Nadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has urged the industry to sharpen its focus on diversity and inclusion in order to drive business growth.

Speaking at the Advertising Association’s conference LEAD in London today, Zahawi said, “More diverse teams create better work.” He urged those in the room to focus on diversity not just in the work but across the industry as a whole.

“Create more inclusive workplaces, improve boardroom diversity,” he said, adding, “There is a moral case for action; diversity is a matter of fairness.”

Driving the diversity and inclusion agenda is also vital to a brand’s bottom line. Pointing to the example of the supermarket which ran a Ramadan campaign promoting smokey bacon Pringles, a campaign which was subsequently removed by the supermarket in question, Tesco, Zahawi noted that there is a clear business case for diversity and inclusion. “More diverse teams create better work. Inclusivity in advertising helps to avoid stereotypes and attract the best talent to the industry,” he explained.

A new phase of growth

A new phase of growth for the UK advertising industry also topped Zahawi’s agenda. “Whether you love or loathe the idea, we are leaving the EU,” he noted.

Emphasising the fact that he spent the early years of his career building the research giant You Gov, he noted that the government has ambitions to grow global advertising exports and accelerate trade. 

He added, “UK advertising is a hot house of creativity and we win more Cannes Lions than any other European country.” He noted the industry could do even better by prioritising diversity and inclusion.

A call for action

Zahawi called out initiatives and organisations driving change across the industry, highlighting’s WACL’s ‘Deeds not Words’ campaign, the IPA’s work on gender and ethnic diversity, as well as the cross-industry #TimeTo campaign to end sexual harassment in advertising.

He also pointed to the ways in which the government is driving change, such as the new law to make flexible working the default design of all jobs, whenever possible. However, he noted that despite this progress, there is more to do.

“We need to make change on the ground,” he added, pointing to the fact that whether harassment is permitted or not is often down to the behaviour of individuals. He urged the audience to examine what they can do in their own lives to make a difference, saying, “Examine what actions you can take. Look at what you can change.”

Photography © Bronac McNeill