Sophie Blum believes diversity must be a “long-lasting investment in culture” and part of business strategy.
Diversity is a big issue in marketing. According to a recent survey by Marketing Week, 26% of marketers report there are no people from ethnic minorities in their team, while 27% said there were no lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people and 51% that their departments lacked people with physical or mental disabilities.
Yet Procter & Gamble’s European brand boss Sophie Blum insists diversity is a “game changer” and key to her own company’s business success. Speaking specifically about gender diversity after her talk at the Dmexco ad tech conference in Germany last week, she cites figures showing that P&G recruits a 50/50 gender balance, while 45% of its managers are female and women make up 40% of its board.
She suggests diversity is not something new and that it has required a “long-lasting investment in culture” to achieve.
“Diversity is a measure, inclusion is a skill. The skill requires culture and it’s a topic for everyone. It is about creating this balance,” she told Marketing Week.
“Leveraging diversity on background, gender, ethnicity is a recipe for happiness and unleashing the potential of the personal and professional life. Since I joined P&G [diversity] was very anchored in the business strategy and it is proven that diversity delivers better results.”
Bron en volledig artikel: Marketingweek