Time to live up to promises on diversity goals

Diversity. It’s a topic making headlines and dominating industry conversations around the world. As our issue on Women to Watch was going to press, Saatchi & Saatchi’s executive chairman Kevin Roberts was facing an avalanche of criticism for his senseless comments about gender diversity and women’s ambitions. Publicis Groupe swiftly and rightly distanced itself from the embattled executive, stating that diversity and inclusion are business imperatives on which Publicis Groupe will not negotiate and fostering a work environment that is inclusive of all talent is not only a collective responsibility, but leadership’s job to nurture the career aspirations and goals of all.

Roberts was immediately sent on ‘leave’ and then resigned. But his comments will have many questioning whether the prospects for women in agencies, marketing organisations and tech companies are truly changing. In Asia, while the good intentions are there to build a more robust pipeline of strong female leaders in regional and local businesses—and there are CEOs setting clear gender diversity goals for their companies—advertising is an industry where women, generally, remain largely under represented. The ratio of women varies by network and by market, but one area that glaringly stands out in need of improvement and of a louder female voice is the creative department. In Asia, it is among creative directors where the lack of senior females is most noticeable. Interestingly, most agencies we speak to argue that advertising does not have a recruitment problem—it has a retention problem when it comes to gender diversity in creative departments. 

As part of our push to get diversity on the industry’s agenda, we are delighted to bring you leading women from across Asia-Pacific this month. What’s most striking about the women featured in our Women to Watch series—in partnership with TBWA—is their varied backgrounds and how strongly these women exemplify a new model of leadership. Finally, among the strong women featured in this issue, is Alison Lewis, Johnson & Johnson global CMO, who is transforming CPG business both globally and locally.  

—Atifa Silk, brand director

CONTENTS

4 Inbox
Lessons to learn from the fashion world and the invisible fight with depression

6 The Month
The latest news roundup

12 The Bigger Picture
Asia’s box office takings on the rise

14 Insight/Advertising
Career advancement for women hangs on cultural issues in China
Ensemble’s Amit Sutha cries out for change
Craig Davis on ideas 

18 Insight/Marketing
The misunderstood role of marketing procurement
Asian brands tire of gender stereotyping
James Thompson on insight

28 Insight/Media
Mobile ad-blocking’s popularity pushes Asian marketers to seek alternatives
WSJ’s Will Lewis on defending journalism
Marcel Fenez on media

40 Insight/PR
Experiential marketing makes its mark
Doy Roque on influence

42 The Face Behind the Brand
Suresh Balaji’s passion for HSBC burns bright

46 Cannes confidential
Asia’s mixed fortunes on the French Riviera

56 Spikes
This year’s festival promises to be even bigger

58 The Atifa Silk Interview
J&J’s first global CMO, Alison Lewis goes local

62 Women to Watch
The talented females who are disrupting the marketing industry

68 AMES 2016
Marketers urged to seize tech opportunities

72 PR360Asia
Summit discusses how to prove PR’s worth

76 DMA
Marketers discuss converting data into value

78 The Work
The latest ads reviewed

80 Improve Your Career
Jeremy Bullmore and DDB HK’s Carol Lam

82 Offline
Industry gossip and workplace of the month