The global advertising and marketing industry is holding a mirror up to itself - that is why we asked for your help and your time to fill in our global, completely anonymous survey.

The Global DEI Census 2023 is a survey through which participants could share lived experiences at their place of work, regardless of who they work for, what their title is or where they're based.

Hearing the views of as many people as possible is crucial to our efforts to make our industry more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Responses are entirely anonymous and cannot be traced back to respondents.

Results of the Global DEI Census will be published in June and presented at the Cannes Lions Festival. The data will help inform an action plan for change and we will rerun this research to measure progress.

About the Global DEI Census

In 2021, in the context of our inaugural industry census, 1 in 7 people said they would likely leave the advertising and marketing industry on the back of a lack of a diversity and inclusion. The industry is facing one of its worst talent crises.

Between March 15 and April 30, the industry is rallying again behind another Global DEI Census – the only independent, global survey of the marketing industry.

Building on the successful inaugural census of 2021, this new research will not only give us a more comprehensive benchmark of people’s sense of belonging and absence of discrimination in our industry, but it will also enable us to monitor progress.

The initiative is supported by WFA, VoxComm, Campaign, Kantar, Advertising Week, Cannes Lions, Effie Worldwide, IAA, Global Web Index (GWI) and Adweek, as well as over a hundred other industry organisations.

The Census will cover 33 markets in-depth, however anyone, irrespective of where they are located, can add their voice to the effort. These markets include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, SAR, Italy, Ireland, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE), and the USA. The survey will also run alongside UK’s All In Survey, led by the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA.

“Taking an honest look at our industry and company's marketing representation requires exactly the type of data the WFA census makes possible. Thank you to all the marketers who participate. This is how we move our industry forward.”

Raja Rajamannar, WFA President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mastercard

Contributors

Well over 100 organisations operating at global, regional and local level have joined forces to run this research. That makes this effort one of the biggest collaborations in the history of the global marketing industry.

To all those who partnered with us, we are incredibly humbled and grateful. If you are not yet a contributor but you would like to join this effort, please reach out at DEI@wfanet.org.