McCann Health and DE&I: In their own voices

McCann Health and DE&I: In their own voices

McCann Health executives shared their thoughts with Med Ad News about the diversity, equality, and inclusion measures taken at the network.

Like most industries, there has long been a lack of cultural diversity in pharmaceutical advertising, compounding the problem of systemic sameness – the same faces, same thinking, same backgrounds, same tactics, and the same types of people being hired again and again for positions at all levels. 

“When I first joined, I noticed a majority of the agency at the time was comprised of people who were ‘related,’” says Shjan Santiago, VP, account supervisor, McCann Health Managed Markets and member of the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Coalition. “They had similar backgrounds, similar faces, similar experiences and similar voices. I was one of the few people of color, not only in my department, but in the entire agency. I remember being in a creative meeting and needing to convince my colleagues that some concepts could be seen as offensive to people of color. I was the only person of color in that meeting. I knew something had to change. I knew that across the network there were others who, at some point in their career, experienced this same or similar situation and more would follow if change did not occur,” 

Experiences like this helped provoke a major and meaningful shift at McCann Health North America (MHNA), with a renewed strength of focus and commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.

MHNA has thrown the full weight and considerable influence of its advertising network behind the drive for intentional diversity and an inclusive workplace environment. Through the implementation of its D&I Coalition, MHNA is fully committed to implementing meaningful change. For MHNA, D&I is not about checking a box and moving on. It is putting words into action. For MHNA, D&I is creating a movement, not a moment. 

Prior to COVID-19, the D&I Coalition, made up of members from of all McCann Health’s North American agencies, coordinated and encouraged diverse cultural celebrations such as for Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Diwali, Women’s History Month, and LGBTQ+ Pride Month. These celebrations helped educate others about the diverse cultures celebrated and observed by employees at MHNA agencies and provided a time to gather together while enjoying cultural food and embracing all that makes each culture unique.

The racial, criminal and social injustice demonstrations that came to a head during spring 2020 have truly catapulted D&I activity at MHNA into the spotlight and compelled senior leadership to prioritize the expansion and integration of this program across its entire network. The newest member of the D&I Coalition at MHNA is Jim Joseph, president of McCann Health North America. From his first day, Jim emphasized diversity and inclusion as a top priority for the company. Broad network change has happened at every management level. Top down and bottom up approaches have been implemented to craft solutions for a more diverse and inclusive environment for all. 

MHNA rolled out its Day of Healing on June 5, 2020, closing all offices for the day so that employees might reflect on recent protests and the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd. Offices were also closed in celebration of Juneteenth. 

This summer, the D&I Coalition kicked off its “Listening Tour,” hosting listening sessions at each local agency to better understand the needs of the organization at a grassroots level, to offer a platform for difficult conversations about difficult subjects, and to set the priorities for making meaningful change at the local level. 

“We meet frequently to represent our respective agencies as we share ideas and solutions to upper management to help accelerate change,” Santiago says. 

The convergence of COVID-19 with the Black Lives Matter movement blatantly revealed that disparity kills. A greater light now shines on how inequities in access costs people their lives. COVID-19 has infected Blacks and Hispanics at a disproportionately higher rate. As members of the greater healthcare industry, what can we do to alleviate inequities? How might we work with clients to be more diverse and inclusive in our promotional and advertising efforts? These are some of the questions the MHNA D&I Coalition is and will address. 

“For me, diversity and inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do, it is the first step to saving lives. We cannot solve healthcare disparities or any kind of disparity with the same players and the same thinking, or with the systemic sameness that created this cultural crisis in the first place,” says Rodney Sexton, executive VP, director of Strategic Services and D&I Coalition member. 

The MHNA D&I Coalition is not wasting any time. It has a heavy load ahead as plans are made for 2021, but they are up for the challenge! Immediate goals for the coming year (and beyond) are to recruit more people of color and to make bold efforts for conscious inclusion, including participation in McCann Worldgroup’s second annual Day for Meaning, where we hit “pause” on client work and business operations to concentrate on accelerating our diversity and inclusion journey. 

Fundamental to D&I success at MHNA is to focus recruitment on achieving an employee base that properly represents the diversity of the population of America. The D&I Coalition will utilize new avenues of recruitment that directly access professionals of color to expand the diversity of MHNA. The coalition provides recommendations to expand the college recruitment network and works with talent acquisition partners to revisit hiring requirements. Through a partnership with the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), McCann Health welcomes diverse talent for structured internship programs, a key starting point for entry-level roles. Additionally, the coalition has encouraged and facilitated a partnership with a well-known minority internship program, INROADS, from which Santiago is an alum. 

They also have a direct line to DiverseCreatives.com, a recruiting platform started by an employee and coalition member, Ron Lewis, VP creative director for McCann Health NY. “For representation to improve, it will take commitment on all fronts,” Lewis says. “It must be intentional. Not only for headlines. We have to look at how we can continually recruit, pay, mentor, and promote diverse talent – while at the same time continue to address the systemic practices and behaviors that can lead to an environment not conducive to diversity and inclusion.” 

Aiming to help kick start creative careers, regardless of background or experience, McCann Health also launched the IGNITE program in early 2020, welcoming the first cohort drawn from a talent pool of those with no specific experience or qualifications at all, The program underpins the premise that ideas can come from anywhere, and so can creative talent. 

Regarding conscious inclusion, the coalition plans to ensure the culture, infrastructure, and solutions at MHNA drive equal opportunities. As Vernā Myers, diversity and inclusion activist and author, once said, “Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is being asked to dance.” The existing diverse employee base must feel like they are set up for success and have their voices heard. 

To achieve this goal, the D&I Coalition will collaborate with key stakeholders at MHNA to integrate new training methods and increase the number of employees who have access to training at all levels. 

“Racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s equality are all human rights and should be treated with the same sense of urgency,” says Sophia Nelson, senior administration assistant, McCann Health NJ & D&I Coalition member. “One of the most beautiful things about our world is that it is big enough to have a place for every human being to flourish under the right circumstances and without interference.” 

In 2021, the D&I Coalition plans to look more closely at retention rates for people of color with a focus on improvement. Retaining diverse employees is one of the pharmaceutical advertising industry’s biggest challenges due to feelings of exclusion. The coalition aims to evolve existing activities, such as mentorship and buddy programs, to be more diverse and inclusive. For the Volunteer Time Off (VTO) initiative, they plan to provide a selection of D&I outreach programs that employees can choose to actively support on their VTO days. Finally, reporting strategies and methods are going to be reviewed to better measure the outcomes and ensure accountability.

The MHNA D&I Coalition is committed to ongoing listening tours in order to monitor sentiment and progress, drive the conversation and ensure action. Members are passionate about their roles and devoted to this cause. While the reasons they joined the MHNA D&I Coalition are as diverse as the members themselves, they are united in their goal: to invoke the change they want to see in the world and particularly at McCann Health North America.