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women

in
advertising
1 0 y e a r s o n

Findings and recommendations of a study commissioned by


the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising

Debbie Klein
contents
Foreword 2

Acknowledgements 3

Management summary 4

1. Introduction 6

2. Methodology 8

3. Why women in advertising 10

4. The facts 13
4.1 The facts about women in work 13

4.2 The facts about women in advertising 15

4.3 Now versus then 19

4.4 Advertising versus other industries 21

4.5 The salary question 22

5. Women in Creative 25

6. Reasons for the slow progress of women 39

7. In pursuit of the flexible agency 52

8. What women and men want: work-life balance 58

9. Recommendations 61

10. Appendices 65
IPA: Women In Advertising

foreword
I was delighted to be asked to write the foreword My juggling of all these roles makes me a true
for this new study commissioned by the IPA on "person of the twenty first century" where the
Women in Advertising, ten years on. skills and learning from one part of my life have
helped me in another. My favourite line in this
The study is deceptive in that the title suggests report was from the Harvard Business Review
it's just about women's issues, but the overriding conclusion that "motherhood is no longer
theme is the importance of retaining good people a liability, it is an advanced management
which affects all industries and makes good programme".
commercial sense. In the last ten years, media-
related industries, probably above most others, Finally, congratulations go to Debbie Klein who
have made great changes in their working had the challenging task of pulling both old and
arrangements because they have had to. Since new threads together and moving this debate on.
the first IPA report in 1990 we've seen a world- She's presented us with a very clear picture of the
wide recession, major company downsizing and present and what the opportunities are for the
a new entrepreneurial spirit emerge through new future for those companies brave enough to
technologies and the internet. embrace new ways of working. It is a commend-
able study to add to the latest thinking on people
What I particularly liked about the study is that it management and development.
quickly accepts the well documented skill-sets of
the sexes, the woman's role as mother and carer Achieving a work-life balance must be the
for her family and goes on to debate life issues ultimate goal for everyone.
and the importance of work-life balance.
Barbara Cassani
At Go we believe in equal opportunity for every- Chief Executive
one, (dads too!), awarded on merit in open com- Go
petition. But we also understand that personal
circumstances differ and you can only sustain a
harmonious - and productive - workplace if you
are sensitive to these needs and are flexible in
your response.

As a CEO who happens to be a woman, mother,


wife, sister, daughter, friend, boss and leader, all
these roles mix together to make me who I am.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

acknowledgements
During the gestation period of this report (nine me the time to do this. Many colleagues at WCRS
months in fact), many people within the industry helped out in putting this together, particularly
have helped a great deal. As a result, this report Jo Gill and Julia Morgan. A band of planners from
is based on the views of over 500 people. All of agencies in London helped me with the
those who were interviewed or responded to interviews, particularly Lisa Matchett of BBH
questionnaires gave their time, opinions and who carried out many of the Creative interviews.
thoughts willingly. Many followed up with phone Clare Phillips of Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO has
calls or emails or sent me useful articles. been extremely committed and energetic from
the beginning. She did much of the interviewing,
Marilyn Baxter first approached me to do the wrote part of the report and more importantly
daughter of her 1990 report and has been a fine remained enthusiastic and believed in the project
mentor and purveyor of common sense. Nick throughout.
Phillips, who initiated the project, has been a
constant reservoir of advice and support (he even
took me to a Solus Club dinner so that I entered
the project with my eyes wide open!) His team at
the IPA have all been encouraging and helpful,
particularly Ann Murray Chatterton who was ever
resourceful in sourcing hard to find information
and read many drafts.

Two organisations provided a lot of support and


Debbie Klein
resource simply because they believed in the
Head of Planing
importance of the project. Larry Barker, David
WCRS
Kester and the team at D&AD have been behind
this all the way and helped with the women in
Creative area, providing useful contacts and
arranging research. Lucy Golding and her
colleagues at Carne Martin did the research
amongst junior men and women free of charge
for which I am extremely grateful.

Stephen Woodford and Charles Vallance of WCRS


supported me as they always have and allowed

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IPA: Women In Advertising

management
summary
1. Although women make up half the staff in the advertising industry, they account for a relatively low
proportion of the most senior staff (22%) and agency management (9%).

2. Whilst women are well represented in Account Handling, Planning, TV Production and Media, they are
poorly represented in the Creative Department.

3. However, women have made much progress over the last ten years. There are significantly more
female Board Directors. There has been a marked increase in the proportion of women in Account
Handling (where women now outnumber men), Creative Services and TV Production. Women's
representation in media has decreased slightly and Planning has remained the same.

4. Women believe that advertising is a better industry for women to work in today than it was ten years
ago. There is more respect for their abilities and skills and their contribution is more highly valued.

5. In the Creative Department where women remain under-represented in the extreme, the proportion of
women has actually decreased over the last decade. This is despite the fact that women make up more
than half the students doing the courses that feed Creative Departments. The absence of women in
Creative is endemic of a broader lack of diversity in the Creative Department.

6. Whilst the advertising industry was relatively progressive regarding women ten years ago, many other
industries have caught up and advertising no longer leads the way.

7. The reasons for the slow progress of women in senior positions in advertising are many and for the
most part similar to ten years ago. The nature of advertising; the nature of men and women; the lack
of female role models; subtle discrimination and probably the most influential reason of all: children.
Ageism and lack of job fulfilment are additional reasons why many women leave the industry before
they have had a chance to get to the top.

8. Whilst these reasons are by and large the same as ten years ago, they differ in one important respect.
Women lead the way in wanting a better work-life balance and this has grown over time. Yet what was
once a women's issue is now a human issue. Many men, particularly younger men, now also want a
more balanced life.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

9. It is for these reasons that the industry risks losing both talented women and men. Attitudes towards
work have changed. Advertising is no longer the only sexy business in town. Together these make up
a real long-term risk to the industry's ability to stop the brain drain. The industry will need to remove
the perceived barriers to advertising as a long-term career if it is to keep these people.

10. The growth in freelance and flexible working has been immense over the last ten years. Agencies are
slowly adapting to the need for more relaxed working arrangements through necessity.

11. Yet they have not gone far enough to embrace new ways of working or to challenge their precon-
ceptions of clients views. Part-time staff are still tarred with the brush of not being really
committed. The belief amongst staff is that agencies tacitly support rather than actively encourage
flexible working.

12. There is much that agencies could be doing to further staff retention and loyalty.
Considering braver and more diverse ways of using technology to support flexible working. Giving
people not just salary benefits but time benefits too. Introducing more innovative ways to help
mothers return to work. Giving people time off and sabbaticals based not on years' service but on
value to the company and individual needs. And above all, communicating to clients the value of
new ways of working. Many of these, however, are hard for small companies with limited resources
to manage.

13. The reasons for the low proportion of women in Creative are many. Laddish behaviour; the
placement system for would-be Creatives; lack of female role models; the attitude and approach to
recruiting and (more hotly contested) the nature of men and women.

14. There is a strong feeling that the industry is missing an opportunity and that the status quo needs to
change, particularly in the Creative area. The thinking and decision making processes are not
benefiting from all the insights and perspectives available.

15. There is much that can be done to ensure not only more women but greater diversity all round in
the Creative Department. Getting on the radar earlier with students; recruiting from a broader pool of
talent; altering the placement system; providing positive experiences for aspiring female Creatives;
co-ordinating industry PR to attract women and introducing a graduate trainee scheme for Creatives.

16. The issue of women in advertising is first and foremost a commercial one. Those agencies that are
able to motivate and keep the most talented women (and men facing similar issues) will reap the
rewards. Women have much to contribute and because some of them are not staying in the industry,
or not advancing as far as men, agencies are losing out on their full potential.

17. Many of the issues examined in this report highlight the conservative nature of the advertising
industry - one that usually prides itself on innovative thinking. Whilst some agencies are embracing
new and braver ways of working, many remain resistant to change and old-fashioned in their approach
to motivating and retaining staff.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

section 1 Introduction

W
hen asked whether women in advertising was a subject worth considering, the CEO's
interviewed for this study (mostly male) agreed it was, but not as worthy as the issue
of how to retain the best talent in the industry. As it turns out, the findings of this report
will show that there is much overlap in these two areas.

This report started out as an update of the 1990 report that was primarily concerned with 'the
reasons why there are so few women at the top of IPA agencies and to make recommendations
to improve the proportion of senior women in advertising'. Those were the primary concerns in
1990. In 2000 the industry finds itself in a different context, where the primary concern is about
retaining talent.

This study will begin by addressing the question of what, if anything has changed since 1990. But
it will also address a number of new issues that have arisen that are pertinent both to men and
women in the industry. Whilst this study began by looking at women's issues and how the indus-
try can retain female talent, many of the findings address the broader issue of how the industry
can attract and retain talent, both male and female.

In examining the issues from women's perspective, I wanted to be sure that there were not
broader issues I would miss by not getting the equivalent male view. So the research programme
(see Methodology - Section 2) included women and men at all levels. It quickly became clear that
whilst women lead the way in articulating certain needs from their career and the industry, many
men are not far behind, and their attitudes and opinions none too different.

The main shift in focus from the 1990 report is to look at the status, attitudes and opinions of
women across the industry and not to focus only on 'the top'. The reason for that is that much
of what was said in 1990 still holds true: the reasons for women not getting to the top remain
consistent and whilst some of the statistics have changed, very little else has.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Advertising is a people business and keeping our people in the business has become a concern
for the IPA and its member agencies. The most noticeable group of people that seem to be most
vulnerable to leave the industry happen to be women so the overarching objective is to address
this issue. Firstly, however, the report seeks to answer what has changed in 10 years:

Why is 'women in advertising' an issue?


What, if anything, has changed for women in advertising over the last 10 years?
What still needs to change?
What are the major reasons the industry risks losing talented women and men?
What do women and men want from their advertising career?
What should and could agencies be doing to address these issues?

And finally, this study addresses an issue that warrants specific focus and attention:

Why are there so few women in the Creative Department and what could and should be
done about it?

Why a focus on women in Creative? Because of all the subject matter covered and the research
done, this is the issue most people in the industry agree needs to be addressed, and feel most
strongly about. The one fact that most of those working in the industry are at a loss to explain is
that whilst women account for at least 70% of the decisions on expenditure in the UK, they
account for only 15% of the people who create the ads that influence those decisions. D&AD, led
by President Larry Barker, have prioritised this as an issue and wish to increase the overall pro-
portion of women in Creative. D&AD have worked closely with me on that section of this study.

My motivations for doing this study do not stem from any axe that I have to grind. I have never
felt that being a woman in advertising was anything other than an advantage and have worked
on both car and beer accounts, which are usually cited as the last bastions of male-dominated
accounts.

The intention is not to expose skeletons in any agency's closet or to otherwise frighten anyone
who might be thinking of entering the industry. It is to celebrate the strides that women have
made in advertising and to contribute to the debate of how to continue to keep the best people
working in advertising. It is also to reassure graduates that the industry is thinking and acting to
make it a worthwhile and rewarding career for all.

It may act as a wake-up call to agency management that they need to do much more. That if they
do not respond to the needs of women and men now coming through the industry, they risk
losing irreplaceable talent - or not attracting it in the first place.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

section 2 Methodology

This study is based on a research programme that forms the basis of the findings. Original
qualitative and quantitative studies were supplemented with desk research. In total, the research
programme gathered the views of over 500 people in the advertising industry.

2.1
qualitative
All the qualitative research within the advertising industry has been original research in the form
of group discussions, face to face and telephone depth interviews. They were carried out either
by me, colleagues at other agencies or by Carne Martin who all kindly agreed to give their time
to this project.

The general stage of research included 30 agencies and consisted of a total of 12 group discus-
sions and 36 depth interviews amongst the following:

Women in senior positions in agencies, both at Board and Management level


Men and women in junior positions
Women and men in middle management (Account Director equivalent) positions
CEO's of small, medium and large agencies
Recruitment consultants
Industry journalists
Women and men who have left the industry
Freelancers

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Whilst the sample does represent a strong London bias (76% of those employed in the adver-
tising industry work in London), interviews with women in regional agencies were included in the
sample.

The qualitative research addressing the issue of women in Creative consisted of 2 group discus-
sions and 18 depth interviews amongst male and female:

Creative Directors
Creatives
Aspiring Creatives
Course leaders at Colleges
Opinion formers

In addition, all respondents in the general phase of the research were also asked about the issue
of women in Creative.

2.2
quantitative
The quantitative research consisted of 3 different email questionnaires:

A general questionnaire that was sent to men and women (primarily, but not
only those in Account Handling, Planning and Media) in IPA agencies, using the
IPA database
A questionnaire on the issue of women in Creative that was sent to Creatives
using the D&AD database
A personnel questionnaire that was sent to managers responsible for
Personnel and Human Resources

The general questionnaire elicited a substantial response from men and women, but the respon-
dents of the Creative questionnaire were primarily men.

The main source of other quantitative data is the 1999 IPA Census, which has been conducted
annually since 1960.
*The full methodology and list of sources is detailed in the appendices.

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section 3
Why women in advertsing?

The mainstay of an agency's resource is its people. The agencies that succeed are those who
attract and keep the best talent. Thus it is key that women as well as men believe that advertis-
ing is a business they want to be in and stay part of. So the motivation for exploring these issues
is first and foremost a commercial one.

There is certainly a feeling amongst CEO's and recruitment consultants that the industry is cur-
rently facing the prospect of a brain drain. There is a growing concern that the industry cannot
rely on attracting talent because it is a 'sexy' business - dot com companies, broadcasting and
others are also perceived to offer exciting, fun and dynamic opportunities.

So now, perhaps even more than 10 years ago, there is a commercial need to understand these
issues. Just as agencies preach that 'keeping customers is cheaper than winning them' the same
is true of advertising and its employees.

Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that women have much to contribute and that because
they are not staying in the industry, or not advancing as far as men are, agencies are losing out
on their full potential.

Many modern management gurus now agree that:

Women's leadership and management styles differ substantially from men's and
make them better suited to certain management roles.
Undervaluing or not motivating women is a business issue that directly affects the
bottom line and those companies who succeed will reap the rewards.

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women's leadership and


management styles
The study and debate of how (and if) men and women differ has rumbled on for decades and is
well documented. When the 1990 report was published the assertion that men and women are
different, as demonstrated in the then recently published book Brain Sex, was seen as heretical
by many and caused many debates. However, it is now generally accepted that women do have
different perceptions, and exhibit different behavioural patterns from men.

This area of study has also been extended to look at how these differing abilities are carried
through to management skills. Of course not all women (or men) manage in the same way but
the literature does suggest that women and men differ in ways they think and act - as popularised
by Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

In the past most managers, who happened to be men, followed a 'command and control' lead-
ership model where lines of authority were clear, the accumulation of power and information was
key and the decision process was one of win - lose1. Women, however, tend to use a more
interactive leadership style - they build consensus, share power and information and are com-
fortable with ambiguity. This goes beyond the usual participative management style as they
attempt to enhance others' sense of self-worth and energise followers2. Inclusion is very much at
the core of what they do.

As recently as the 1970's researchers found traits most commonly associated with being male as
synonymous with traits managers should exhibit - self-reliance, independence and dominance.
So the first wave of female managers adopted a very masculine style3.

However, the recent vogue in academic literature has been that women's intuitive and caring
abilities actually make them better managers than men. Female aptitudes such as analytic
listening, long term negotiating and juggling many tasks are cited as key skills. In fact, many of
the skills that are learned as part of motherhood. As the Harvard Business Review concludes
'motherhood is no longer a liability, it is an advanced management training programme'4. Women are
comfortable with ambiguity and good at juggling because it is the story of their daily existence5.

Much of this is directly relevant to the advertising industry, as the skills cited as the ones women
excel at are precisely the ones the industry needs. The sharing of information and power. The abil-
ity to lead and manage teams. Adaptability, flexibility and the ability to manage ambiguity.

women as a
business issue
Much literature also now points to the need for companies to tap into what women have to offer,
or risk hurting the company. By undervaluing promising people who are often those responsible
for family care, the company wastes recruiting and training money and will lose out long term.
By providing flexibility, the company will retain good women beyond them having children and
they will become more useful to the company6.

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So, in today's advertising industry, where retaining talent in an increasingly competitive environ-
ment is acknowledged by all CEO's as their top priority, there is no choice. When women feel
devalued, they will leave. Not just leave their agency but often leave the industry. Often they will
leave large organisations for smaller ones, start their own company or go freelance.

Women respond in different ways to the current status quo. Some want women to stop com-
plaining, work harder and learn to play the male game. They point to their own personal success
to prove barriers no longer exist. Others collude ('go along to get along'), or accept the situation.
But many opt for flight and leave the industry. So CEO's need to think of this as a bottom line
issue, not a social equality issue7. When women are valued and feel better about their work this
translates into higher morale and increased productivity.

In the advertising industry, those agencies that are able to motivate and keep women will reap
the rewards with increased loyalty. Women are more likely to stay loyal to an agency than men
are. In the survey commissioned for this report 28% of men versus 38% of women had been at
one agency in their career. However, just 13% of women and 27% of men had been at four or
more agencies8. These statistics may reflect the fact that women are more likely to take breaks
(and so move around less) if they have children. They also point to the fact that when women
find somewhere they feel comfortable and valued, they will stay.

but women at the top


is still an issue
Whilst this report focuses on what the industry can do to keep talented women and men in the
industry, examining the issue of women at the top remains relevant. In a survey conducted for
this report, 44% of women (and 10% of men) said that they were very concerned about the low
proportion of women in senior management positions in the industry9. This concern is highest
amongst women aged 18-24(51%) and 25-30 (48%).

Women in the industry clearly feel that the industry needs to act to make sure that women are
better represented in senior management (88% of women agree). However, the majority of men
do not agree with this (only 48% agree)10 so there is clearly a tension between the two as to
whether or not the industry has a duty to examine this issue and act on it.

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section 4 The facts

4.1
the facts about
women in work
It is common nowadays to find stories in the media trumpeting that women have never had it so
good. Girls' performance at school now outstrips boys'. Girls are leaving school with better qual-
ifications, getting better degrees and their career prospects are limitless. Even fields that were
previously seen as the preserve of men are being taken up by women.

Furthermore, there is now evidence that women outperform men at work. A recent survey of
2500 managers from 400 firms found that women are more sympathetic to staff, better team-
workers, superior planners and more proficient at different technical tasks11. Research by
Management Today into the views of 1000 managers (male and female) showed that they believe
women managers are better with customers, more efficient, more trustworthy, more generous
and understanding. There is plenty of other evidence too that women's management style, which
centres around communication and working relationships is better suited to the team-oriented
organisation of the future. The value of female attributes in the workplace is at last being recog-
nised and the feminisation of work will follow. Or will it?

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Whatever industry you choose to look at, women are coming through the ranks, but still at the
very top, there is a paucity of female talent. What is clear is that women have yet to find the right
formula for career success and a balanced home life. Or, to put it another way, industry has yet
to find a way to make this possible for a substantial group of women.

Whilst women may be better educated, have a better career and earn more than ever before, in
one fundamental way their lives haven't changed at all. 80% of women are still responsible for
household chores as well as being the primary child carer. This means that many women are
unable to give their career the focus it needs to get to the top.

Despite the rhetoric of equal opportunity, women remain under represented at the highest levels
in business. There is still only one female CEO of any FTSE 100 company, namely Marjorie
Scardino of Pearson.

The high profile media coverage of the very few women in powerful positions in the boardrooms
of Britain makes the facts all the more surprising. In Having None of It, Suzanne Franks describes
what she calls 'the optical illusion'12.

'Euromoney's list of the top fifty women in finance sounds impressive,


yet only one of those fifty women, Carol Galley of Mercury Asset
Management, appeared in the Punch list of the most influential figures
in the City published a few weeks later The same is true in nearly
every other sector... Women in Computing proudly promotes the grow-
ing achievements of women in this field and seen in isolation it looks
impressive, but when Vanity Fair published a list of 'Fifty leaders of the
information age' only two women rated a mention, appearing at
numbers 40 and 48 respectively!... There are far fewer women, but the
nature of the coverage makes them more visible and you scarcely notice
that it is the same few popping up and being quoted, so that it seems
that there are many more women in powerful positions than in fact
there really are'.

Whilst women make up nearly half the total UK workforce, and nearly half the university intake,
they make up only 13% of managers13 and only 3.6% of directors14 although this is up from 1.9%
in 1991. It is also interesting to note that small businesses - those with annual sales of less than
5m - employ 95% of all female directors15. Where women do succeed is in starting their own
companies, and there has been an increase in the number of women becoming directors of their
own companies. Much has also been written about women spearheading an entrepreneurial
drive, accounting for 30% of new business start-ups.

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4.2
the facts about
women i n a d v e r t i s i n g
The overall number of staff in the industry declined from 1991 to 1993, but is now steady. The
lowest point was in 1993 due to the recession, after which numbers saw an increase until 1996.
For the last 3 years, they have stayed constant at about 13 000.

Within this, the male to female ratio has been consistent at 50:50 over the last 10 years (it is cur-
rently 51:49 male to female).

Estimated number of total staff - all IPA


member agencies
16000

14000

12000

10000
Women
8000
Men
6000

4000

2000

0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Source: IPA Census

Account Handling is the department that has shown the greatest increase in the percentage of
women, doubling over the last 13 years from 27% in 1986 to 54% in 1999. This has no doubt
been partly facilitated by a growth in the proportion of female clients.

Planning and Research has remained constant with just over 50% women. The proportion of
women reached 56% in 1993, and now stands at 52%.

Media has not shown a marked increase over the last 10 years, and women currently make up
44% of the total. As well as Creative, media is one of the areas where women report that not a
lot has changed (although the emphasis on media planning has shifted the focus away from
needing typically masculine hard-ball negotiation skills).

TV Production has also seen a rise in the proportion of women from 55% in 1986 to 67% in 1999
and is now one of the most female dominated departments in the industry.

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Proportion of client facing departments


staffed by women
100 Account Handling

80
Account Planning
and Research
60

Media
40

20

0
86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Source: IPA Census

Creative is an area where women remain under-represented in the extreme. 17% of copywriters
are women, slightly down from a consistent level of 20% from 1986 to 1991. Art Directors have
followed the same kind of pattern as copywriters and in 1999 showed the lowest levels ever, with
women making up only 14% of the total.

Creative Services has shown a marked increase in the proportion of women over the last 13
years. The percentage of women is on the rise and has gone from 25% in 1986 to 38% in 1999 -
the highest level ever and up from 33% in 1998.

Proportion of creative related departments


staffed by women
100 Copywriters

80
Art Directors

60
Creative Services
40

TV Production
20

0 Total Staff
86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Source: IPA Census

Administration and Finance departments are dominated by women, who now make up to more
than 60% of the total. IT departments are 22% women; this data has only been collected for the
last 3 years but it shows a downward trend.

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Proportion of other departments


staffed by women
100 Finance

80
Secretarial

60
Administration and
Others
40

Total Staff
20

0 IT*
86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
*Data only available from 1997

Source: IPA Census

There has been no significant change in the age of women working in the industry. The majority
(55%) is 21-30 years old, 30% are 31-40, 9% are 41-50 and just 3% are over 50 years old. There
are, however, more older men than older women employed in advertising (8% of men are
over 50).

Women employed in IPA agencies by age

70

60 Under 21

50 21-30
40
31-40
30
41-50
20
Over 50
10

0
1998 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Source: IPA Census

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4.3
now versus
then
The 1990 report that was concerned with the reasons why there are so few women at the top of
IPA agencies concluded that:

'There has been some real progress for women in advertising over the
last 30 years. In 1960 the proportion of women employed in advertising
was 38%; by 1989 this has risen to 47%.

Most of the increase has been in the professional ranks of the


agencies. In 1960, over two thirds of the women employed were in
secretarial, clerical and administrative functions; by 1989 only half the
women were employed in these functions, the other half taking up
professional roles.'

So has the situation changed since 10 years ago? Versus 1989 the proportion of women contin-
ues to grow(49% vs 47%) as does the proportion of those in professional roles (64% vs 50%).
However, to really analyse the situation today, it should be looked at from two angles - are there
more women at the top and is it a better industry for women to work in?

are there more


women at the top?
'The top' can be defined in its broadest terms as the Board of Directors of an agency and in its
narrowest as significant management positions such as MD, CEO and Chairman.

The easiest area to assess is Board level, where there is clearly greater representation of women
than 10 years ago. The level of female Board Directors as a proportion of the total has been
increasing steadily (from 16% in 1990 to 22% in 1999). This has been partially driven by an
increase in the proportion of women Account Handlers on the Board - an increase from 14% in
1990 to 31% in 1999. The overall figure for Board Directors, however, conceals wide discrepan-
cies within departments. Planning, TV and to a lesser extent Account Handling head the list.
Media, Creative Services and particularly Creatives are at the bottom.

Women in London agencies are more likely to reach Board level (where 24% of those on the
Board are women) than those outside london (where 12% of those on the Board are women).
This is probably due to the fact that agencies outside London tend to be smaller, and smaller
agencies in general have fewer women on the Board (12-15%) than large agencies (27%). In
addition, departments where women have tended to do well, such as Planning, are less preva-
lent outside London.

At the very top, however, the picture is not as easy to read. The data for Management has only
been collected for the last 2 years under the current definition (Chairman, CEO and MD).
However, it shows a positive movement from 7% to 9%.

1 8
IPA: Women In Advertising

Currently only three women have their names above the door of a top 50 media or creative
agency - Christine Walker of Walker Media, MT Rainey of Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R and
Amanda Walsh of Walsh Trott Chick Smith. It should be noted, however, that there has been a
trend towards brand names such as Circus, St Lukes or Mother rather than names above
the door.

Percentage of senior positions


held by women
60

50 48 49
Board Directors
40

30 All Staff

21 22
20
Management *
10 9
7
0
*Chairman, CEO, MD
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Source: IPA Census

Amongst the Top 20 Creative agencies the female representation at the top is thin: two CEO's,
one Managing Director, two Group Managing Directors, two Deputy Managing Directors, one
Managing Partner, one Chief Financial Officer and two Creative Directors. Outside the Top 20 the
position is slightly better.

At the time of going to press, amongst all Media agencies there are two CEO's, one Chairman,
one Managing Director and three Managing Partners.

IPA membership data shows that 14.5% of personal members (MIPAs), 13% of Fellows (FIPAs)
and 13.5% of Council members are women. This is more than double the proportions in 1990.
Also, overall female membership of IPA committees has risen from a quarter to a third. This
shows that at least one of the recommendations from the 1990 report (to positively discriminate
on IPA committees) has been acted upon.

is it a better industry
f o r wo me n to w ork in ?
When speaking to women who have been in the industry for longer than 10 years, they confirm
the facts that at the top not a lot has changed as summed up by one senior industry woman:

It's got worse because everyone thinks it's got better.

The general view is that because there are a couple of visible and credible female CEO's and
more women on the Board, the job has been done and there is no longer an issue with equality
of representation.

1 9
IPA: Women In Advertising

The 1990 report showed a marked increase in women entering the industry and concluded that:

'It would appear that the significant increase in the numbers of women
entering advertising in recent years will be reflected in 5-10 years' time
in a significant increase in women at the top of agencies.'

What the data clearly shows is that whilst there has been an improvement from 16% to 22% for
women on the Board, women are still under-represented at the very top. The movement would,
however, seem to be going in the right direction.

'There should be a natural progression of more women coming through


and making it to the top. I find it depressing beyond belief that whether
we like it or not, the glassy bit is still there.' (CEO)

Despite the data, a minority of senior women at the top of the industry do not believe that the
glass ceiling still exists. They cite their own progress as evidence that advertising is a genuine
meritocracy and that all it takes is talent and determination. The glass ceiling, it seems, looks
different depending on where you are in the organisation. A survey by an executive search group
amongst 40 women CEO's in different industry sectors concluded

'The glass ceiling appears to be a one-way mirror, apparent only to


those below'.

But it's not all bad news. Most women did agree that advertising is a better industry for women
to work in now than it was 10 years ago. There is more respect for women's abilities and skills
and on the whole women are in a stronger position than they were. Their contribution is now
more highly valued as evidenced by many agencies' willingness to allow flexible working patterns
and other concessions in order to keep them.

WACL (Women in Advertising and Communication London), established in 1923, is a members


club for women who have reached a senior position in the broad advertising world. It encourages
senior women in client, agency and associated supplier companies to meet and exchange views.
Its membership is limited and by invitation only, but it has expanded its membership - an indi-
cation of the growth in the number of senior women in the industry.

There even seems to be tacit acceptance by men at the top that women in advertising can no
longer be excluded from the inner circles of power. The Thirty Club of London, a hitherto all male
dining club, has recently decided to accept women as members and has invited its first six female
members to join - who have all accepted.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

ho w d o e s t h e UK co m p a re
to other countries?
There is little international data available for comparison purposes. However, a recent survey
'Women Breaking Barriers' by Advertising Age International showed that:

Women leaders in advertising are more likely to be found in the USA or smaller
countries. Few women run agencies in London, Frankfurt or Tokyo.
Only one major international network (B/Com3) has a woman running its
international division.
Attitudes towards women at the top do differ by region, with North America
being the most progressive followed by Europe and Asia.
The average percentage of network offices headed by a woman is just 12%, with the
list being led by J Walter Thompson, DDB, B/Com316 and Publicis.

Women in advertising reaching for the top clearly face the same hurdles in other countries. But
how do they fare against other industries in the UK?

4.4
advertising vs other
industries
When asked whether they think advertising is better than most industries for women in the way
they are treated, 61% of men and 35% of women said that it is. Interestingly, older age groups
(36-50) are more likely to say that it is better than other industries. Younger women (25-30) are
more likely than older women to say that it is worse than most industries (19% thought that it is
worse than most)17.

The 1990 report concluded that

'Women have made more progress in the advertising industry than in


every other sector for which data have been obtained, with the excep-
tion of publishing and market research.'

Whilst the advertising industry was relatively progressive at that time, many of those industries
have caught up. An analysis of women as a proportion of all staff and of the senior positions
(Board level) shows that some outperform advertising with a higher proportion of senior women.

2 1
IPA: Women In Advertising

70
Women in senior positions in other industries
60
60
49 50 50
50
40
Women as
40 % All Staff
33

30 24 24 % Board/ Partner/
22 21
Consultant/
20 17
Marketing Director

10
N/A
0
Advertising Law Medicine IT Marketing Direct
Marketing

Source: Industry Reports

Many of these comparative industries have improved over the last 10 years. Women made up
14% of medical consultants in 1990 and this has risen to 21% in 199818. The exception is IT where
the overall proportion of women has fallen from 50% in the 1960s to 29% in 1994 and 24% in
199819. There is no data for the proportion of women in senior positions in Internet companies
in the UK, but in the US women represent only 15% of candidates in a large search firm's Internet
assignments over the last two years.

The City is the most vehemently criticised for its treatment of women, fuelled by recent high
profile court cases. There is now a guarded acceptance of women in the City. Yet a survey of top
women in the financial industry shows little overall improvement on key issues related to career
advancement and pay equality, with an overwhelming 60% saying gender had held back their
career20.

On the whole there is clearly a long way to go before any industry has true equality of opportu-
nity, as evidenced by levels of senior women.

4.5
the salary
question
Whilst there is no data available for salary levels by gender in the advertising industry, general
industry trends in the UK paint a fairly bleak picture. The average woman in full-time work earns
84% of her male equivalent21. This is not simply a reflection of lower paid working women earn-
ing less than their male counterparts. The latest Institute of Management survey showed that
female directors' pay rose 7.4% whereas male directors' rose 10%. Although the average ages of
male and female directors - 48 and 41 respectively - is partly responsible it does not wholly
explain the gap22.

2 2
IPA: Women In Advertising

One reason that has been given for this pay differential is the amount of importance women
place on other criteria such as job satisfaction, which they rank more highly than salary. Men
value salary more highly and so negotiate harder23.

Whichever industry you choose to look at, the message is clear. At every level, women earn less
than men do.

In law, female equity partners, salaried partners and associate/assistant solicitors are all paid
less than their male counterparts24.

Amongst Chartered Accountants, the average female starting salary is 24 000 whilst the aver-
age male starting salary is 28 000 (a 17% difference). The differential increases proportionally
with years spent in the profession.

In Marketing, whilst there has been a slight improvement in women's salaries, the gap remains
significant (24.7%). This gap increases to 28.7% for top earners and 41.5% for the top 10% of
earners25.

However, there are reasons to suggest that the situation in advertising may be considerably
better. Firstly, male and female graduates start on the same salary so they are on an equal foot-
ing to begin with. Secondly, there is evidence that the pay gap for women in their twenties and
thirties is the narrowest of all, and as advertising employs a high proportion of women of these
ages, it is possible that the position is better than the national average.

Furthermore, in her book Having None of it, Suzanne Franks points to evidence that for young
childless professional women (of which advertising employs a high proportion) the situation is
a positive one26:

'For the first time in history, amongst a strictly limited category - young,
childless and educated professionals - a pay differential in men's favour
no longer exists. According to very recent figures, women in this group
are now earning 104% of the equivalent male wage27.

The evidence clearly shows that it is women who have children who are most likely to suffer pay
discrimination. Most women interviewed for this report were sure they earned less than their
male counterparts, particularly women with children. This was strongly refuted by all CEO's who
denied that women earn less than their male peers do or that the pay of women with children
was slowed down or their promotion delayed as a result.

Other data also supports the belief of many women in advertising that delaying children until you
are older and in a more senior position means the financial setback is less. The Women's Income
over a Lifetime survey found that women who delay having children by four years could earn
130 000 more over her lifetime. Women who remain childless will earn almost 250 000 more
in their lifetime28.

2 3
IPA: Women In Advertising

w h e n , i f e v e r,
will this change?
The Equal Opportunities Commission calculates that according to the trends of the last twenty
years, it will take at least another forty-five years before women achieve equal pay with men29. If
it is any consolation, a similar situation exists all over the world. Although Britain is at the
bottom of the European league, we are ahead of the United States where the average female
wage is 64% of the average male wage (and has only shifted one percentage point in the last
50 years).

2 4
IPA: Women In Advertising

section 5 Women in Creative

Of all the topics covered in this study, the one that most people in the industry seem most
interested in, and most concerned about, is the low proportion of women in Creative
Departments. It is the subject most likely to elicit strong opinions and spark debate, because it
is the area with the most potential for change.

Of course there are those who would happily see the status quo remain and do not see a reason
for change. Yet the overwhelming majority of those interviewed in this research believe that diver-
sity in the Creative Department - which includes more women but could include a more diverse
cultural and racial mix too - needs to be improved.

2 5
IPA: Women In Advertising

5.1
the status
quo
As most of those reading this will know, if you walk into the Creative Department of many
agencies, a unique culture prevails. The stereotypical laddish atmosphere with pool table is still
very much in existence. The Creative Director is almost certainly a man (there are only two
women with the title of Creative Director in any Top 20 agency) and female Creatives are few and
far between - currently 17% of Copywriters and 14% of Art Directors are women.

Proportion of women Creatives

40

Copywriters

% 20
Art Directors

0
86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

Source: IPA Census

The proportion of women Creatives has not improved over time and in fact has marginally
decreased over the last five years.

There is still some way to go before the proportion of women reaches the levels of other
departments.

Proportion of women by department 1999

TV Production

Account Handling
80
67
Planning
60 54 52
44 Media
38
40
Creative Services
17 14
20 Copywriter

0 Art Director

Source: IPA Census

2 6
IPA: Women In Advertising

This has long been commented on in the media with reference to sexist ads, and the analysis
that many ads for traditionally female purchases (such as household products) play on stereo-
types and are demeaning to women because they are not written by women. The Advertising
Standards Authority received 487 complaints related to sexism in advertisements in 1999, which
is a 12% increase on 1997 (434) and an 11% increase on 1992 (440).

is the situation any different


in other countries?
Comparable data from other countries shows that this is very much a UK phenomenon. The
following table shows that whilst at Creative Director level the proportion of women is very low,
at all other levels the proportions are much higher than in the UK - albeit not equal to the
proportion of men.

Country Proportion of Female Creatives


France 35
Australia - Art Director 38
- Copywriter 30
- Creative Director 11
Spain - Art Director 24
- Copywriter 24
- Creative Director 10
Sweden 30
Singapore 50
Finland 47-55%

Source: IPA

The Advertising Age International 'Women Breaking Barriers' survey amongst international net-
works has also shown that worldwide the percentage of Creative Directors who are women is 8%.
This only reaches double digits in the Young & Rubicam, J Walter Thompson, McCann and DDB
networks.

5.2
the
reasons
When asked what they thought the reasons for the status quo are, many wondered if it is because
there are fewer women doing the courses that lead to a career as a Creative. The short answer is
that it is not.

Amongst those studying Fine Arts, Design, Media Studies and Communication the picture
consistently shows that women are in fact in the majority - from 50-70%. Amongst those study-
ing design, the proportion of women has even increased over the last five years.

2 7
IPA: Women In Advertising

Proportion of women studying


advertising related courses

80
Fine Arts
70
60
Design
50
40
30 Media Studies

20
10 Communication
Studies
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Source: UCAS 2000

This compares favourably to the overall proportion of women studying any subject, which is
currently 53%30 (up from 50% in 1994).

There is no doubt that a qualified pool of female talent exists. The reasons that it is either not
attracted to or not getting into the industry's Creative Departments are clear yet complex.

laddish behaviour and attitude


within the Creative Department
This was the most cited reason and constitutes a fairly fundamental barrier to entry into or
progression within Creative Departments.

Most of those interviewed (including Creatives) agreed that the laddish atmosphere of most
Creative Departments isn't conducive to attracting women into the Department. There was gen-
eral agreement amongst women and men that the laddish, boysy atmosphere in many Creative
Departments means you fit in if you are part of the 'club'. Football talk and going drinking as a
group is commonplace and is less likely to include any women who are in the department, often
through choice.

Many female Creatives (of a senior and junior level) reported what one referred to as 'rampant,
laddish, sexist behaviour'. In many agencies it was seen as perfectly acceptable to make lewd
remarks to female Creatives. There is also an expectation that women who had been let in to the
club should put up or shut up. This resulted in many women within the department condoning
the behaviour and even partaking in it.

Others felt that women have to be able to 'give as good as they get' and it was up to them to
make it clear such behaviour was offensive.

'Blokey girls get on better than girlie girls.' (Female Creative)

'People treat you the way you let them treat you.' (Female Creative)

2 8
IPA: Women In Advertising

Most people did feel that this was changing slowly and in many agencies would be seen as
ludicrous and unacceptable behaviour nowadays. However, there is still a strong belief amongst
most women (including those who had been on placement in Creative Departments as well as
art college course leaders) that as a junior woman it can be intimidating and threatening to be
confronted by a wall of men in every agency.

'The laddish, yobbish end of the male creative fraternity gives it a real
image problem for would-be Creatives the same way that media used to
have an image problem as full of Essex barrow boys.' (CEO)

'It's a bit like walking into the lion's den.' (Female Creative)

'Women find the atmosphere childish, petulant and myopic and they
don't want to put up with that.' (Female Creative)

It is interesting to note that it was not just women who felt this. Would-be male Creatives said
they felt obliged to play 'their bloke card' and dial up the 'football and babes talk' - they have
clearly observed the way Creatives behave and feel they need to fit in.

There is also a widely held view that female Creatives who succeed are of a certain type. Either
one of the lads (as personified by Mel C of the Spice Girls) or the 'vampish man's woman' (as
personified by Sharon Stone).

'All successful women Creatives have certain characteristics: they're


powerful, feisty, hard as nails and can deal with men in a male way.'
(Creative Director)

Many non-Creatives also felt that two things exacerbate the atmosphere further. Firstly, the
Creatives all sit together as a department in many agencies. This is not the case in Account
Handling and Planning in most agencies. Some felt that this contributed to the 'clubby' feel,
which makes the Creative Department fortress-like.

Where Creatives are dispersed throughout the agency, like at St Lukes or


Howell Henry, the atmosphere is more egalitarian and a stronger one
for women to be in.' (CEO - of another agency)

This is backed up by the fact that agencies where Creatives do not sit together have a higher than
average proportion of women in both Copywriting and Art Direction.

Some non-Creatives thought that by decentralising the Creative Department the atmosphere
would change. Others felt that this would have a negative result in other ways - removing the easy
flow of ideas and camaraderie that many Creatives find inspiring, as well as the rivalry that
improves the quality of work. There was also resistance amongst some Creatives to the idea of
decentralising because they felt the supremacy of the Creative Department within the agency
would be at risk and to change would be to lose power.

'It's very them and us for Creatives. Paradoxically, the Creative


Department is often least open to change and new ideas.' (CEO)

2 9
IPA: Women In Advertising

The second factor that exacerbates the culture in Creative Departments is the way the rest of the
agency and some clients treat Creatives. Some felt that Creatives are overly protected from the
realities of the client's business and often unreasonable and unacceptable behaviour was
indulged for the sake of getting better creative work.

'They are still run like little boys clubs and this sort of nursery stuff.
There is a very nannying attitude towards Creatives. a feeling that
what they do is art and what everybody else does is business.' (CEO)

'Traditional agencies treat Creatives like children and absolve them of


responsibility. Men find it easier not to take on responsibility.'
(Creative Director)

The laddish atmosphere seems to be unique to advertising agency Creative Departments.


Neither direct marketing nor design agencies suffer from the same problem and anecdotally
many people who leave advertising to go and work in these disciplines do so because of the
different atmosphere.

the placement system


for aspiring Creatives
Many people also feel that women are less willing to tolerate what is required to secure a job as
a junior creative team. Up to two years on placement earning next to nothing (most agencies
now pay the minimum wage but until recently some paid as little as 25 per week), having to find
temporary accommodation with friends, and above all the constant uncertainty of not knowing
whether there is a job at the end of it.

Reports abound of agencies taking advantage of placement teams and stringing them along for
months on end, as the source of cheap labour is seemingly bottomless.

The specific weaknesses of the placement system goes beyond the scope of this report but it is
undoubtedly one of the main deterrents to women who may be considering becoming a Creative.
War stories of people who have to do a dozen placements before securing a job are common. It
is no wonder that after a few months many abandon their goal.

'Women do not like to live in squalor so they make a quality life


decision not to put themselves through living on someone's floor eating
Pot Noodles and earning a pittance.'(Advertising College course leader)

'Women are just far too sensible to put up with that nonsense.'
(Creative Director)

Certainly the indignity of trawling around with a portfolio does seem to be greater for women
than men.

The placement system was commonly criticised by would-be Creatives, course leaders
and Creatives.

3 0
IPA: Women In Advertising

'Abolish placements and admit what they are - a Victorian-style slave


trade for the Creative elite.' (Male Creative)

Amongst Creatives themselves there is a split vote on whether or not the placement system
should be changed. Roughly half thought that altering the placement system would encourage
more women to enter the industry. When asked how they would change the system if they could
Creatives suggested increasing the pay for placements, limiting the amount of time a team can
be on placement (which some agencies already do) and making sure a significant number of
women are hired on placement.

However, there are still many Creatives who do not agree that the placement system should be
altered and there is a belief amongst some of those who have made it that you have to earn
your stripes.

'Some Creative Departments take perverse pleasure in how tough the


placement is.' (Male Creative).

'I had to do it, so you have to do itit's all so pig headed and
silly!'(Male creative)

'We expect to see a sense of sacrifice. It's a privileged job so it must be


tough to get in.' (Creative Director)

There are also those who strongly defend the system, saying that anyone who is talented and
determined enough will not be put off by it.

'It's to do with being driven, whether you're a man or a woman. You


can always tell who is going to make it.' (Creative Director)

'It comes down to how passionate you are. If you want it, you have got
to work for it.' (Female Creative)

Anecdotal evidence of recruitment practices in other countries indicates that the UK industry is
unique in that the placement system is so ubiquitous, so drawn out and so badly paid.

Many countries have a placement system for students who are still studying who work during
their term breaks. Norway abandoned their placement system as employers who kept the place-
ments on at very low wages abused it. Some countries operate a similar system to the UK where
they take on 'interns' but it is on a smaller scale, usually paid and not the main way of hiring
Creatives. In many countries Creatives are even hired on the strength of their portfolio and good
old-fashioned job interviews!

the nature of
men and women
It is now accepted wisdom that men and women exhibit different natural traits, which affects
how they behave and cope in their personal and professional lives. These natural tendencies
were cited by some as the reason why more men than women get into and thrive in
Creative Departments.

3 1
IPA: Women In Advertising

The traits needed to succeed in the advertising industry that are seen by some as typically male
traits are single-minded determination; tenacity; self belief; arrogance; the ability to cope with
rejection; assertiveness; competitiveness and 'being unreasonable in the pursuit of art'.

'The nature of the job is against female's nature. You have to be


assertive and act all the time. Boys always think what they have done is
brilliant. It's so ego-driven and women are just naturally more honest!'
(Female Creative)

'The business has selected for women without self-doubt, and there are
not too many of those.' (Female Creative)

'It takes a strong woman with skin like a rhino - it's like stand up
comedy.' (Male Creative)

'You're putting your balls on the line and exposing yourself everyday.'
(Female Creative)

Others also pointed to stereotypical female traits as being unsuitable for life as a Creative:

'Lots of women get pushed towards illustration and design because it is


less competitive and calmer, and more temperamentally suited to
women.' (Female Creative)

'Women approach things differently - they want to talk things to death


and go too deep.' (Male aspiring Creative)

Some even suggested that women are not good at 'being funny' and that comedy is an essential
part of the Creative tool-kit.

Overall, the majority of Creatives disagreed that men are better suited to the single-minded pur-
suit of creative excellence. Some disputed the theory that women exhibit different traits and
pointed to examples where women had shown the same traits.

'If you are not dedicated and commit to be competitive, you cannot do
it, but I'm not sure that's a male trait.' (Female Creative)

'You need to be able to give what you get and take no prisoners. But
this applies to men and women alike.' (Male Creative)

Whilst these differences may play a role, they could not possibly be the main contributing factor.
If they were, other countries would exhibit similar statistics and we have already seen that they
do not.

'Men are not physiologically better suited to being Creatives it's a UK


phenomenon. In America it's not the same.'(Creative Director)

Others saw no reason why advertising should be any different to other creative pursuits, where
women are not less talented or less suited to the nature of the job. Many cited other areas of
artistic endeavour where women were now more prominent, such as Young British Artists, and
believed that advertising would surely follow suit.

3 2
IPA: Women In Advertising

lack of positive experiences and


role models for women
Women quickly become aware while studying that there are very few female Creatives in the
industry. Men on the whole, do the ads they read about and aspire to make.

'There's no green light for women all the books we read and ads we
see are done by men.' (Female aspiring Creative)

There is no road show or any other sort of PR campaign to make young women aware of the
positive aspects of the career, to expose them to as many good experiences as possible and to
show that many women can and do make it.

Whilst a great deal of time and energy is devoted to giving potential Account Handling and
Planning graduates a positive view of the industry as a whole, and that agency in particular, the
same cannot be said of the way agencies recruit Creatives. The potential recruit is exposed to
mainly male Creatives, and may not even be aware that any female role models exist.

'Would-be Creatives often get to see junior teams who can be rather
laddish so this may be off putting for women.'(Male Creative)

Top of mind female role models for the would-be female Creatives tend not to come from
within the industry but are strong female icons like Madonna or Anita Roddick. When prompted,
names such as Barbara Nokes, Alex Taylor, Rosie Arnold, Pat Doherty and Tiger Savage were all
mentioned but beyond that they are hard pressed to name any.

TV programmes (such as 'The Creatives'), newspaper articles (and this report) only serve to
confirm any suspicions potential recruits may have regarding laddishness. Any woman at school
or college considering a Creative career would almost certainly draw the conclusion that only
women of a particular type would flourish in such an environment.

Whilst most course leaders and those trying to get into the industry did not feel that anyone
determined enough would be put off by the largely negative way in which Creative Departments
are portrayed in the industry and broader media, they did acknowledge that this could be a con-
tributing factor. Negative publicity certainly outweighs the positive.If the industry is serious about
wanting to recruit more female Creatives, it will need to mobilise Creatives who are prepared to
send out the right signals to colleges - and even schools.

Looking at the way in which children and teenagers approach career decisions, it becomes clear
that girls are far more likely than boys to decide earlier on at school which career they will follow,
and to choose a course based on that decision. So getting to girls as young as 14 or 15, (just
before exam subject choices) when they are thinking about their future and planting the idea of
being a Creative makes a lot of sense.

The role for more high profile women not just in the national media but in an organised
programme to schools and colleges is clear. But it is not just women who should be going pub-
lic because many young women have men as role models so there is an important role for male
Creative Directors too.

3 3
IPA: Women In Advertising

creative directors recruit


in their own image
There is a strong belief that male dominance will be self-perpetuating as long as Creative
Directors recruit on the basis of their own experience ('I see myself') and their current depart-
ment ('will they fit into my gang').

In other words, Creative Directors feel safer dealing with men who they have a connection and a
mental affinity with. Teams are often chosen to fit the status quo rather than challenge it. For
most would-be Creatives the target audience for their book is the Creative Director and women
will tailor their book accordingly.

'30-40 year old men become our creative target for everything in our
books you have to learn their humour.' (Female aspiring Creative)

There is also a belief that because of this nothing will change until a new generation of Creative
Directors emerges.

'Some of the dinosaurs won't be there and maybe some more


enlightened people will come through.' ( Journalist)

t he a t t i t u d e a n d a p p roa ch
to recruiting young talent
Most Creative Directors know that the laws of supply and demand weigh heavily in their favour
and that there are many more teams than they will ever have jobs for. This has led to an attitude
of 'you need us more than we need you', and a complacency that adverting will always attract the
best creative talent. However, this is not the case and many Creatives bemoan the quality of
much of the talent they see.

Many felt that aspiring Creatives now have many options available to them which will still allow
them to be creative, earn more, and not have to go through the absurdities of the industry recruit-
ment system. Until the industry sees that the onus is as much on it to pitch to aspiring Creatives
as it is for them to pitch to Creative Directors, agencies are in danger of recruiting a particularly
homogenous group of people.

'With the Internet, advertising is not dominant as a medium anymore,


and we need to wake up it should be down to us to go out and get
the clever people and say, we want you.' (Creative Director)

Aspiring Creatives also say that there is a lack of information available to people and word-of-
mouth is relied upon. The industry is not perceived to be proactive in sending information to
schools and colleges and when they do it is skewed towards recruiting for Account Management.

3 4
IPA: Women In Advertising

5.3
what difference
does it make?
The question of whether balancing the male to female ratio would have an impact on the type
and quality of work produced is an issue on which two sides are firmly entrenched in their beliefs.
When asked whether having more women in their department would be beneficial about two-
thirds of Creatives said yes. When asked in what way it would be beneficial most referred to a
more varied input and atmosphere leading to a more varied output.

'Different ways of looking at things. Different ideas. Different priorities.'


(Male Creative)

'Simple cultural balance. Who wants a department made up of entirely


of 26 year old blokes?' (Male Creative)

'It would reflect the true nature of our society and the products we sell.'
(Male Creative)

Most people do believe that a more diverse talent pool is bound to lead to a more diverse genre
of creative work. The two categories of advertising that were most often cited as benefiting from
change were traditionally male product types, such as beer and cars, and traditionally female
ones such as washing powder and personal care.

Those that subscribe to the belief that the work produced would be different did not necessarily
believe that women should write for 'women's products' and men for men's - this was almost
universally dismissed. However, many did feel that it is easier to make the necessary connections
and tap into an insight if you have experience of the product.

'Most men are writing what they imagine women are like.'
(Female Creative)

'If you're a good creative you should be able to write about anything
but you have to do your research first.' (Male creative)

'I just want bio-diversity in the department. It's not about putting
women on women's products. It is about different points of view and
women bring that.' (Creative Director)

The effect of female under-representation was also seen by some to impact on the tone of much
of the advertising, particularly the laddish tone of voice that is accepted by many as what makes
great advertising.

'There's an inverted snobbery now. It's more about football than about
Proust. The feminine approach is more intelligent and that's what's
needed so of course it would affect the work.' (Creative Director)

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Many of the ads that are written for female audiences were cited as insulting and patronising,
(mainly by women). An often quoted statistic that 70% of purchases are made by women was
given as one of the main reasons why it is self evident that more women should be writing the
ads to better reflect the society they're written for.

There are, however, some (particularly fervent) believers that the motivation for improving the
proportion of women in Creative is one of political correctness and would make no difference to
the product at all. Others did not see the need for 'all kinds of Creatives' as long as the Planner
was painting an accurate picture of the target audience, and believe that equality for the sake of
it is counterproductive.

'Good ideas don't have genitals.' (Male Creative)

'I'm bloody sick and tired of hearing about this. It's not about sex - it's
about talent.' (Male Creative)

5.4
the will to
change
When asked how concerned they were by the low proportion of women in the average Creative
Department, the vast majority said that they are concerned. Most also agreed that the industry
needs to act to make sure women are better represented.

Amongst the Creative Director fraternity, there is certainly a stated desire to change. Most
Creative Directors say that they would hire more women if they could. The problem, they say, is
that whilst women's books are on the whole as good as men's, there is a low proportion of
women's books in the system. In general, only about one in ten books they see are any good so
it can take a long time to find a good mixed or female team.

There is certainly a feeling that because of the status quo the industry is missing an opportunity
- a view held by men and women.

'There is something that women can give to the industry and we're not
being allowed to give it yet.' (Female aspiring Creative)

'We're getting a skewed point of view and skewed working environment


- everyone is missing out.' (Male Creative)

'Who knows what great ads we could be making.' (Creative Director)

Larry Barker, President of D&AD, has publicly stated his concerns in this area and wants to put
in place a programme to attract more women into the industry. This part of the report has been
researched in conjunction with D&AD, who plan to use the findings to design such a
programme.

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Despite the stated desire to change, there are those who believe that the environment will never
lend itself to total equality. The majority of Creatives seem to believe that creative environments
will always breed inequalities - a view not held by CEOs, Account Handling or Planning.

Some also cited the generally poor approach to training in most Creative Departments and said
that the will to change the way teams are recruited goes hand in hand with a more professional
approach to training and career development. Whilst there is a will to change it is not a huge
priority and business issues will overtake ethical issues every time.

'Just as training hasn't been taken seriously in the Creative Department,


this hasn't been taken seriously enough as a problem.' ( Journalist)

What is clear is that too few women are writing the ads and not enough appear to want to go
through the hoops needed to get to write the ads. The industry is missing out on input from an
important group of people, and while the desire to change is voiced, it has not yet been
acted upon.

5.5
in search of
diversity
For many, the issue of women in Creative is part of a larger concern about lack of diversity in
Creative departments. The traditionally white, male, University educated Southern pedigree of
many Creatives in the 70s and 80s has been replaced with a white, male, College educated,
Northern bias which seems to have resulted in an inverse snobbery.

However, this is still a particularly homogenous group and many would like to see a more diverse
talent pool in every respect - background, sex, race and education.

'Everyone's bemoaning the monochrome culture. No one can write


anymore, there are so few women, there are no craft skills.'
(Creative Director)

This larger diversity issue is beyond the scope of this report, but is one of the issues raised, which
would, if addressed, contribute to a richer mix of people in Creative Departments, including more
women.

One of the main reasons cited for this homogeneity is the lack of diversity in sources of
would-be Creatives. The majority of talent entering the industry do so via an art college or media
studies course. The traditional route is to do your training, find your partner and get your book
together. For those coming from outside the main feeder colleges, it is extremely difficult to get
in without a partner or a book, and candidates are expected to have some training.

It is understandably much easier for agencies to recruit from these colleges since they are a
known quantity and know what agencies look for. However, some feel that increasingly books are

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very similar and written to a set of criteria that course tutors believe will get them a job.

'Nothing's changed at the colleges. It's the same tutors doing the same
thing.' (Creative Director)

There is a belief amongst some would-be Creatives that a university degree is not useful and that
agencies are not interested in academic qualifications.

'Creatives advise you not to go to university to get into advertising - a


degree's not worth the paper it is written on.' (Male aspiring Creative)

'It's like football - the earlier you start the better'.


(Male aspiring Creative)

Some Creative Directors also believe that books are no longer as valid as they are based on press,
which is fast becoming 'out of date' and too formulaic.

Recruiting talent from other sources, such as those with more general university degrees, is seen
as one way to broaden the talent pool.

However, that would require agencies to train Creatives as they train graduate Account Handlers
and Planners. To invest in them as graduates, and to offer decent starting salaries to compete
with the other options on offer.

In return for a more diverse talent pool, agencies would need to be willing to go through what
will be a painful process that will require more resource (time and money) than is currently
invested.

It will also require that the productivity of junior teams be perceived in a different light. Graduate
teams would be seen more as an unproductive team who are being trained rather than a team
who are depended on to produce work. Many agencies depend on placements to deliver work to
clients and this too would need to change. Certainly the low starting salary (12,000 to 15,000)
for most Creative teams is seen as an issue for would-be Creatives, but particularly for women.

For many, it will be all too easy to leave the status quo unchallenged, but it is clear that nothing
will change if Creative Directors are not prepared to be the catalysts of change.

'We're just self-replicating ourselves. If we don't fish where the clever


people are, we'll never get the cream of the cream.'(Creative Director)

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section 6
Reasons for the slow progress of women

The 1990 report concluded that although there should be a significant increase in women at the
top of agencies (due to the significant increase in women entering the business) women will
continue to be under-represented.

'Women will continue to be under-represented (relative to their total


number) in top management in agencies because opportunities for
women are not totally equal'.

This report supports the 1990 conclusion and the reasons given then as to why this is the case.
These reasons are still relevant today in helping to explain why there are fewer women at the top
(in both the wider and narrower sense). Although some of the issues do appear to have
improved, they have not improved to the point of extinction.

In summary, the main reasons for the low proportion of women at the top are:

The nature of the business


Men and women are different
Discrimination
Children and partners
Lack of female role models

Furthermore, this research has found two other possible explanations that are worth exploring
because they affect the industry's ability to retain men as well as women. They also help explain
why some women (and men) leave the industry before they have a chance to get to the top:

Ageism
Job fulifilment

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6.1
the nature of
the business
Most organisations have been created by and for men and are based on male experiences. So
organisational definitions of competence and leadership are still predicated on traits stereotypi-
cally associated with men - tough, aggressive, and decisive. Advertising is no different, with
certain characteristics that are more likely to appeal to or favour men. Some of these are
intrinsic to the business; others are as a result of historical male dominance within the business.

This issue is felt to be more relevant by more senior women in the industry. At more junior
levels where there is greater representation of women, advertising is seen as a business for both
sexes, but at a senior level, it is still seen by many to be a man's world.

p re d o m i na nt l y m a l e
management
Many women feel that because most people recruit in their own image it shouldn't be surprising
that it is men who get on. One top 10 agency jokes about the 'male line of succession' for the
CEO position, where the feeling is that only the men are groomed for the top.

There is also a perception that male management can be intimidating for women and an advan-
tage for men (whatever their level). Men find it easier to talk 'man to man' to male bosses.

'The guys who get on aren't necessarily the ones who are superbrilliant
at their jobs. They are the ones who have the chat and the charm that
senior management responds to.' (Female Planner)

This may well change, as more women are becoming more senior in Account Handling - the
usual source of agency management.

a laddish
culture
The atmosphere and culture of an agency is set by the people at the top and laddish MDs and
Creative Directors set the tone for the agency as a whole.

'Some agencies are completely laddish. I wouldn't send a woman to


those agencies - they just wouldn't be taken seriously. And it is those
agencies that will miss out on this talent.' (Recruitment Consultant)

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predominantly senior
male clients
There are certainly more female Clients than ever before, and the Advertising Agency Register
estimates that up to 55% of their clients are women (up from 40%). However, most of the most
senior Clients are still men. Entertaining is an important part of client service (meals, participat-
ing in golf days and spectating at boxing, football and rugby). Some women are less interested
in traditionally 'male' sports but even if others aren't, it is assumed that women wouldn't enjoy
this entertainment and they are often excluded.

One female Board Director was excluded from the client golf day:

' Because they thought I wouldn't enjoy it. But whether I'd enjoy it or
not isn't the point. It meant that I was being restricted in developing
relationships with my clients.'

6.2
men and women
are different
Clearly a controversial issue but important to cover nonetheless. Even though there has been a
blurring of gender differences in the 1990s (with the success of unisex products such as CK and
Gap) there are still and always will be characteristics or traits favouring one sex. This is now
generally recognised and acknowledged by men and women within the advertising industry.

However, most of those we talked to believed that these gender differences are not rules but
generalisations. Individual men and women have or lack particular characteristics but generally
men and women are more likely to exhibit certain characteristics because of their sex.

Many men and women believe that in the past women had to exhibit male characteristics to suc-
ceed. Today, there is a belief that women can succeed on their own terms. The nature of women
is perhaps less of an explanation for the lack of women at the top compared with 10 years ago.

'You no longer see the 80s shoulder padded power birds.'


(Female Planner).

Increasingly, qualities that women bring to management are being recognised and sometimes
positively encouraged. However, it was universally maintained that men are naturally better at
promoting themselves. Women, it appears, are often still 'too lady-like' when it comes to self -
promotion.

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differences that favour


m e n g e ttin g to th e top
Most people interviewed felt that there were some 'male traits' that make men better suited to
progressing in the industry.

Men are ambitious for power. They are concerned with hierarchies and jockeying
for position. Women are more interested in being seen to be good at what they do.

'Men are more cavalier, women worry more about the detail.'
(Female Board Director)

Men have more confidence and are better at self-promotion. They are better at making it
known that they have done well and are braver at seeking jobs that they are not
'properly qualified to do'. Women are more cautious - often needing to have experienced
the job before they feel qualified to do it.

'Women are not as good at publicising themselves within the agency as


men are.' (Female Account Director)

Men have a greater need to succeed. Men do not have a choice in the way that some
women do, of leaving a career to concentrate on bringing up children - although this is
a social, not an industry issue.

Men are better at selling to clients as Account Handlers. As one young woman in adver-
tising put it on being asked whether women make better account handlers than men:

'It depends on what you see the role of account people as. If you see it
as servicing and building relationships with the client, yes, we (women)
probably do make better account handlers. If you see it as selling work
and coshing clients over the head to bloody buy things in order to have
reflective glory on your creative director, then probably men would be
better at it. It depends on what an agency's ethos is.'

However, there are also felt to be female traits which favour women:

di f f e r e nc e s t h at
favour women
Women are better at picking up subtleties. Women are more adept at understanding and
interpreting social cues or nuances of meaning from tone or body language. This can be
important in 'reading' a meeting or client.
Women are better at teambuilding. They are more likely to share information and power
and encourage participation from the whole team. They are also naturally more com-
passionate and nurturing and they want to develop the people in the team.
Women are better at listening. Rather than force their views, they will listen first to all the
arguments and then argue for a course of action.

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6.3
discrimination
There is a consensus that the level of discrimination in the industry has declined over the last
decade. This is certainly backed up by comparison to the 1990 report where discrimination
appears to have been more explicit:

'Where real discrimination exists however is at the very top. Agencies


appear to be wholly relaxed about promoting women to senior positions
but are much more reluctant to see a woman as the media director,
the client services director or the managing director.'

However, whilst such blatant discrimination is rare today (e.g. a woman losing out to a man in
promotion who is less talented and experienced) gender discrimination has not disappeared.

When asked if they had experienced discrimination, 42% of women in the industry say they
have31. Amongst women, the incidence of discrimination is higher in the older age groups - prob-
ably because they have been around longer so are more likely to have experience of it (and this
may have been long ago)!

Percentage of women saying they have


experienced discrimination
80
70 67 67

60 53
50 46
38
40
28
30
20
10
0
18 - 24 24 - 30 31 - 35 36 - 40 41 - 50 51+

Source: Email Survey June 2000

Amongst women saying they were discriminated against, 38% said it was pay discrimination,
22% said it resulted in lack of promotion and 15% said it was sexual harassment while the
remaining proportion (25%) were not specific.

In three-quarters of the cases, the discrimination was felt to be prompted by gender, with 18%
saying having children prompted it and 7% said it was prompted by age.

It would seem that discrimination still exists but it has just gone underground. The glass ceiling
appears to be less of a physical barrier and more of an attitudinal hurdle consisting of precon-
ceptions and stereotypes. Many of the women interviewed claimed to have suffered subtle
discrimination and there is certainly evidence of insidious discrimination such as:

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language - being referred to as a girl


comments about appearance and dress
making assumptions about having children
not being invited to agency days because they involve sports

'If we lived in the States, there'd be lawsuits all over the place. Men
wouldn't be allowed to get away with their comments there.'
(Female Planner)

Most women (74%) and men (68%) agreed that their male colleagues are treated with more
respect than their female colleagues are. This is flat across all age groups but more strongly held
by women on the Board (88%) and women in Account Handling (85%)32.

Nearly all the women interviewed had tales to tell, and all had made a stand when they thought
it had crossed the line from being a 'harmless joke' to when they felt it would jeopardise their
standing within the agency or with the client.

A further demonstration of discrimination cited by many women - at all levels - was the belief that
women are paid less than men. Evidence of this was rarely given; it was more of a suspicion that
men were paid more.

6.4
children
Although medical science is continually advancing, it is still the case that it is only women who
can have babies. This fact is probably the biggest factor in why there are not more women in sen-
ior positions in advertising- as it was in 1990.

With children come many joys but also many difficulties in terms of working life. The 1990 report
listed three reasons why children tend to get in the way of women getting to the top:

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In most cases - but not all - children shift the focus of commitment and children
and not advertising become the 'be all and end all'
The years in which most career women start a family are precisely those years in
which people are expected to make it to the top
Agencies often do not make it easy for women to return after having children

All three reasons still stand, but the last is beginning to change - more quickly in certain
departments, such as Planning and slower in others, such as Account Handling and Media.

The possibility of returning to work has greatly improved over the last 10 years as many agencies
now have a maternity policy that goes beyond the statutory requirements (in 1990 only one
agency had one). There has also been acceptance by some agencies of part-time or flexible work-
ing for working mothers. However, the difficulties in running a career and a family remain - even
if more women feel that they are now able to return to work.

the issues
working mothers face
At a practical level, there are times when women will have to leave on time - such as picking up
children from nurseries or nannies. There will also be other occasions such as a child's sickness,
or school event, when the working mother cannot be at work.

Successful working mothers tend to be the most organised and ruthlessly efficient, but also have
help in the form of nannies or child minders. This can lead to great strain at a financial level.

At an emotional level women who have had children and returned to work often talked about
facing huge guilt and pressure:

'I'm torn apart by the guilt factor. I'm worried that I'm not doing
enough at work and not spending enough time at home with my
daughter.' (Female Planner)

Headlines such as 'Do working mothers harm their children?' abound and sharpen the issue of
work-life balance in many people's minds. The irony is not lost on many that they work on adver-
tising campaigns showing women who get what they want from life and manage to have it all.
Yet in their own backyard very few have managed to achieve it.

Interestingly, some women with children who wanted to work part time had found it harder to
speak to a female head of department if she was a working mother than a male department head.

'I found if difficult to put my case to the head of department who was a
working mum. How can you say 'I want to work part-time so that I

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can see my child' when they're doing what you consider to be unsatis-
factory.' (Leaver)

younger women without children


think about this dilemma early on
Even for younger women without children, the prospect of having a family began an internal
dialogue:

Would I want to combine working in advertising with a family?


Do I know anyone in my agency that combines work and motherhood well?
Is my agency supportive of people with families? What flexibility do they give?

Many were unsure as to whether they would really want to continue working in advertising if they
became a mother and predicted that they might feel that as children would become the most
important part of life, advertising could become very unimportant.

'I just think having children, one can't tell but it would put such a
different perspective on your life, frankly advertising would be down the
sink you really have to care.' (Junior woman)

Some thought they might not want to work at all:

'I can't see how I'm going to be able to have children and be really
successful at work, I really don't. I think I've either got to make the
decision to marry someone very wealthy or not have children.'
( Junior woman)

Others felt that although they might want to continue to work in the industry as a mother, they
would first have to work very hard in order to get to a level at which they felt they could make
demands about their conditions of working.

'Those senior women who are working mums have generally moved to
the agency at a senior level and have therefore been able to call the
shots and dictate what they want - which includes how they wish to
work.' (Female Account Director)

A recruitment consultant who advised 'don't work part-time unless you're on the Board' backed
this up.

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self-selection plays an
important role
When asked why there are not more women in senior positions in advertising, 10% overall said
'personal choice' or 'lack of ambition' was the reason. However, more men (16%) than women
(7%) felt that this was the case. Perhaps this is because many women don't believe that they
really have a choice. For example, many of the women with children who had left the industry
believed that they had no choice in leaving - they did not believe that they could satisfactorily
combine working in advertising with time spent with their children.

Inevitably there is a degree of self-selection that exists. Women with children weigh up their pri-
orities and whilst some may continue to work in the industry, they may decide that they do not
want to progress any further in their career and are happier with a less stressful and demanding
job in the light of their domestic situation.

'I didn't want to work 5 days a week of agency time - I wouldn't be able
to see enough of my child.' (Leaver)

'I couldn't combine work with motherhood successfully. I was


emotionally less attached (so less devoted to the long hours and
the slog) and practically I couldn't work more than 9-5 anyway.'
(Leaver)

strong support for better


arrangements for working mothers
There is agreement across the industry that agencies should go further than statutory require-
ments to provide working flexibility for women with children (68% of men and 74% of women
agreed). Surprisingly, this view is less strongly held by women on the Board (68%). It is a view
most strongly held by women in media (86%)33.

There is no official data on the proportion of people in the industry with children. However, as a
rough guide, 38% of men and 19% of women who answered the survey commissioned for this
report have children34. Amongst women aged 36-40 50% have children . This is some indication
of what proportion of the industry these issues affect.

Neither is there data on what proportion of agencies offer maternity policies that go further than
statutory requirements. Undoubtedly a woman's decision to return to work or not is influenced
by the benefits received. In many cases it simply does not make financial sense for women to
return to work due to the cost of childcare. There is a strong argument for a more open discus-
sion with would-be mothers as to what is needed to get them to return to work. Some agencies
do have firm maternity policies but add benefits depending on how valuable the member of staff
is seen to be - subsidising the cost of a nanny, for example. There is some debate as to whether
this is wise given the potentially demotivating effect on those who are not given such benefits
but find out others receive them.

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children as one of
many sacrifices
Many senior industry women felt that they had sacrificed something on the way to the top. Not
having had children or too little time with their children was the most common one. Some with-
out children admitted that they would not be where they are today had they had children. The
sacrifices to get to the top are clear and many understood why so few want to do it. Relationship
problems and loss of female friendships were also cited as regrets.

6.5
husbands
and partners
Even with the arrival of the New Man during the 1990s, the majority of domestic chores are still
done by women. Those women without babies and with husbands or partners still find that they
generally arrange the household as well as manage their careers. Most senior women in the
industry admitted that 'what I really need is a wife'. The advice that was given in 1990 still holds
true today: just marry the right man!

6.6
lack of female
role models
During our interviews with women - particularly the younger ones - the lack of female role
models in senior positions was offered as an explanation for the poor representation of women
in management. There are few female role models at the very top so few envisage themselves
getting that far.

Many junior women in the industry already have concerns about how they would balance work
and home if and when they have children, and this is compounded by the lack of role models.
They often point out that many of the relatively few senior women in the industry are either sin-
gle or do not have children (in fact just over half of the 15 most senior women in the industry
have children). Even fewer are seen to be combining a successful career with motherhood. They
also felt that if they did succeed, they would be one of a very small minority, which is an unat-
tractive proposition for many.

'The women I see at the top are either alone, have husbands with
flexible hours or don't spend any time with their children. I don't want
to be like that.' (Planner)

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'Women who have kids and are on the Board would be trailblazing.
There are no role models so women lack confidence in proposing this to
the Board.' (Account Director)

The vicious circle that needs to be broken is that the way to get more women to the top of the
advertising industry is to have more women at the top.

WACL has an annual day where members talk about their experiences and give advice to those
in middle and senior positions. This is seen as positive exposure to the achievements of women
in the industry and out of this the need has been expressed for mentoring in some form.

The following two issues - ageism and job fulfilment are relevant in understanding why women
leave before they get to the top. However they are issues that don't just affect women, but
men too.

6.7
ageism
Just 12.5% of women and 24% of men working in advertising are aged 41 or over and this has
not gone unnoticed by those new to the industry. Many, particularly younger women, believe that
the culture of advertising is not welcoming to older women or older men. The small numbers of
men and women in their 40's and 50's make it difficult for many junior men and women to
predict a long-term career in advertising. Indeed it was clear that many had already asked them-
selves 'where do all the older people go?' as few could be seen. Agencies were also, on the whole,
seen to be fickle and lacking loyalty to staff, which did not engender loyalty amongst employees.
It is possible that some in their 30s leave advertising for an industry where there may be a greater
possibility of a longer-term career.

Many women who had children and wanted to take a couple of years out believed that they could
not return to advertising for fear of being too old.

'I've left advertising to bring up my kids but I won't go back to the job
when they are at school. How could I be a 30 year old junior Account
Director!' (Leaver)

Those interviewed in their 20s and 30s were already thinking about life after advertising. So there
are some women who are already beginning to think about not staying on to reach the top.

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6.8
job
fulfilment
Job fulfilment is not so much an equality of opportunity issue, but more an explanation as to why
some choose to leave the industry before the possibility of getting to the top arises.

Women are more likely to see advertising as a career with a limited life span with more women
(particularly younger women) than men saying they plan to stay in the industry only 1-3 years.
Fewer women (again, particularly younger women) than men see themselves continuing indefi-
nitely in the industry.

Length of time I plan to stay


in the industry
40 35 34 44
35
28
30
22
25 Women 25 -30
18 Women 31 - 35
20 15
All Women
15 10
All Men
10
5
0
1 - 3 years Continue
Indefinitely

Source: Email Survey June 2000

The issue of having children no doubt causes some of the uncertainty amongst women aged
31-35. However, amongst younger age groups this has a lot to do with job fulfilment. Amongst
some of those interviewed in both junior and senior positions, questions were being raised as to
whether advertising would in fact fulfil their requirements from a long-term job.

Many junior people do find the work stimulating and the whole culture of advertising agencies
fun, and are prepared to put in the long hours required to be successful. However, there are
some - particularly new graduates - who question whether they are being adequately challenged
or used to their full potential.

'I went to university and was writing about serious issues and all of a
sudden, I start work and I'm pouring coffee, getting tapes transferred
and ordering bikes. It was boring and frustrating.' (Leaver)

Another reason given for the lack of job fulfilment was the perceived lack of specialist skill in
Account Handling ('You become a jack of all trades, master of none') and a lack of appreciation of
the transferable skills they were learning. This is part of a broader issue to do with how the indus-
try makes more of graduates' skills and is an issue the IPA is addressing. Anecdotally, this seems
to be an issue in many service industries.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Some also cited the frustration with going over 'the same old debates' and this was by no means
confined to those new to the industry. Some who had spent some time working in advertising
seemed to be frustrated by the age-old debates about logo size and position of the pack.

Amongst a minority, there was also a frustration that creativity is restricted to the few - only those
with the Creative label are 'allowed to have the ideas'. Some did feel that this results in 'non
Creatives' feeling pushed aside which makes them question their role.

And some simply didn't want to do it anymore. They don't like the political manoeuvring that is
required. They have tired of the many petty aspects of the industry as well as the heavy toll on
their home lives and high levels of stress. Whether they have children or not, they simply opt out
because they have had enough.

Although more marked amongst women, the issue of job fulfilment is not a gender issue. There
are bright people who come into the industry and quickly decide they are just passing through.
Agencies need to find a way of motivating and keeping those who are looking for new experiences
and greater job fulfilment by identifying what it is that will keep them motivated. Or they should
manage for this change in the way they recruit and retain staff.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

section 7
In pursuit of the flexible agency

One change that has altered the context in which we work - the advancement of IT and the result-
ing rise in flexible working - could play a role in eradicating some of the obstacles women face
with equality of opportunity. Unfortunately, as the findings of this study show, the opportunities
flexible working offers need to be better exploited.

Advertising isn't structured and it is service orientated, which is what makes it so exciting, and
so exasperating. It helps explain why there is so much 'unbounded time' in advertising.' People
who work in advertising are often expected to be available at all times to attend meetings. This
can be a pernicious environment for women with children.

Typically women bear a disproportionate amount of responsibility for home and family and thus
have more demands on their time outside of the office. Even if women work 10 hour days those
who have to leave at set hours to get back for their children can end up missing out on essential
conversations, plans and the all important social chat. As one person remarked about a recent
agency start-up that did not have a female partner, 'she probably wasn't in the pub when they
hatched the plan'. Circumscribed schedules can also make women appear less committed than
their male counterparts.

However, the need for flexible working is not just an issue for working mums, but all workers.
In an Industrial Society survey in May 1999 1100 men at the top of their profession were inter-
viewed and 88% of them stated that they wanted greater flexibility at work. 64% of them didn't
believe they had full control of their working time and a further 42% were unhappy with their
work/life balance.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

7.1
current flexible
work i n g p r ac ti c es
Choices in advertising concerning flexibility of working are fairly limited. In general, you either
work full time or you don't and if you don't then the perception is that you have made a con-
scious decision not to reach the top. For a forward-thinking industry the attitude to the area of
flexible working seems to be incredibly conservative.

'Advertising is incredibly old fashioned in the way it works. Home


working is okay for other industries but not for itself. (Male Account
Director)

However, even though there are limited flexible working opportunities there are many more than
there were 10 years ago. Agency Human Resource departments confirmed that the growth in
both part-time and freelance working has been mainly over the last 5 years. Mainly women who
were not allowed to go part-time at their agency and so have now gone freelance, as well as an
increased emphasis on work-life balance have driven this.

Some Human Resources people also confirmed that agencies saw this as a benefit because the
reduction in fixed overheads allowed them to use and pay as they required. However, on the
whole the growth has been led by agencies faced with losing people rather than proactively
leading the way for employees.

Every CEO interviewed cited with pride the number of part-time workers - usually working four
days a week and less commonly three days a week. A few agencies have people working four days
in the office and one day at home, although the industry has yet to shake its scepticism as to
whether those who say they work at home actually do work! More recently a few agencies have
tried even braver working arrangements such as one agency where a senior woman worked 9 -
2pm every day, some work mornings only or do not work over the school holidays. But most of
this tends to be concentrated around Planning and the odd Account Handler. Most agencies
have yet to work out how to give Account Handlers real flexibility and insist clients would not be
willing to put up with it.

'When I was an Account Director I wanted to work 4 days a week and


was told it would be impossible. Then eventually it was agreed but only
if we didn't tell the client! I wasn't prepared to pretend that I was work-
ing full time when mysteriously I would be unavailable every Friday!'
(Leaver)

The industry needs to be more imaginative about how people can manage their home and work
lives together. That includes redefining part-time to make it mean more than second class sta-
tus. Many admit that they 'write off' those who are part-timers as there to do the minimum and
this is noticed by others.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

'One woman works 3 days a week but she's made a sacrifice to do that.
She won't progress any further.' (Female Board Planner)

The truth is that those who work part-time feel that they give more than they otherwise would, in
many cases because they are grateful to the agency for having accommodated them. For those
that work 4 days a week, it certainly doesn't feel like part-time.

Though we are witnessing an increase in more flexible working, it is still 'not the norm'. In some
agencies it is quite commonplace for working mothers but in other agencies it is not allowed.
Particularly in Media agencies, it has yet to be embraced as a concept and flexible working such
as job-share has often been rejected as an idea in case it 'sets a precedent'.

7.2
attitudes towards
flexible working
Women do feel that on the whole there is more chance of being allowed to work part-time than
ever before

'When I first entered the industry no one at the agency worked part
time. If you asked for part-time working then you were told there was
nothing for you. Now, many of the women with kids work 4 days. It's
changed within the last 2 years.' (Leaver)

Yet when asked what they believed their agency's attitude to flexible working is, it is clear that the
CEO's stated enthusiasm for encouraging flexible working has yet to be fully acknowledged by
those working in the industry, particularly women, who are less likely than men to think it is
encouraged.

What is your agencys attitude


towards flexible working
50 45
45
40 36
32
35 26
30
19 21 Men
25
20 Women
12
15
10 5
5
0
Actively Encouraged Tolerated Actively
encouraged under certain discouraged
circumstances

Source: Email Survey June 2000

Not surprisingly, women aged 31-35 are most likely to think that flexible working is discouraged.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Within departments, Account Planners are least likely to say it is discouraged and women in
Media are most likely (44%)35.

More unusually, one respondent said:

'I don't think that there is a working mum in the entire agency who
doesn't work less than 4 days.' (Male Account Director)

However the opposite view was also heard.

'4 days a week is actively discouraged. There are no set rules about part
time work so it's incredibly difficult to get which is why so many women
have just left.' (Female Planner)

There are a number of reasons why the industry is undergoing an increase in flexible working.

It works! The pioneers proved that accounts are still well run, and clients are well
serviced.
Talent was leaving the agency - if part-time working wasn't an option, working
mothers left to find work elsewhere.
More often than not, it works out at great value for money. Generally the
employer receives 5 days work, carried out by the employee in 4 days, for 80% pay.

However, it must be said that although flexible working is the answer for many, it can cause
difficulties for others, particularly the senior management who allocate the workload and
colleagues of the part-time workers.

'I hate to admit it because I'm all for women working part-time but I
can feel resentful at picking up the pieces because they are not physical-
ly around all the times when they are needed.' (Male Account Director)

'It's all well and good but it's a nightmare for me managing all my
staff. Those who work full time often cover for those who work part
time. There doesn't seem to be an equal distribution of work.' (CEO)

CEO's supported the idea of flexible working, recognising that the benefits outweighed the
drawbacks. However, most of them were clear that these arrangements were mainly for women
with children and for 'serious' reasons. Flexible working for men who perhaps wanted a better
work-life balance would not on the whole be accommodated, unless it was for family reasons.

There are clearly significant practical issues to overcome when implementing flexible working.
Those who get paid for 4 days and work 5 will expect to be compensated. However, managers
may feel that since the majority of people get paid for 5 days a week and work 6 this is not
justified. Clear guidelines and policies need to be agreed if flexible working is to be successful.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

7.3
the business case for
flexible working
Although there are now more than a million people working from home36, it is felt to be unlikely
that an industry as based around team working as advertising could ever follow suit. However,
more imaginative working arrangements will need to be found if women (and men who seek
more flexibility) are to be encouraged to stay in the industry.

Those companies that have implemented flexible working arrangements say there is a business
case for doing it. 65% of captains of industry said that flexible working makes their business
more productive and 61% feel it enables them to offer better customer service37. Another report
found that flexible working also boosts recruitment and staff retention38.

The Institute for Employment Studies (commissioned by the DfEE to explore the business
benefits of family friendly employment priorities) examined 11 SME businesses ranging in
numbers of employees from 22 to 600. It concluded that family friendly policies had numerous
benefits for employers as well as employees.

The benefits for the employers were:

Improved Retention - HR directors claimed many female employees would have left had it not
been for part time, flexible working and special leave arrangements, which tied them in.

Reduced Recruitment, Induction and Training costs associated with replacing leavers -
Through retaining skills and knowledge a company is able to operate more effectively and obtain
a better return on its investments in individuals.

Fewer Recruitment Problems - Being seen as a good caring employer and giving support to those
with caring responsibilities can attract employees - especially in a tight labour market.

Improved productivity - Flexibility and time off to deal with problems means that people are bet-
ter able to concentrate when they are working. Managers reported a tendency for people who
were working part time or flexible hours to overcompensate by putting in extra hours.

Improved morale and commitment - People felt more committed to a company that they felt was
supportive of their needs as individuals.

Reduced Stress - With greater flexibility to deal with conflicting demands of work and home there
was less chance of problems building up.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

7.4
embracing
flexible working
Some agency management seem concerned that if they offer flexible working the floodgates will
open and everyone will demand to be working three days a week. From this study it would seem
that the majority of people will prefer to work full-time and many cannot afford to work less than
full-time. However, the knowledge that the possibility is there sends signals about the company's
attitude towards its employees.

Many were critical of the current lack of imagination when it comes to flexible working
arrangements, saying that offering some of the Planners who are working mums every Friday off
is not just the only option! Various types of flexible working could be explored:

Focus on how much time an employee works - Full time, part time, job sharing,
term time working.
Focus on when employees work (although this is difficult for client facing jobs).
This amounts to flexitime where within certain limits the employee chooses when
to start and end the day, within an agreed period of core time in the office.
Focus on where employees work - allow people to work wherever they want to.
Complete Break - a short period such as maternity or longer absence such as an
unpaid sabbatical

The current generation of agency leaders made their way to the top in a different era when com-
mitment was defined by being seen to be working long hours. Until a new era of
management comes through and recognises that this is no longer relevant to a lot of people
within the industry then the talent drain will surely worsen.

'With a market that's short on talent, agencies will have to offer time
benefits as well as other benefits.' (Recruitment Consultant)

Advertising agencies could be accused of preaching radicalism to their clients yet acting conser-
vatively themselves. The issue of flexible working is another example. Yes, the industry has
progressed but there is more that could be done given the technological advances in the last
few years.

Agencies will need to find their own ways of working that fit their individual culture. Some are
already doing it. St Lukes and HHCL and Partners are probably the most salient within the indus-
try as pioneers in this field. Whilst they are by no means the only ones who are experimenting
with innovative and more flexible ways of working those who have genuinely embraced it are few
and far between.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

section 8
What women (and men) want: Work-life balance

Research amongst men and women in the industry raised a key issue that the industry should be
concerned about if it is to retain talent in the long-term: the desire for a better work-life balance.
This issue was not really in existence 10 years ago but it is now a real issue amongst men and
women - particularly for junior men and women. What this means is that for some the balance
of rewards offered versus sacrifices made has shifted away from the industry's favour.

This is not just an issue for advertising. A decade ago, executives going through the leadership
programme at Ashridge Business School put technical and functional competence at the top of
their list of career motivators. Today, top place goes to having a balanced lifestyle.

Many within our industry believe advertising's working hours make it incompatible with a healthy
personal life, which whilst acceptable in their twenties, is envisaged as a problem later on in life.
Similarly, many want to ensure a richness of experience that is at odds with working their way up
the career ladder.

Many of those entering the advertising industry over the last 10 years now have a different
approach and attitude to the meaning of a long-term career. Travelling and pursuing a hobby are
often cited as desires that rank equal in importance with a career - almost certainly a change from
those entering the industry twenty years ago.

'Advertising is full of young people who work late into the night. This
issue isn't just about kids; it's about having a life.'
(Female Board Planner)

The result has been changing attitudes towards work, particularly amongst young people.
Indeed, many CEO's reported they were 'amazed' that whilst they had spent the 1980s wanting
to run an agency, many young people nowadays do not aspire to that. For them, work is no longer
their life. Whilst this is doubtless a theme that many industries are finding too, the advertising
industry needs to recognise the changing motivations of men and women in the industry and
act accordingly.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Many agencies already give Friday afternoons off in summer as a way of compensating for the
relentless hours during the rest of the year. Some have in place three to six month sabbaticals.
Others will sponsor further study such as MBAs. Clearly each agency needs to work out the cost
against benefit derived to judge if such programmes are for them. Agencies who have imple-
mented them say it is too early to say whether they succeed in retaining people in the long-term.
Certainly in the short-term they say it has helped them recruit people who may have gone else-
where, or keep those who may have left.

A consistent theme coming through from men and women was that a more open-minded
approach to the work-life balance issue and whom it is relevant to is needed. A substantial group
will be women with children but many other women and men are affected too. Currently, appre-
ciation of the work-life balance issue is only heard with sympathetic ears from women with
children. If the request comes from someone with a 'non-serious' request for time off to pursue
other life-skills it is generally scorned at most agencies.

'Now it is accepted for women to work 4 days a week - almost no


questions asked. But when I wanted to work 4 days a week because
I wanted to concentrate on something else for the 1 day, it was totally
forbidden.' (Male Planner)

What is clear is that what were once women's issues are now human issues. The Women's Unit's
recent research into men and women's attitude on various issues shows the striking conver-
gence of views on issues such as health, unemployment and the economy. The male and female
experience now overlaps in a way unknown before39.

Similarly, whilst childcare issues affect mainly women, as more women return to work they are
relevant to men too who also have to consider getting home on time or staying home to look
after a sick child. Some may also want to spend more time with their children as they grow
up and would prefer a part-time position. The challenge of work-life balance is which companies
will successfully balance what their people want with what the company needs to meet its
short-term goals.

Ten years ago the term 'family-friendly policies' had just made an appearance. Now work-life
balance has spawned a new generation of thinking about what companies need to give individ-
uals. The National Work Life Forum is just one of many organisations set up to ensure compa-
nies do just that. They are keen to work with the industry to offer advice and share the business
impact of work-life balance experienced by other service industries. We are now seeing the first
wave of innovation in this area in the industry. We will need to see considerably more if the needs
of many women and men are to be met.

Interestingly, one of the findings of a new survey undertaken by the DfEE on work-life balance is
that 51% of employers estimated that it helps retain more female employees, 52% that it helps
retention and 46% that it increased productivity.

Many agencies complain of a brain-drain so it is surely those who do not put their heads in the
sand and do recognise that they must adapt, who will be most attractive to those entering the
industry and most successful at retaining their fair share of talent.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

This process would seem to be more advanced within our client world than in the advertising
industry. The business leaders of major clients such as ASDA, BT, HSBC, M&S and Unilever have
formed an Employers for Work-Life Balance alliance which aims to share best practice and estab-
lish a one-stop shop with information for employers on work-life issues.

To quote Richard Greenhalgh, Chairman of Unilever UK: "Work-life balance is driven by business
need. It also takes account of the needs of the employees. My personal vision is that, in 10 years'
time, we shan't even talk about it because it's so natural, so obvious, and we could never be a
successful business without it."

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IPA: Women In Advertising

section 9 Recommendations

The recommendations of this report fall into two areas. The first are general recommendations
to agency management. The second are recommendations specific to the subject of women in
Creative.

general
re co mmen d ati o n s
1. Redefining part-time work
Part-time workers in the advertising industry are currently tarred with the brush of not being
completely committed to their job. Recognising the business value of part-time work and
making it clear that it does not diminish promotional prospects is the only way to change atti-
tudes towards it.

2. Changing attitudes towards flexible working


As pace and timescales of work increase agencies will find it increasingly difficult to obtain
greater output from existing employees without seeking new, flexible ways of working. To
date,agencies have not gone far enough to actively encourage new and more flexible ways of
working. The attitude needs to come from the very top. Those agencies that lead by example and
make it clear employees will not be penalised for wanting a more flexible working life will be those
who attract and retain talent in the long-term.

3. Embracing braver new ways of structuring the working week


Whilst some agencies are finding genuinely new ways of working, most still feel that if you are
not in the office you're not really working. Home working and genuine flexible alternatives
are the only ways to convince people that there is wholehearted support and not just tacit agree-
ment to it.

4. Educating agencies about the value of flexible working


Recognising that work-life balance is a phenomenon would be facilitated by a working party
between the IPA and the DfEE initiative on this subject. The aim would be to provide guidelines

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IPA: Women In Advertising

that are relevant and workable for the advertising industry. Together the IPA and the DfEE would
help agencies put policies in place and educate CEO's about the benefits. It should be noted that
employers will be invited to bid for a share of new funds from the DfEE to provide free advice
from consultants to develop relevant work-life balance policies in their organisations.

5. Communicating the value of flexible working to our clients


The benefits of flexible working need to be passed onto clients. Agencies currently hide behind
the excuse that clients would not accept flexible working hours. Co-operation between the IPA
and ISBA could help understand how clients really feel about this and the extent to which they
too have adopted flexible working.

6. Recognising that flexible working is not a women's issue


Whilst women have led the way in needing more flexible working arrangements, this is a human
issue, not a womens issue. Some men, particularly younger men, are motivated by having more
time to achieve personal goals and do not currently feel they are able to do this within agencies.
The agencies that are able to accommodate this for women and men will secure loyalty, respect
and motivation from their employees.

7. Consider time benefits as part of an employees package


Giving people the opinion of not just salary benefits but time benefits too would send the
right signal to employees. Sabbaticals, supported study and support for taking time out of a
career are all challenging for companies but equally will be rewarded in the long-term. Allowing
employees to structure a package according to what is important to them would be a step in the
right direction.

8. Introducing innovative ways of helping mothers return to work


Nursery places and subsidised crches are the obvious ways to help mothers return to work.
However, more innovative ways of supporting employees who are seen to be highly valuable to
the agency should all be considered. These obviously have cost implications, particularly for
smaller agencies.

9. Recognising the changing motivations of people entering the industry


Those entering the industry today have different motivations and see the beginning of their work-
ing life as one of many experiences they will have, not necessarily as a long-term career. If the
industry is to harness the enthusiasm of the most talented people and keep them in the indus-
try it needs to recognise these changing values.

10. Creating a mentoring scheme for junior and middle level women
Many younger women do not have role models and consequently do not envisage themselves in
the most senior positions in the industry. A mentoring scheme could be done at an individual
agency level with guidance from the IPA. An organisation such as WACL may wish to sponsor
such a scheme via its members as it is effectively an extension of the principles behind their
annual one-day event.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

w o m e n i n Creative
re co mmen d ati o n s
Whilst there was a view, particularly amongst women, that most agencies are uncomfortable with
taking on too many women teams ('we'd really like to take you on but we've taken on one girl
team already this month') everyone interviewed rejected the idea of positive discrimination. The
belief is that this would ultimately work against women, as they would be seen to be given an
'easy ride'. Positive discrimination flies in the face of what everyone wants - a meritocracy. So
what would make a difference?

1. Get on the radar earlier on


The education system is the main tool for accelerating the process. Getting to girls while they are
at school and considering career options and college courses. Talking to women at universities
and colleges - and not just those studying design, fine art, media and communications. Putting
across a positive view of the possibilities for women in Creative and encouraging applications.

2. Providing positive experiences for women


Ensuring that those women who are considering a career as a Creative are not put off is a crucial
change needed. This is not something the industry can organise as a whole but Creative
Directors need to encourage those who are interviewing women to put across a positive image.

3. Industry roadshow to colleges and universities


Female and male role models in Creative should be enlisted to go and talk to schools and col-
leges about their (positive) experiences. It is not just about getting women to talk to women. It
is about treating the recruitment of Creatives as seriously as the recruitment of graduate trainees
and ploughing as much time and effort and money into it. Most of those interviewed for this
research said they were willing to take part in such a programme.

4. Providing role models


There is also a role for a mentoring programme offered by the industry for aspiring female
Creatives. Many female Creatives interviewed for this research said they had informally given
ongoing advice to women trying to get a job and female aspiring Creatives welcomed the idea. A
formal mentoring programme would be one way of ensuring the system works for and not
against women.

5. Fishing from a bigger pond


By recruiting from universities as well as colleges, the broader diversity issue will be addressed
too. Whilst not specifically addressing the issue of women in Creative, recruiting from different
places is bound to encourage a richer mix of applicants.

6. Taking on graduate Creative teams


This is possibly the most difficult recommendation to execute in terms of resource required.
However, it would certainly be a clear signal that the industry is changing the way Creatives are
hired and looking for a different pool of talent.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Graduate Creative teams would not necessarily be university graduates but they would not
necessarily need a book and a partner to get a job.

This would require viewing junior teams in a different way - as a team that needs to be trained
and nurtured in a similar way to graduate Account Handlers. They would be paid in a similar way
(16,000 - 18,000) and not seen as resource for getting work out to clients from day one.

7. Changing the placement system


The recruitment process is not going to change overnight and whilst there is clearly a role for a
placement system, there is much that Creative Directors can do to make it more humane. The
IPA Creative Directors Forum has put this issue at the top of its agenda and there are legal,
revenue and social security issues involved which could benefit from IPA lobbying. But clear
industry consensus that change is needed would be a good start.

8. Changing the Creative Department culture


The industry could, however, do all of these and still find that little has changed. Once women
enter the Creative Department, there are still underlying cultural issues that make it a difficult
environment for women to thrive in. The challenge is for Creative Directors to gradually shift the
culture by the signals they give and the people they hire. If they do not, the palette of creative
talent will remain narrow - and if creative diversity is what Creative Directors want it will not be
fostered within the current culture.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

section 10 Appendices

10.1
qualitative
research
general
research
The general research programme included group discussions and depth interviews with women
and men in the following positions :

CEO's
Other senior Agency management (MD, Department Heads)
Board Directors
Men and women in junior positions (1-5 years experience)
Women and men in middle management (Account Director equivalent) posi tions
Recruitment consultants
Industry journalists
Women and men who have left the industry
Freelancers

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Group Discussions
Group discussions were held from February to May 2000 in agencies of varying sizes.
They consisted of :

2 group discussions amongst senior women who are members of WACL


5 group discussions amongst junior men and women
5 group discussions amongst female Board directors

Depth Interviews
The following depth interviews were conducted between February and October 2000

10 depth interviews with agency CEO's


6 depth interviews with senior women who are members of WACL
6 depth interviews amongst male and female middle level (Account Director
equivalent) staff
6 depth interviews amongst male and female Board Directors
4 depth interviews with opinion formers (journalists and recruitment consultants)
4 depth interviews with women and men who and have left the industry and
freelancers

women in
Creative research
The qualitative research addressing the issue of women in Creative consisted of group discus-
sions and depth interviews amongst male and female

Creative Directors
Creatives
Those trying to get into the industry
Course leaders at feeder colleges
Various opinion formers.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

In total 2 group discussions and 18 depth interviews were conducted but all respondents in the
general phase of the research were asked about the issue of women in Creative.

In total, 30 agencies participated in the qualitative research :

Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO


Bartle Bogle Hegarty
Bates Dorland
BMP DDB
Cheetham Bell
Cogent
D'Arcy
Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters
Euro RSCG
Fallon
Feather Brooksbank
Grey Worldwide
HHCL + Partners
J Walter Thompson
The Leith Agency
M&C Saatchi
McCann-Erickson Manchester
Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy
Mindshare
The Morgan Partnership
New PHD
OMD UK
Rainey Kelly Y&R
Saatchi & Saatchi
St Lukes
TBWA\London
Walker Media
Walsh Trott Chick Smith
WCRS
Wieden & Kennedy

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IPA: Women In Advertising

10.2
quantitative
research
email
surveys
3 email surveys were conducted among IPA agencies :

A survey covering general attitudes and opinions about women in advertising


which was sent to anyone working in the industry who has registered on the
website. 1300 questionnaires were emailed, and 396 responses received,
consisting of 287 women and 109 men
A survey covering specific Personnel issues such as number of part-time workers,
flexible working arrangement and maternity policies. This was sent to 70
managers with responsibility for personnel and Human Resources
A survey covering the issue of women in Creative. This was sent to D&AD's
database of 500 members

IPA
census
The census of employment in IPA agencies has been carried out annually since 1960 and is sent
to all IPA member agencies. The 1999 survey had a 70% response rate and includes data from
140 of the IPAs 201 member agencies.

The survey covers gender, age and job function and is analysed by size and location of agency.
Definitions of job function have changed over time. Below are the current definitions :

Chairman / Chief executive / MD - as stated

Account Handling - account directors, account managers, account


executives and assistants.

Account Planning and Research - account planners, market and advertising


researchers, desk researchers and information
departments.

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IPA: Women In Advertising

Media - all staff employed in media planning, media


research and buying
Copy writers - scriptwriters and editorial writers

Art Directors - art directors, film visualisers, illustrators, paste-


up artists, typographers, photographers, designers

Creative Services - press and poster production, printing, traffic and


art buying

TV Production - TV, cinema, radio and film production

Finance - all those in finance and accounts

Secretarial - secretaries, typists, word processing operators

Administration and Others - office administration, telephone operators,


receptionists and all those engaged in work not
requiring a specific knowledge of advertising or
the specialist skills indicated above

IT - those working in IT or information systems

useful
ad d r e s se s
British Design & Art Direction (D&AD)
9 Graphite Square
Vauxhall Walk
London SE11 5EE
ww.dandad.org

Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)


Work-Life Balance Team
Caxton House
6-12 Tothill Street
London SW1H 9NA
www.dfee.gov.uk/work-lifebalance

6 9
IPA: Women In Advertising

bibliography
Nancy A. Nichols (Editor), Rosabeth Moss Kanter. Reach for the Top: Women and the Changing Facts of
Work Life: Harvard Business School Press 1996

Suzanne Franks. Having None of It: Granta Books 2000)

Advancing Women in Business - The Catalyst Guide: Best Practices from the Corporate Leaders:
Jossey-Bass 1998

Wirefree Working: Produced for Orange by Management Today 2000

Ginny Dougary. The Executive Tart & other Myths, Virago Press 1994

Elizabeth Perle McKenna. When Work Doesn't Work Anymore: Simon & Schuster 1997

Judy B. Rosener. America's Competitive Secret: Oxford University Press 1997

John Gray. Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus: HarperCollins, 1992

Ann E. Weiss. The Glass Ceiling: A Look at Women in the Workplace: Twenty First Century Books 1999

Charles Handy. Beyond Certainty: The Changing World of Organisations: Hutchinson, 1998

Shere Hite. Sex and Business: Ethics of Sexuality in Business and the Workplace: Financial Times Prentice
Hall Publishing, 2000

Deborah Tannen. Talking from 9 to 5: Women and Men in the Workplace: Language, Sex and Power:
Avon Books, 1995

Deborah Tannen. You Just Don't Understand: Ballantine Books, 1991

Sian Griffiths (Editor) et al. Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Forty Women Whose Ideas Shape the Modern World:
Manchester University Press 1996

Karen Engberg. It's not the Glass Ceiling, It's the Sticky Floor: and other things our daughters should know
about marriage, work, and motherhood: Prometheus Books, 1999

Helen Wilkinson and Geoff Mulgan. Freedom's Children: Demos, 1995

Women Breaking Barriers: a Survey by Advertising Age International, 2000

Susan Faludi. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women: Crown Books, 1991

Frances Hesselbein (Editor), et al. The Leader of The Future (The Drucker Foundation Future Series):
Jossey-Bass, 1996

Frances Hesselbein (Editor), et al. The Organization of The Future (The Drucker Foundation Future Series):
Jossey-Bass, 1997

Rolf Jensen. The Dream Society: How the Coming Shift from Information to Imagination Will Transform Your
Business: McGraw-Hill 1999

Most Wanted: The Quiet Birth of the Free Worker: The Industrial Society 2000

7 0
IPA: Women In Advertising

fo o tnote s
1. Judy B. Rosener, America's competitive secret: Utilizing Women as a Management Strategy,
Oxford University Press 1995
2. Judy B. Rosener, 'Ways Women Lead', Harvard Business Review, November/December 1990
3. Nancy A Nicols, 'What ever happened to Rosie Riveter', Harvard Business Review, July/August 1993
4. ibid
5. Judy B. Rosener, America's competitive secret: Utilizing Women as a Management Strategy,
Oxford University Press 1995
6. Felice N. Schwartz, Women as a business imperative, Harvard Business Review, March/April 1992
7. Judy B. Rosener, America's competitive secret: Utilizing Women as a Management Strategy,
Oxford University Press 1995
8. Email Survey amongst IPA members June 2000
9. ibid
10. ibid
11. The Guardian, 29 September 1999
12. Suzanne Franks, Having None of It, Granta Books 2000
13. Survey in Management Today, March 2000
14. Management Information Centre, February 2000
15. Experian Survey, January 2000
16. Referred to as the Leo Group at the time of publication
17. Email survey amongst IPA members June 2000
18. BMA Statistics
19. NES June 1998
20. Financial Women's Association Survey 1999
21. New Earning Survey, Office for National Statistics 1999
22. Independent on Sunday, 16th January
23. Helen Wilkinson and Geoff Mulgan, Freedom's children, Demos 1995
24. Law Society Survey July 1998
25. Marketing Week/Ball and Hoolahan Salary Survey 1999
26. Suzanne Franks, Having None if It, Granta Books 2000
27. Susan Harkness, analysis of the British Household Panel Survey, 1997 (unpublished)
28. Women's Income over a lifetime, Whitehall Women's Unit, February 2000
29. Suzanne Franks, Having None if It, Granta Books 2000
30. UCAS 1999
31. Email Survey amongt IPA members, June 2000
32. ibid
33. ibid
34. ibid
35. ibid
36. Institute of Employment Studies, 1999
37. Mori/BT Cellnet survey 1999
38. Gee Publishing's Flexible Working Survey 1999
39. Margaret Driscoll, Sunday Times 15 November 1998

7 1

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