Two words to all of you...
Two words: thank you
As the year draws to a close, we want to express our gratitude for having you with us this year. Together, we’ve seen sustainable change within brands, cultures and communities, thanks to YOU.
This matters with DE&I under threat, with the likes of Elon Musk 'X-ing' recently 'DEI must DIE'. We've seen so much 'fear' gather around this space, starting with the US Supreme Court rolling back decades of hard-won civil rights. The Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney backlash highlighted the palpable threat facing the LGBTQIA+ community, with many brands scaling back their Pride campaigns. We are all bearing witness to the Gaza/Israel conflict, slashing division through communities and generations with Muslims and Jews facing growing hate crimes and rising discrimination.
Right now, we centre on who is most impacted as we give back. That's why we're supporting Save the Children who work cross-border and on the ground in Gaza, as children make up 7,870 of the 20,000+ dead, with many maimed, injured and orphaned (heart-breaking even to write that).
Yes, there are the wins with a slew of female change-makers owning their successes: Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig with Barbie's success, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift's record breaking tours, Phoebe Philo’s impact on fashion, Ivana Chalmers, leading a team of academics to expose inequality, Coco Gauff at the US Open - the list goes on. The government Flexible Working Bill was passed in July, meaning anyone in the UK can now apply for the right to work flexibly, a win for all workers.
At Creative Equals’ HQ, in 2023 we believe in actions, not words.
Our highlights...
We launched the industry's first programme championing disabled creatives alongside our partner Diageo; we spoke at many events (Creative Operations NYC./L.A./London, WFA's Global Marketer Week '23, alongside CMO of the Year Cristina Diezhandino (Diageo), and at Cannes LION. We partnered with Google to launch a Google Career Certificate Scholarship Programme and saw another cohort of Creative Equal’s Business Leaders become C-suite ready.
The best part? Working with change-making clients to help bring about successes within their businesses and brands. A recent example is the inclusive #CareMeansTheWorld Philips campaign which we consulted on (shout out to powerhouse Nathalie Lam and her team), which launched in Times Square (wow!). DE&I IS a key part of any sustainability agenda and narrative.
Over the last four years, we've built and refined one of the most advanced inclusive brand and marketing strategic consultancies, covering innovation, communications, supply chains and sustainability with some of the world's top brands and the results are in: DE&I at the heart of marketing transformation delivers a clear ROI.
To our clients, thank you for believing in us. We go further together.
As for Elon, good luck with that opinion.
What's coming in 2024?
2024 is going to be a seismic year. We anticipate Corporate DE&I in 2024 will be impacted by wider HR trends, including a laser focus on environmental, social, and corporate governance communication, ongoing shifts to hybrid and remote work and a rise in skills-based hiring amidst ongoing HR budgeting squeezes.
Trend wise, we're expecting to see inclusion and bias wrangle within the growth of Generative AI in marketing, brands managing backlash (or not!), a focus on DE&I in innovation for growth and a double-down on global/local approaches (how to support audiences with global initiatives flexing to meet the cultural nuances of local markets).
With the current state of the global community, we know mental health support will be critical in the upcoming year, as will promoting tolerance of difference, and reinstating the power of dialogue in navigating conflicting opinions.
Ar Creative Equals HQ, we're excited to see another cohort of Creative Comeback NYC happen earlier in the New Year, as well as our infamous RISE conference with an unmissable headliner... to be revealed in January.
Like to get involved with CCNYC? Hit this link!
