Even though LGBTQIA+ people make up 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, they don’t receive 4.5 percent of marketing budgets, ad spend or representation in ads. Take that and add it to the fact that nearly half (46 percent) of LGBTQIA workers remain in the closet at their professions – and 72 percent of LGBTQ+ individuals find queer ads to be tokenistic – and it’s more than clear that adland has a systemic problem.
That’s where Do the WeRQ comes in.
The new organization, movement and platform, which officially launches next week, is on a mission to: unite the LGBTQIA+ community across adland; increase queer creativity, representation and share of voice; and create tangible diversity and inclusion progress in the industry.
On June 3, Do the WeRQ will kick off a month of video programming around innovative queer ideas that are still coming to life amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The content will highlight how the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ talent into creativity can help advance business.
Ira Madison III, writer and host of the "Keep It!" podcast, is Do the WeRQ’s first guest on June 3, with other episodes including the likes of Cossette Content Experience VP Chris Bergeron (she/her); Starcom EVP/Managing Director Kim Colweck; 4A's EVP of Talent, Equity & Inclusion Simon Fenwick; Strategist and Creator of ThemsHealth Nina Kossoff (they/she); HBO Director of Multicultural Marketing Blaise Preau; and Laundry Service Creative Director Sarah Sears.
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