AGENCIES

Remote Work Alone Won’t Make Your Agency More Diverse

If you’ve been following the racial reckoning happening within the marketing industry this summer, you’ve probably heard some version of the following phrase: Remote work can help solve Madison Avenue’s diversity problem.

And, in some ways, that statement makes a lot of sense.

• In theory, without an office, the classic ad agency “culture fit” value could disintegrate and level the playing field for those typically excluded from private rooftop happy hours (aka the best internal networking opportunities) with the boys’ club.
• An indefinitely distributed workforce means ad agencies don’t suffer from the geographic restrictions that could keep them from hiring more diverse talent. 
• Andrea Diquez, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, told Digiday that “major cities are expensive, and many people don’t have the economic opportunity to uproot for the job they want. Being location-agnostic would allow agencies across the board to hire more people from diverse backgrounds.”  

But in other ways, not so much.

Remote hazards

Despite the benefits of remote work, marketers shouldn’t see WFH life as a catchall solution for the problems exposed this summer by 600 & Rising’s call for agencies to release their dismal diversity numbers. 

• That boys' club is stronger than the four walls of an office. One half-Black ad agency employee told Digiday “that she worries that her ‘already invisible’ self will become even more so in the remote environment.” 
• “The only thing that’s going to drastically impact the issue of diversity is putting more focus on the problem and companies of all sizes being held accountable,” said Caveat co-founder and managing director Josh Greenberg. 
• Plus, remote work looks different for wealthier, more senior employees than it does for more junior employees without access to childcare and “family money” during the pandemic. 

Bottom line: The pandemic has accelerated the shift to more flexible remote work, but marketing leaders relying on the shift to attract more diverse talent might want to think about other, more active ways to do so.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I Have A Secret, And It’s About Instagram Reels

Here’s a secret for you special Labor Day readers: I’ve kept my thoughts about Instagram’s TikTok competitor, Reels, to myself, because I didn’t have the data to back them up…until last week. Seek and you will find, I guess. 

Whistle Wise’s latest survey asking U.S. Gen Zers about their thoughts on Reels vs. TikTok confirms what I thought all along—unlike the NYT’s Taylor Lorenz, Gen Z doesn’t see a huge difference between Reels and TikTok. Per an email to Marketing Brew from Team Whistle… 

• 87% of Gen Z TikTok users who have used Instagram Reels agree with the statement, “Instagram Reels is basically the same as TikTok.”
• Most respondents (daily or weekly) who have used Instagram Reels do not think that TikTok is inherently special.
• 61% of Gen Z TikTok users said they plan to spend more time on Instagram in TikTok’s place. 

Instagram was the #1 alternative destination for the youths; Snapchat came in second, with 34% planning to spend more time there instead of TikTok. 

Bottom line: Millennials can say all they want about Reels having an inferior UX to TikTok’s, but Gen Z seems interested in Instagram’s latest copycat. Marketers hoping to reach Gen Z might not want to write the feature off just yet—especially given that TikTok's eventual buyer may not even inherit its celebrated algorithm and engineers.

SPONSORED BY NETELIXIR, INC

The Gift of Holiday Insights

Holiday preparedness isn’t just about mentally preparing for an extended stay with the in-laws. Though, that’s something to think about, now that we mention it. 

For e-commerce and your retail business, this holiday season is going to be a whole new abominable snowbeast, requiring fresh strategies and thoughtful planning—something NetElixir is here to help you handle. 

On Thursday, September 10, tune in to their live webinar, A Different Holiday: Opportunities and Challenges in a COVID World. 

Founding executive of Lenovo’s global online strategy, Ajit Sivadasan, will break down expert insights on holiday preparedness, including:

• Digital as the new imperative 
• Your business model transformation
• Actions to adapt to the new reality

Get a jump on the holiday hustle with NetElixir.

Register for their free event today.

LONG WEEKEND LONG READS

I asked Marketing Brew’s loyal Twitter community to suggest marketing-adjacent long reads for you to take into this v short week. Spoiler alert—they didn’t disappoint. 

Books:

• Alchemy by Rory Sutherland
• Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 
• Phoebe’s pick: Self Care by Leigh Stein

Articles:

• “Deriving Value From Conversations About Your Brand” from MITSloan
• “The Tingling is How You Know This Newsletter is Working” by Aja Singer
• Phoebe’s pick: “Talking Diversity And Equality In Advertising With Belinda Smith” from AdExchanger

SPONSORED BY ATTEST

Nothing drives us like data. And we’re not alone: the world’s best brands, like Microsoft, Gymshark, and Walgreens are using Attest to create data-driven marketing campaigns. Get the inside scoop on Attest’s approach with their new guide that can help you spend your budget effectively, optimize your campaign performance, and create a repeatable recipe for success. Get Attest’s free guide here.

AD ANTIQUES

Kate Brandt

Ever since our copyeditor Kate sent me this photo of a Listerine ad from 1928, it’s all I can think about when I see engagement announcements on Instagram. 

ICYMI

Catch up on the top Marketing Brew stories from the last few editions.

• Facebook isn’t selling political ads the week before the U.S. presidential election
• The Arizona Lottery just won the brand messaging jackpot
• Droga5 laid off about 7% of its U.S. staff