Welcome to Issue Three of FleishmanHillard’s Davos Digest 2023.
We’ve already reached the halfway mark at Davos – boy, time flies when you’re trying to fix the world – and there’s so much more to discuss.
On Wednesday, more than 200 millionaires and billionaires, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney and actor Mark Ruffalo, called on the Davos elite to tackle extreme wealth. In an open letter, they asked governments to “tax us, the ultra-rich, now” to help billions of people struggling with the cost of living crisis. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.
On this theme, some fun facts… On site this year are 119 billionaires and the highest ever number of private sector CEOs, but the lowest ever number of Heads of State. US businesses attending outnumber China by 20 to one.
Sustainability is also once again high on the agenda. After being released from detention by German police after a coal mine protest, climate campaigner Greta Thunberg is on her way to Davos to meet International Energy Agency exec Fatih Birol, along with other big names in youth climate action. We assume she won’t be dragged away this time.
And finally, we couldn’t resist sharing the Telegraph’s cartoonist Matt’s own amusing take on Davos, THE place to be seen right now…
Check out the latest cross-sector news from our WEF watchers in today’s Davos Digest and be sure to come back here for updates throughout the week.
CULTURE
WEF at War
Davos divided: Business leaders were probably hoping that their time spent in Davos would bring some welcome respite from being accused of ‘corporate wokery’ or, conversely, of their DE&I strategy not being intersectional enough. But interestingly (read: depressingly), it looks like the 2023 iteration of WEF’s Annual Meeting is the first at which the so-called ‘Culture Wars’ have played a prominent role, with the climate being the main issue in “warriors’” sights.
Fink before you speak: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has long been a doyen and darling of the ESG community. Speaking to Bloomberg, he complained that whereas until recently, left-wing critics, who viewed his and people of his ilk’s investment approach as a cynical marketing ploy, had targeted his company and his industry rather than him as an individual. Recently, though, attacks had been getting ‘ugly’ and ‘personal’. Whether it is a symptom or a cause, the polarization that this development suggests is only getting worse, and brands will need to know how to navigate this new era of division. (If only there was an original and enormously insightful report on how to do it?)
Taking the fight to the alt-right: If Fink was more concerned with members of the militant left, participants of a panel, which included in their number EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen, were worried about the climate disinformation prevalent in certain corners of the reactionary right. The distrust and disbelief being sown by extreme conservatives is, the panel argued, being more effectively and more compellingly disseminated than the truth. Or as the quote – often attributed to Mark Twain -goes: a lie can get halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
Looking ahead: Global culture will continue to come under the microscope tomorrow, but expect questions also to be asked about the culture of Davos. Politico’s Davos Playbook contributors witnessed open drug taking at one of the summit’s infamous after parties, and the Daily Mail reported that sex workers flock to Davos in their droves during the week. Both stories that are bound to improve Davos’ PR problem of being for out of touch, overprivileged elites.
CORPORATE AND CONSUMER
The great resignation, quiet-quitting, and career cushioning – what’s next?
Labour shortages and job shortages: We saw the great resignation in countries like the US, with over 10 million unfilled job openings as of November 2022. But what about low- and middle-income countries? Many of these countries are experiencing job shortages. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported that in the third quarter of 2022, global hours worked were 1.5% below pre-pandemic levels – the equivalent of 40 million full-time jobs.
Human and machines working together: At WEF’s Future of Jobs panel, a session linked to the Jobs Consortium initiative, CEOs and trade officials discussed increasing technological adoption transforming labour markets worldwide. During the panel,José María Álvarez-Pallete, CEO of Telefonica SA, explained that every week of using technology during the pandemic was equivalent to a year in digital adoption. WEF’s Future of Jobs Report predicts that by 2025, the changing division of labour between humans and machines could create 97 million new jobs, while displacing 85 million existing jobs.
Wages – feeling the pressure: Are you feeling the squeeze? You’re not alone – three in five workers around the world live in countries where labour incomes have not returned to 2019 levels, according to the ILO. Post-pandemic gains in wages are being eroded by high inflation and the rising cost of living. For the first time in over 15 years, real wages have declined by 0.9%.
Looking ahead: When it comes to the labour market, CEOs are constantly looking for ways to improve employee retention and working culture. Tomorrow at Davos, Sander van’t Noordende, CEO and Chair of the Executive Board, Randstad N.V., will discuss the four-day work week. What else is on CEO’s minds? Corporate executives will meet to discuss trailblazing entrepreneurs tackling the world’s biggest problems. Tune in!
HEALTHCARE
The state of the pandemic and nutrition security
Have we entered the post-pandemic era? Not so, says an all-star panel including the President of the European Research Council and the CEO of Moderna. Long COVID, disparities in vaccination rates and the politicization of science remain urgent topics for these industry leaders. With future pandemics inevitable, preparedness is crucial and collaboration between public and private entities is key to developing an effective response.
Ending the stigma: Yesterday, Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun launched the #WorkingWithCancer Pledge, which urges employers to eradicate the stigma associated with having cancer in the workplace and to commit to supporting employees suffering from cancer or caring for cancer patients. Already embraced by several corporate partners such as PepsiCo, Google, and Unilever, the initiative has the backing of leading cancer institution Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Looking ahead: Day Four will bring further discussion on pandemic preparedness, a press conference on closing the health gap featuring the CEOs of Takeda and the American Heart Association, and multiple sessions exploring the impact of data on the future of healthcare.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
An uncertain global future
A global decoupling: This morning, the UN Secretary General António Guterres took to the stage warning the delegates we are “flirting with climate disasters” and that many will face “a death sentence” without further action. Guterres’ look at the future contained more stark warnings as he spoke of the “Great Fracture” of the two largest global economies, the US and China. He argued that such a rift could destabilize the world by creating “two different sets of trade rules, two dominant currencies, two internets and two conflicting strategies on artificial intelligence.”
The economy looking up: In a more positive address to the delegates at Davos, the International Monetary Fund’s Gita Gopinath confirmed during her appearance this morning that the global economy has shown “signs of resilience”. Despite having what she describes as a “tough year ahead”, the IMF does expect global growth to improve towards the “second half of this year and into 2024”. This comes with the news that inflation in the UK has dipped to a three-month low of 10.5%, driven by a significant fall in petrol, diesel and clothing prices.
Cybersecurity is a ticking time bomb: Attention turned to cyber threat as the Secretary-General of Interpol told a press conference that the level of concern exceeds anything seen before. He said there are a “number of success stories in global law enforcement” but that “we need to be much much better, at the end of the day”. This follows yesterday’s comments from Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, in which he said that cybercrime would be the third-largest economy in the world if it were a state and likened it to a ticking time bomb.
Looking ahead in politics…
Climate change is expected to stay firmly on the agenda tomorrow with Greta Thunberg’s planned appearance in Davos. Elsewhere, there will be a Special Address by Yoon Suk Yeo, President of the Republic of Korea, and a conversation on women’s leadership across the globe.
TECHNOLOGY
Pixelated Peaks at Davos
Hackers are obsessed with businesses: At a panel on the global cybersecurity challenges, Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco, observed that the threat landscape has expanded due to the adoption of remote work, IoT, and the current geopolitical events, among other causes. Another vector of vulnerabilities is the ongoing workforce security shortage.
You can’t spell WEF without AI: ChatGPT is on everyone’s lips in Davos. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, who has a stake in OpenAI which operates ChatGPT, said at a Wall Street Journal event that the tech giant was planning to build the technology into all its products.
WEF is taking over the metaverse: On Day Two, WEF found the time to launch its Global Collaboration Village in partnership with Accenture and Microsoft. The ‘purpose-driven’ metaverse will facilitate conversation between partners to “find solutions for addressing the big issues of our time in a more open, inclusive and sustained way”, said Klaus Schwab, Chairman of WEF, in a press release. We can’t wait to see serious people having serious conversations while looking like Sims!
Looking ahead in tech: WEF is releasing its 2023 Global Cybersecurity Outlook report, where 86% of business leaders and 93% of cyber leaders believe global geopolitical instability is likely to lead to a catastrophic cyber event in the next two years. A panel including the chair of IBM EMEA will also discuss the quantum tipping point and how our economies can leverage this technology’s potential. Satya Nadella of Microsoft will also be interviewed by Klaus Schwab, Chairman of WEF.
Be sure to join us for more insight from Davos 2023 in tomorrow’s Davos Digest.
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Welcome to Issue Two of FleishmanHillard’s Davos Digest 2023.
Davos got underway on Monday and the opening ceremony was sprinkled with a handful of stardust. The 28th Annual Crystal Awards honoured actors Idris and Sabrina Dhowre Elba, artist and activist Maya Lin, and soprano Renée Flemin for their environmental and humanitarian work. The Elbas asked for more investment, rather than aid, for the world’s poorest countries.
On a less sombre note, premier football league team Manchester United has unveiled a rather glamorous lounge at Davos but insisted it was purely to entertain clients and partners, rather than act as a shop front to lure a billionaire investor with spare cash…
That was just a snapshot of the start of this week’s events. Find out much more below in today’s Davos Digest and check back here for updates throughout the week.
CULTURE
Is the hottest ticket in Davos not to have one at all?
The G7 staying off their G6: The guest list for this year’s WEF Annual Meeting is as notable for who’s not on it, as who is. Six of the G7 leaders, including Xi Jinping, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak, have opted to stay away from the slopes this year, conscious to avoid being seen rubbing shoulders with immaculately tailored business leaders and so-called ‘internationalists’ at a time when there are so many domestic fires to fight.
No-List of A-Listers: But non-committal politicians needn’t worry about being snapped looking awkward and – let’s be real – wanting in the looks department next to Leonardo DiCaprio or Angelina Jolie. As celebrity culture evolves from idolising exclusivity, to worshipping authenticity and ‘realness’, swathes of image-conscious A-listers are also eschewing any official speaking events at the summit, fearful of looking out of touch (or out of their depth). Maybe politics really is show business for normal people.
Looking ahead: Domestic reputations notwithstanding,questions will be asked whether shirking one of the biggest multilateral meeting of minds at such a crucial juncture in global affairs and for the global economy is particularly sensible. With fewer potential reputational ramifications from attending, business leaders look to have acknowledged this need for cooperation and are going to what is the first proper Annual Meeting since COVID-19 in their droves. Record numbers, in fact. The question is whether their consumers and other stakeholders will see CEOs attending a highfalutin champagne-fuelled summit as the best setting to solve these issues.
CORPORATE AND CONSUMER
Diary of a CEO: reinvent, invest and collaborate
Businesses must reinvent or risk failing: Let’s face it, for the past several years resilience has increasingly felt like a buzzword. Yet it remains a crucial driving force for successful business, according to some of the world’s top CEOs. PwC’s Global CEO Survey highlighted that of the 4,410 CEOs polled, 40% said they did not see their own companies as viable in 10 years if they stay on their current path. What is PwC suggesting? We must continue to reinvent our businesses or risk losing it all.
Investing in strategic decision making: Commenting on Accenture’s “Accelerating Europe’s path to reinvention” report Jean Marc Ollagnier, European Chief Executive of Accenture, said there was a need for European companies, in particular, to improve technology and “reinvent their business.” Nearly six in 10 CEOs said they did not invest enough time asking strategic questions, such as enquiring about technological capabilities, raising staff skill levels, building stronger supply chains and decarbonising their operations.
The future is collaboration: During the Davos Global Collaboration Village press conference where executives from the Forum spoke with Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Accenture and Brad Smith, Vice-Chair and President, Microsoft, Mr. Smith was asked about the future of business. He’s convinced the world of work is about collaboration. For decades, we have been on a path toward collaborating with new technologies. Today he urged companies to facilitate collaboration from the bottom up.
Looking ahead: Corporates still have much to discuss when it comes to creating opportunities, technological advancements, and the future of work. Tomorrow we’ll hear from WEF’s Jobs Consortium, a coalition of CEOs, government ministers and other leaders with a common vision for a better future of work for all. Stay tuned for the top trends shaping the world of work – and how CEOs are addressing them!
HEALTHCARE
Tomorrow’s workforce and a call to invest in women’s health
Will robots steal my job? Not exactly – you may just need to ‘reskill,’ according to Merck CEO Belen Garijo who spoke on a panel on the future of work this morning. She explored how public and private sectors can transform the workforce to provide better skills, jobs and education over the next 10 years as the role of technology looms ever larger. Technology is already a huge part of Merck’s upskilling and training programmes and will continue to be key to balancing capabilities and needs in the healthcare and life science industries.
The future is female: With women’s needs all too often an afterthought in healthcare, investment in women’s health urgently needs to be prioritised, according to a panel of health leaders including the CEO of Organon and the Minister of Women and Child Development for India. With the pandemic acting as a huge blow to gender equality, both private and public organisations must come together to bring women’s health back to the top of the agenda. This includes pushing for universal healthcare, stronger reproductive rights and highlighting the commercial value of investment in women’s health.
Looking ahead: Plenty more to come tomorrow, when we’ll be kicking off with a much needed debrief on the state of the pandemic. Industry leaders will also be discussing various health equity topics, including the impact of climate change on both physical and mental health and building resilient health systems, as well as what’s next in the biotech revolution.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Calls for Collaboration: multilateralism tested on Ukraine, Climate and China’s reopening
The collapse of the world as we know it? In line with this year’s theme, co-operation, or a lack thereof, dominated the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska’s speech this morning as she accused delegates of not using their influence, or using it “in a way that divides even more”. She argued that unless countries work together, we face the collapse of the world as we know it and that “this war can go further and make the crisis larger, unless the aggressor loses”. This year’s World Economic Forum offers a new chance to drum up the international support that Ukraine has been seeking and France, the UK, the US and other nations are now vowing to send increasingly powerful weapons such as tanks and armoured combat vehicles to help the cause.
The cost of climate change: “Climate needs a global approach but a fair approach” was Ursula Von der Leyen’s message when she took to the stage today as she outlined a detailed plan for a clean tech future in Europe. It had been expected that the President of the European Commission would launch a more stinging attack on the US but instead, she made it clear that parts of the recent Inflation Reduction Act have caused concern in Europe but insisted they will work together with their “United States friends” to find solutions.
Global China: China’s Vice Premier, Liu He, set out that China is now looking to open up on two fronts during a special address he gave this morning. As it recovers from its ongoing COVID situation, foreign visitors are now being encouraged to visit the country as long as they present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours before entering. Elsewhere he also set out that China continues to oppose unilateralism and is eager to work with other countries to enhance global cooperation and appropriately respond to global issues such as climate change.
Looking ahead: Tomorrow, the delegates will hear a special address from both Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. This year marks the second consecutive Davos summit without a Russian presence, with their traditional embassy now being used by delegates from India. That said, discourse about the ongoing conflict looks set to continue into the second day and indeed, the remainder of the week.
TECHNOLOGY
Traditional tech pressed about layoffs, while crypto leaders call for more clarity
Tech CEOs seen practicing their poker faces: As some reports suggest that more than 24,000 employees were laid off by tech companies in the first 15 days of 2023, CEOs of large tech companies attending WEF attempt to present a reassuring face amidst talks of a global recession. Alex Karp, CEO of software company Palantir Technologies, expects to hire hundreds of people in 2023, in line with previous years.
Regulation is SO in at Davos: The issue of creating a new statutory definition for digital assets was raised by some business leaders, including Jeremy Allaire, CEO of cryptocurrency issuer Circle, at a forum organised by Reuters at WEF. The European Union is leading the way with the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules expected to come into effect in 2024. At Davos, crypto leaders are looking at major markets, such as the US, to set up a plan and provide more clarity for the sector.
Looking ahead: A focus from Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco, on how decision makers can respond to the confluence of rising cyberattacks and a polarised geopolitical landscape. ChatGPT and generative AI are also top of mind at WEF, with speakers ranging from Hiroaki Kitano, CTO of Sony, to the artist Refik Anadol discussing what the implications are of this technological progress for their industries.
Join us for more insights from the summit in tomorrow’s Davos Digest.
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Welcome to Issue One of FleishmanHillard’s Davos Digest 2023.
In the highest town in Europe, a rare winter heatwave has resulted in dwindling snow atop the craggy Swiss mountain peaks. A telling backdrop for this year’s Davos, where the climate crisis will inevitably be high on the agenda. As arguably the most highly anticipated event in the global economic calendar, it’s being seen as the first proper summit since 2020, which took place just days before the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a global health emergency.
Who’ll be there?
The great and the good of the political, business and academic worlds will come together in person once again, and this 52nd edition is set to attract the largest gathering in its history. To give you a few stats, a record number of 2,700 leaders from 130 countries, including 52 heads of state and government. Not to mention the hundreds of journalists from around the world, interviewing attendees and reporting on all the headline news.
Public figures planning to attend include the heads of at least 40 nations including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; former UK prime minister Tony Blair; Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko; and U.S. climate change envoy John Kerry. More than 600 of the attendees (nearly one in four) are CEOs. For some celebrity and royal sparkle, attendees also include actor and UN goodwill ambassador Idris Elba, who was speaking on day one; Black Eyed Peas member and CEO of i.am/Angel Foundation, will.i.am; Máxima, Queen of the Netherlands; and Prince Albert II of Monaco.
What’s on the agenda?
Immediate, critical issues to be addressed will include the war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty, the rising cost of living, as well as the future of our planet. The mammoth conference will feature a plethora of wide-ranging discussions, speeches and panels, plus the all-important networking that often goes long into the night.
The theme of the 53rd Annual Meeting is ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’, and within that sit five main sub-themes, including the energy and food crises, inflation, technology for innovation, social vulnerabilities and geopolitical risks. There’s a lot to talk about.
The mood of the conference is certain to be more doom than boom. But to add a bit of light to the proceedings, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has stated that the aim of this year’s Davos is to do away with the “crisis mindset.”
The vibe
According to our FleishmanHillard team on the ground at Davos, Mike Kelly and Alex Eyre from our International Affairs team, opening Mondays are typically the least formal days of each annual Davos week, and this year is no exception.
“The town is buzzing, with small groups hopping from pavilion to pavilion to network, exchange ideas and, more often than not, gauge exactly what the competition is up to.” – Mike Kelly, FleishmanHillard International Affairs
Despite recent predictions that this year would be a ‘lower-key’ affair, the exhibition houses of Meta, Capgemini, Audi, Salesforce and a whole range of nation states would beg to differ. The majority of political delegations, and the most senior government figures, will arrive tomorrow and converge on the congress site.
A relaxed start to the week’s proceedings before the real business kicks off tomorrow.
Fingers on the pulse
And from tomorrow, our team of avid WEF watchers will be sharing daily updates of the news and views that caught their eye in business, politics, tech, culture and healthcare. On Friday, we’ll bring you the perspectives of some of our FleishmanHillard experts from around the globe. Next week, we’ll bring you more insights of the event from our colleagues on the ground.
Once Davos has drawn to a close for another year, we’ll share our guidance and key recommendations on what you should do to start preparing your media strategy for next year’s event. Because it’s never too soon to plan for the annual meeting of the world’s elite, as they come together to build a hopefully more resilient, sustainable future.
We hope our Davos Digest updates and insights over the course of this week and next will be of interest, so watch this space.
Join us on Wednesday 30th November, 2-3pm (GMT) for a panel discussion, ‘The Trouble with ESG Doublespeak’, exploring the role of communications in disentangling ESG at a time when sustainability has never been higher on the world’s agenda.
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FleishmanHillard hosts election conversation with former Members of Congress
November 8, 2022
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On Thursday, the FleishmanHillard Public Affairs team hosted a discussion with former U.S. Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) for colleagues and clients about the midterm election, what to expect from Congress for the rest of this year and next, and the 2024 presidential race. The event was held in partnership with the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC).
Both congressmen had little doubt that Republicans will gain control of the House, with the GOP only needing to net five seats to hold the majority.
The lame-duck session of Congress that will run from mid-November until the end of the year is expected to be as busy as any in a decade given must-pass legislation. Lawmakers must pass a bill to fund the government and approve the annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act. McAdams said Democrats will want to pass as much as they can while they still hold the majority in the House and the Senate, while Gerlach said the Republicans will want to delay decisions until the new Congress convenes in January. He anticipates the final weeks of the session to be friction-filled as the parties battle over what can and should be done while the Democrats control both chambers.
Looking ahead to Congress’ work in 2023, the former members said tech policy issues and energy were two areas they expected the new Congress to address. Gerlach anticipates that if Republicans win back either the House or the Senate, they will use their oversight powers to probe the big tech platforms and investigate how the industry manages its relationship to the news media and the Biden administration. McAdams said he believed the two sides could come to an agreement on energy permitting to enable more domestic production.
Over the next week or so, organizations should monitor election-related issues and outcomes in locations where they are major members of the community. Organizations should assess how changes in Congress will affect their issues and determine how best to educate new Members coming to Washington. The FleishmanHillard team will share an analysis in the coming weeks on the expected priorities for lawmakers in the 2023-2024 congressional session.
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Navigating China’s new cross-border data transfer rules and responding to cyber and data incidents
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Recently introduced personal information protection and cross border transfer laws and measures in China are creating uncertainties and new challenges for international and China based corporates who need to process China related data or handle cross border data transfers. Businesses need to continue to look for ways to navigate the new legal, compliance and infrastructure […]
We were there, too. For the first time ever, FleishmanHillard sponsored the premier multiday conference for journalism and communications professionals to explore media education, career development and advancement, and networking and industry innovation.
And for this occasion, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. Here were our highlights:
Discussing “How Journalists and PR Pros Can Work Together to Catalyze Equity and Change” at our panel
Francesca “Fran” Weems, senior vice president, director of diversity, equity and inclusion and global lead of the Race & Culture team (an offering of True MOSAIC, our DE&I communications practice), moderated the discussion with our esteemed panel, which included: Daniela Velázquez, vice president, Corporate Reputation and a leader on both the True MOSAIC and Race & Culture teams at FleishmanHillard; Russell Contreras, Race and Justice reporter at Axios; Erin Texeira, senior editor, Local Journalism Initiative at FRONTLINE; and Jared Council, senior editor at For(bes) The Culture.
The panel explored the role organizations play as changemakers. As we’ve seen in our True MOSAIC practice counseling clients, consumers are still frustrated with the lack of social progress and looking for company “receipts” around justice and equity. Journalists have the role of telling these stories, but as PR practitioners who center on DE&I, we know that there is an opportunity to work together to evolve the conversation, push for greater transparency and create lasting transformation.
Recruiting and Retaining the Best Diverse Talent
As FleishmanHillard continues its journey to become the most inclusive agency in the world, we know it’s important to follow the wisdom of the hip-hop artist Migos and “walk it like I talk it.” We must not just speak about the importance of DE&I but invest ourselves and our resources to integrate DE&I into the nervous system of our business and make it intrinsic to our work.
To reach our ambition, we have to recruit, grow and retain diverse talent. That’s exactly why Kelly Cheung, senior recruiting specialist, and Janel O’Brien, talent development manager, were on-site at our FleishmanHillard booth. They shared more about our commitment to DE&I, our client work on True MOSAIC, as well as our internship and Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship opportunities.
Uncovering What DE&I Reporters are Thinking
Newsrooms are grappling with calling out companies/governments while dealing with their own DE&I issues. Reporters who cover the race/culture beats in newsrooms and who are working to hold other organizations and governments accountable also grapple with knowing their newsrooms are battling the same issues.
Communicators have a real opportunity to make the world more equitable. For both journalists and PR professionals, there was a clear focus on catalyzing change by reaching internal and external audiences. There is a shared resentment that newsrooms and agencies have been too slow to diversify while knowing that to be able to tell impactful stories, you have to have teams that look more like the world in which we live and operate.
You cannot hire your way out of DE&I issues. You have to create a culture of inclusion to retain and grow top talent.
Race should be a basic competency for all journalists and communications pros. We must all understand the role of race and ethnicity in order to inform more nuanced and inclusive storytelling.
Ensure you are making DE&I a movement vs. a marketing moment: Some reporters have found that there are more efforts tied to marketing DE&I than actually making real investments. For example, a company may give $50,000 to an HBCU, but spend $500,000 on marketing it. So, that begs the question are they there for change or credit? Reporters want to know about the issues, the roadblocks and if companies are willing to fall on swords in terms of their lack of progress given so many companies are not where they need to be. Reporters aren’t here to celebrate wins but to spotlight items that are working that may be scaled across various industries.
Gen Z is looking for levels of authenticity never seen before. Gen Z is aware of their power and have a voice. They are calling out companies for their lack of authenticity and holding them accountable on social media as it relates to racial and social injustice. This is forcing companies to reconsider how they operate and speak out on issues (see related info in FleishmanHillard’s 2021 Authenticity Gap).
As an agency, we look forward to continuing to support organizations that advocate for diverse communicators and grow our commitment to, and investment in, diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Awards
FleishmanHillard Named to PRWeek US Outstanding Extra-Large Agency Shortlist, Receives CDIO DE&I Champion and Client Work Nods
December 10, 2024
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Responsible Business: Navigating Today’s Challenges and Opportunities
October 22, 2024
DE&I
Recognizing the power of the LGBTQ Community in Advertising & Media with GLAAD
October 11, 2024
Opinions
FleishmanHillard and FH4Inclusion Teams Shine at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
FH Ireland’s Head of Creative Strategy Brian Melarkey joined P&G’s Global Head of Communications Damon Jones on a panel discussion at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity
July 26, 2022
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FH Ireland’s Head of Creative Strategy Brian Melarkey joined P&G’s Global Head of Communications Damon Jones on a panel discussion at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Find out what they discussed in this article from PRovoke Media – click here
Welcome to your daily debrief from Cannes Lions 2022 Each day we’ll be sharing a round-up of the best content from the Cannes Lions festival Things you need to know from Day 2 of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022 Cannes Lions Day 2 awarded creativity within the Industry Craft, Digital Craft, Film […]
Welcome to your daily debrief from Cannes Lions 2022 Each day we’ll be sharing a round-up of the best content from the Cannes Lions festival Things you need to know from Day 1 of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022 It’s back! One of the world’s biggest celebrations of creativity. And we kicked […]