Gen-Z Speaks Truth to Ad Industry Power at Inaugural Gen-Z Town Hall

GENZ TOWN HALL PANEL 1The first panel of Hall of Honors Inductees included Byron Allen Founder Chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios Tina Davis Interim Chief Marketing Officer at Citi Gaye Hirsch Executive Vice President Development at The CW and Marla Kaplowitz President and CEO of 4A39s who along with PampampG Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard opened the Town Hall with a keynote conversation with Ronda Carnegie Chief Innovation Officer of The FQ and cochair of the Advancing Diversity CouncilThe GenZ questioners were Tiffany Jeung Senior Corporate Marketing Coordinator NPM Marketing Eileen Lin Ad Sales Coordinator AE Networks Kate Gonzalez Event Marketing Coordinator Univision Networks and Langston Peoples Marketing Experience Analyst American Family InsuranceWhat are companies instituting to help with new hires39amp160challenges connecting with their coworkers and networking with senior level employeesEileen Lin kicked things off with a question regarding current workplace cultures amidst the ongoing COVID pandemic quotOffice drivebys and watercooler chats have disappearedquot she said quotWhat are your companies instituting to help with new hires39 challenges connecting with their coworkers and networking with senior level employeesquotByron Allen was the first to answer quotI would never tell my employees this but I like you at homequotamp160he said with a big laugh quotWeamp8217re connected weamp8217re talking texting emailing Iamp8217m more connected with my employee base than ever before I want the pandemic to end but I want us to stay in a pandemic state so we can stay home be with our families and save money and work more efficientlyquotquotOne of the things we introduced was the 39future of work39 model where some will be 39residents39 and work inoffice Monday through Friday while others will continue to work exclusively remotelyquot Tina Davis shared quotCertain positions will be hybrid because we believe that inperson collaboration is important We started Coffee Chats where our CEO and senior leaders get together with random groups of colleagues in an unstructured environment to just talk about whatever issues are going on We39re making a concerted effort to engage with our teamsquotGaye Hirsch explained that The CW has yet to return to an inperson office environment and employees are still working entirely remotely quotI look forward to being back at the officequot she said quotWe39re continuing the effort to make it a point to connect with people and make sure all the departments from assistants to executives be in Zoom meetings Our President Mark Pedowitz makes sure to have a meeting with every department to make sure we39re all connectingquotquotWe also have formal and informal mentorship programs so people across departments can connect and understand each other39s different aspects of our businessquot she added quotWe39re all on the same path to create great contentquotTiffany Jeung asked the inductees to share a piece of content that changed their perspective or mind about something in a meaningful way The panelists shared their favorite podcasts books the impact of the musical Hamilton amp8230 and Allen recounted a conversation he had with Coretta Scott KingWhat can leaders do to ensure all teamamp160members are feeling supported and have the resources that they need to succeedKate Gonzalez of Univision asked the panelists quotWhat can leaders do to ensure all team members are feeling supported and have the resources that they need to succeedquotquotEvery leader needs to think about what they need to be doing in their organization to ensure inclusion and belongingquotamp160Marla Kaplowitz of 4A39s replied quotI will tell you that if we want to see true racial equity then we have to promote talent into leadership we need to promote people of color into leadership positions we need diverse voices across all different types of differencesquotamp160Kaplowitz went on to share that 4A39s and 4A39s Foundation launched Vanguard a program designed to create a better career path for Black talent quotYou have to be intentional about the changes that people need to make and supporting the unique needs of those individualsquotamp160she saidWhat best practices are being utilized to create a brand that is authentic and welcoming to talent from diverse backgroundsLangston Peoples asked quotWhat best practices or tactics have you utilized to create a brand that is authentic and welcoming to talent from diverse backgroundsquotDavis cited Citi39s quotTrue Namequot initiative which has made it the first bank to allow transgender and nonbinary account holders the option to sign up for a credit card with their chosen name as opposed to being obligated to use their legal name quotBy doing so we are saying to people that we see you for who you are your authentic self amp8230 That39s something we39ve talked about internally about bringing your full self to workquot she explainedquotOur brand is very closely identified with our programmingquot Hirsch added quotI39m proud to say we39ve been a leader in diversity in front of and behind the camera All our new upcoming shows were created or cocreated by people of color and have one or more leads of color We make sure also to include as many people of color in the hiring processquotGENZ TOWN HALL PANEL 2The Hall of Honors Inductees included in the next panel were Yvette Moyo Founder and CEO MOBE Dr Gracie LawsonBorders Dean ampamp Professor Cathy Hughes School of Communications Howard University and Steve Pacheco President ampamp CEO AAFThe GenZ questioners were Carlos Mendez Analyst MediaLink Alondra Carmona Relationship Coordinator MediaVillage Xavier ConawayWashington Negotiator National Video Investment at Zenith and Maha Samad Communication Assistant OWNWhat can media marketing companies do to increase visibility and awareness towards underserved communities Carlos Mendez kicked off this panel discussion asking quotWhat can media marketing companies do to increase visibility and awareness towards underserved communities where people especially younger students might not know what marketing and advertising might entail for them or how it could serve as a careeramp8221Yvette Moyo shared the importance of advertisers and marketers increasing their involvement with Blackowned and Brownowned businesses in order to raise awareness which Dr LawsonBorders agreed with adding quotYou have to look beyond the obvious and really take that opportunity I tell my students 39take someone with you39 but not someone that looks like you Don39t go to the same place you went to a day ago39amp160Get out of your comfort zonequotWhat do you see as the biggest challenge for the next generation of diversity leadersAlondra Carmona asked the panel quotWith GenZ set to lead this industry in the future what do you see as the biggest challenge for the next generation of diversity leadersquotquotI would say 39Look beyond the horizon39 meaning to not get caught up in the moment in this momentquot Dr LawsonBorders replied quotI believe in success planning so I often give a talk to people who are interested in leadership about tapping someone because someone came and tapped me and said 39You need to try this You need to do this39 So I have a responsibility to pay that forward We want to make sure that things are there for you to be preparedquotquotI think the biggest challenge is to take the long view and to plan out the next three to five to seven yearsquot Steve Pacheco said quotEspecially through the COVID lockdown we were all challenged to take the long view and not just think about the here and now What trends might be coming up What will the media landscape look like down the roadquotHas the push for diversity goals lost some steam since 2020Xavier ConawayWashington posed the next question highlighting many of the social justice movements that took place throughout 2020 and 2021 and the many promises that corporations made to raise awareness and provide support toward these issues quotHave you seen major leaps towards achieving those ideals or has the push for those goals lost some steam since 2020quot he askedquot2020 was a defining moment in American history and will go down as a case study and just practical learning of how to handle yourself through the crisisquot Pacheco replied quotI believe that it shines a massive spotlight on issues that have been bubbling underneath the surface for a long long time At AAF we spent a lot of time on and gave thoughtful consideration to such questions as 39Where do we go from here How do we prepare for the next 2020 that may come39 because no one was quite prepared for everything that came our way I do believe that the pressure is still there to do the right thing and to prop up the right programs and campaigns and efforts that helped counterattack a lot of the harm that was done in 2020quotquotI think there39s been a change in momentum but not the resultsquot Moyo added quotThere39ve been no new CEOs or promotions in advertising among people of color The industry doesn39t get points for putting out a press release on how many businesses they39re going to reinvigorate They don39t get a passing grade from mequotWhat advice would you give to someone in an entry level position who wants to advance their careerMaha Samad of OWN asked the panel what advice they would give to an entry level employee who is looking to advance their careerDr LawsonBorders implored all the GenZ employees tuning into the conversation to reach out to all of the inductees through platforms like LinkedIn and to not be afraid of networking and when doing so to quotmake sure that you are craft ready that you know your business that you take every opportunity for professional developmentquotquotBe able to quickly and competently tell your storyquot Pacheco added quotTell people why hiring you would be a good thing to do how your diverse background would be an asset to them in their company and what you can bring to the table that others might not be able to and do it in your own voicequotGENZ TOWN HALL PANEL 3The next panel of Inductees featured Simon Fenwick Executive Vice President Talent Equity ampamp Inclusion 4A39s Foundation Christena Pyle Chief Equity Officer dentsu Americas and Sherina Smith Vice President Head of Marketing American Family InsuranceAmong the GenZ professionals in this group were Jocelyn Tenorio Digital Media Coordinator Casa Central Connor Laurent Analyst Global Consumer Banking at Citi Awa Badiane a recent Lawrence University graduate with a BA in Government and Mai Trinh Brand and Industry Relationships Coop at ComcastWhat kinds of practices have shown success and progress with retention of marketing professionals that identify as BIPOCJocelyn Tenorio kicked things off asking the panel quotWhat kinds of practices have shown success and progress with retention of marketing professionals that identify as BIPOCamp8221Fenwick was the first to answer sharing that GenZ and young Millennials make up 140 million people in the workforce and Latinx make up 176 million of that group amp8220What I try to abide by from a retention perspective is to let them have a voicequot he said quotFor me as the leader itamp8217s as much about me listening and learning as it is for them If we want to retain staff it39s not just about money It39s about giving them a voice giving them the opportunity to take risksquotChristena Pyle spoke on the importance of employee resource groups to make team members feel like they can build a network outside of their company quotIt really helps with retention especially in a world where we39re a little bit more open we39re a little bit more hybrid giving people a chance to get out and go to conferences and network beyond their companyquotamp160she explainedIs there an experience in life that made you feel a passion for diversity and pursue a careerConnor Laurent asked the group quotWhy is diversity so important to you and is there an experience in life that made you feel a passion for diversity and pursuing a careerquotquotIt39s my lived experiencequot Sherina Smith revealed quotThe impact it can have on our individual potential A lack of diversity can damper and negatively impact society It has the power to stunt our growth and rob our joy I just think about the people around me who have grown up in nondiverse experiences A number of smart and talented people aren39t able to reach their full potential because of the inequities in society We owe it to society to bring everything people can contributequotWhat can recent graduates do to maximize their reach in order to get the attention of recruiters to land their first job postgradAwa Badiane was next up and asked quotWhat can recent graduates do to maximize their reach in order to get the attention of recruiters to land their first job postgradquotPyle shared words of inspiration quotLean into your diversityquot she advised quotYour difference makes you brilliant In the past people have hidden on LinkedIn that they39re a diverse candidate I think we should do the opposite now What a beautiful time it is when weamp8217re encouraged to do the opposite so show your difference show your diversity and be proud of itquotIs there anything you39d have done differently early in your careerMai Trinh asked the panel quotIs there anything you39d have done differently early in your career or wish you39d done after you graduatedquotquotTwo things stand outquot Fenwick said citing what he has learned quotBe patient Don39t expect to move through your career at a rapid speed It takes time to learn And as a gay man living with a disability be authentic Be proud of who you are and stand up for what you believe inquotquotI was overly apologetic for being smartquot Smith recalled quotA mindset shift would39ve made me bolder let purpose guide my journey and not perfectionquotPyle was the last to share quotRight out of college in my first job I was overworked underpaid and had no passion for my workquot she admitted quotA terrible trifecta Meanwhile I had friends who had a worklife balance had endless passion for what they were doing but were low paid Then you have the finance people who make a lot of money but worked long hours and hated their jobs And I was over here with the whole trifecta I would tell myself 39You are far too talented to work at a job where all three of those things are a problem39quotClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Gen-Z Speaks Truth to Ad Industry Power at Inaugural Gen-Z Town Hall

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Juan Ayala

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