DDB Chicago is part of DDB Worldwide, which is one of the main networks within the Omnicom marketing services group.  DDB Worldwide is the second largest advertising agency in the nation and in the world. The agency was founded by Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1949, and in 1986, the agency merged with Needham, Harper & Steers.

It’s impossible to talk about Bradley’s diversity efforts without first talking about her history.  Bradley started at DDB in October of 1983 as an administrative assistant.  In 1985, after expressing her interest in a career in human resources, the company decided to “give her a try,” as she puts it.  Intelligence, integrity, hard work and a creative approach to getting the job done opened the doors for greater opportunities over the years.  Today, she is responsible for keeping DDB brimming with top talent.

“I’m a living example of commitment to diversity,” said Bradley.  “A college degree?  I don’t have one.   It’s my contributions to the agency and the agency’s business that has kept my career going.”  Diversity is just one of the many ways Bradley has contributed to the DDB’s success.  Diversity is also an issue that is near and dear to Badley's heart.

Fostering Change: For the Bottom Line

“Keeping the focus on diversity is one way that we can maintain a competitive advantage,” declared Bradley.  “If we are going to be successful in this industry, then we have to mirror our target customers.  You have to know their wants, desires and passions.  You can’t know that if you don’t have a legitimate bond with your audience.  Culture and diversity are some important ways to enhance that bond.”

Bradley is in the fortunate – and relatively rare – position of working for a management team that understands diversity and is committed to nurturing a diverse workplace.

“In the intellectual sense, they embody the notion of diversity – maybe not in race, but certainly in culture and thought,” said Bradley.  “Of our top four leaders, we have a former monk, a woman and two guys from what they would describe as humble beginnings.”

It may not be the United Nations, but it certainly sets the stage for a leadership team that can – and does – put diversity as a key area of focus.  Like other companies that have a strong commitment to diversity, DDB’s senior managers hold people accountable for their diversity efforts.  To underscore the importance of accountability, diversity efforts have just recently become part of performance evaluations.

“Without quoting the form, it essentially asks ‘what have you done for diversity at DDB lately?’” continued Bradley.  “And it’s included at all levels.  So whether you are a senior vice president, a senior account executive or a coordinator, the question is asked.  Obviously, we don’t hold coordinators accountable for diversity, but they can benefit if they are active.  Supervisors and managers, on the other hand, should have a pretty good answer.”

Active leadership is also key when searching out new talent.  If you’re talking to a young African-American prospect, often times the first question they ask is in regards to diversity.  Bradley makes DDB's leadership a key “selling point” to new prospects.

“Clients are also helping to lead the charge with diversity,” said Bradley.  “More and more, they are asking agencies what they are doing to build up a diverse workplace.  McDonald’s is a great example of a client that keeps a close eye on diversity within its agencies.  It’s a very good thing.  And in some rare cases, clients get directly involved as well.”

When DDB handled the General Mills business, they teamed up to create an art program that celebrated creative talent within inner city markets.  Together, DDB and General Mills put together a program that placed the art created by inner city children in corporate offices around the city.  Some of the art was later featured in a calendar.  The art was then sold to raise money for participating schools.

“It was a great program with great results for General Mills.  We’re still proud of that one,” said Bradley.

Employee diversity is only part of the overall equation in looking at how a company does business.  And when it comes to diversity, DDB is trying to take a holistic view.

“Procurement is part of the picture,” said Bradley. “We’re always looking at ways to enhance what we do, but I haven’t seen a specific plan (regarding procurement).”

Facing the Challenges

The million dollar question is: are these programs working?  Have the efforts of Bradley and her team changed the face of DDB?

“The short answer is ‘yes,’” said Bradley.  “But that’s only part of the equation.  On the whole, we’ve seen a change as far as bringing minorities into the agency, but our numbers are still low.  There is always more that can be done.”

The agency has seen some growth.  As a whole (from support staff up to senior management), DDB’s numbers are in line with some of the most aggressive agencies in the industry – which is also to say that there is still a major gap, with much of the diversity occurring at the support and entry levels of the organization.

“As we get into the client service, creative and media side, our numbers begin to fall,” said Bradley.  “As you get into the senior groupers (VP level and above), it tapers off almost completely.  But again, we’re working on it.  We have just unveiled the plan to add diversity to the performance review, and I have to say it met absolutely no resistance.  Everyone is on board.  Time will tell how much of an impact we can make, but I’m very optimistic.”

The challenge doesn’t stop once you get great employees in the door.  “The real challenge is to keep people around – and that goes for more than just your diversity workforce,” she added.  “You want to hold on to your top talent.  Particularly for the upper ranks – agencies usually groom their people over a period of years for the top spots.  When your (most senior) African-American, Asian or Latino talent walks out the door, it’s almost like starting over.”

When evaluating the effectiveness of the new recruitment initiatives, employee turnover makes it very hard to get an accurate view of what works and what doesn’t.  Particularly when you consider the high turnover rate of the industry as a whole.  “It’s difficult to find out what moves your employees when they’re not there,” continued Bradley.

To help retain top talent, Bradley has concentrated on new ways to add diversity to the corporate culture.  One tactic is to celebrate different cultures in fun, creative ways that provide enjoyment for the entire agency.  The approach has generated a series of popular lunchtime cultural events, and excitement for the agency's community outreach programs.

But Bradley knows food and fun won’t keep top talent in place, consequently, she and her team work hard to help ensure that top performers remain on track.

“In the end, people will most often do what’s best for their careers – in the short-term or the long-term,” said Bradley.  “Our job is to help them see the long-term here at DDB.”  But Bradley admits that getting people to see the long-term remains a challenge.

Finding Top Talent

Part of an agency’s success in diversity depends on where it looks for talent, and how aggressively the agency pursues it.  Over the years, DDB has changed its approach.

“We don’t do as much with the Historically Black Colleges (and Universities - HBCUs) as we used to,” said Bradley.  “We’ve had more success dealing with the professional organizations and industry affinity groups.”

Bolstered by its intern program with the American Association of Advertising Agencies, DDB's general recruitment efforts have yielded a steady stream of diverse candidates for intern and entry level positions.  However, the agency recognizes that more is required to establish diversity at all levels of the organization. 

“In the end, I think we could still be doing much better with diversity here,” said Bradley.  “But I know that we’re doing much better than most of our competition.  We have the benefit of not having a cultural block in the way.  Leadership wants it.  The employees want it.”