The Global DEI Census 2023 investigates the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the marketing and advertising industry. Here is what you need to know about its objectives and how to get involved.

What are the objectives?

There are three. We want to:

1. measure the state of diversity and inclusion (DEI) in the marketing and advertising industry;
2. identify key issues, opportunities and priority areas for action and behaviour change;
3. track industry progress by benchmarking against the Census we did in 2021.

Who is the survey meant for?

For anyone working in the marketing and advertising industry. The survey focuses on 34 markets. However, anyone, irrespective of their title, the organisation they work for or the country they’re based in, can fill in the survey, anonymously.

What's in it for me?

As an individual, you will have a chance to have - anonymously - your voice and experience heard in the industry. The census also represents an opportunity to be a part of a drive for greater fairness in the marketing and advertising industry and to help hold the industry accountable and inform an action plan for change. 

As a organisation, you will be seen to be leading on a critical issue to the wider industry. You will also show your employees that you are supporting a third-party, independent industry initiative. You will also have access to global and local DEI insights. Lastly, you will have the opportunity to benchmark your organisation against the industry average and the opportunity to measure progress in future waves.

How many countries are participating?

The 2023 research focuses on 34 markets. However, anyone, irrespective of their title, the organisation they work for or the country they’re based in, can fill in the anonymous survey.

The focus markets are 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 USA.

The questionnaire is open to anyone in English. For the focus markets, you can respond in your local language.  

The research will run alongside UK’s All In Census led by the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA and is based on the same questionnaire.

Who is funding the census?

The census is funded by WFA and is a co-branded initiative with participating organisations. How will the data be used? The data will be used to help us understand the levels of diversity across the whole industry and to gauge how inclusive different workplaces are. The results will inform an action plan at global and local levels and we will be measuring our progress over time. All responses are anonymous and no response will be traceable back to an individual.

What assurances can you make that the data will be fully confidential?

We use an external company – leaders in the research industry – to collect and process the data. They handle sensitive data for all their clients and are accountable to multiple data protection requirements including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Data will only be shared in aggregated format with participating associations. We will preserve confidentiality in all cases.

Data is not being analysed at an individual level. All analysis will be at a macro level.