Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
IPG (Interpublic Group of Companies)*
FAIL
interpublic.com
TYPE: Advertising Holding Company
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock Inc., and State Street Corp. are the largest. Other significant institutional shareholders include Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and First Trust Advisors Lp, etc.
OWNER: Publicly Traded
SUBSIDIARIES: Acxiom, Avrett Free Ginsberg, Big Family Table, Campbell Ewald, ChaseDesign, Commonwealth//McCann, Current Global, DeVries Global, dna Communications, FCB, FutureBrand, Golin, Hugo & Cat, IPG Mediabrands (including Initiative, UM, and MAGNA), Jack Morton Worldwide, KINESSO, McCann Worldgroup (including McCann), MullenLowe Group, Octagon Worldwide, R/GA, Rogers & Cowan, UM, Weber Shandwick, etc.
2024 U.S. REVENUE: $5.9 billion
2024 GLOBAL HEADCOUNT: 57,000
909 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022
+1 212 704 1200
Tom Cunninghma
tom.cunningham@interpublic.com
+1 212 704 1326
Interpublic Group articulates DEI not merely as policy points but as core components of its corporate identity and strategic direction. IPG's DEI strategy is spearheaded by Global Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer, Channing Martin, a Black woman, who reports directly to IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky and is tasked with advancing IPG's diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives across the entire portfolio. Philippe Krakowsky publicly champions DEI as a core value and business imperative, oversees the overall strategy, and is involved in appointing key DEI leaders. Prior to Martin, Heide Gardner, also a Black woman, served as SVP, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer from 2003, establishing many of IPG's foundational DEI programs. Hermon Ghermay, also a Black woman, is Global Chief Culture Officer at IPG Mediabrands. At the executive level, an integrated ESG team exists, working in partnership with the Global Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer. Collaboration is crucial between the Global Chief Diversity Officer and the CEOs of IPG's various agency brands, who are responsible for implementing DEI initiatives within their respective organizations. The company's focus on non-White hiring and promotion, evidenced by targeted recruitment campaigns and pipeline development programs aimed at underrepresented groups and their managers, could be interpreted as creating unequal opportunities, potentially disadvantaging White applicants and employees. IPG has implemented DEI unconscious bias training, and segregates employees into two adversarial racial categories, POC/BIPOC vs White, which is concerning. IPG has a "Skills Hub" resource dedicated to identifying and tackling unconscious bias, as well as having a "Diversity and Inclusion Action Group". DEI racial equity training often emphasizes systemic racism, unconscious bias, and the need for racial equity, which may include discussions framing Whites as inherently privileged or complicit in perpetuating inequality. The company partners with Diversity Best Practices (for insights and strategies on implementing diversity programs), Coqual (formerly the Center for Talent Innovation), a non-profit think tank providing research on workplace diversity and inclusion, HBCU 20x20, specifically focused on building talent pipelines from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and others. These programs could disadvantage white employees and future hires in several ways. Similarly, programs like the Equity Upfronts, which allocate a significant percentage of media billings to Black-owned media, raise questions about fair access for White-owned businesses. The existence of Business Resource Groups (BRGs) such as the Black Employee Network (BEN) and Asian Heritage Group (AHG), while intended to foster community, could create a segregated workplace environment, potentially leading to feelings of exclusion or discrimination among non-member employees. Additionally, the linking of CEO compensation to DEI metrics may pressure leadership to prioritize diversity outcomes over merit-based decisions, potentially leading to discriminatory practices. IPG's once-published "Inaugural Inclusion + Impact Report," which detailed many of these initiatives, has since been removed from public access. The implementation of IPG's DEI initiatives is concerning.
IPG instructs companies on DEI practices.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
Institutional investors like BlackRock and Vanguard increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major shareholders likely serves as a significant driver for IPG's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
It is illegal and contrary to public policy for any organization, including nonprofits, to instruct companies on discriminatory or harassing practices, potentially resulting in serious legal and financial repercussions such as lawsuits for facilitating discrimination, reputational harm, loss of IRS tax-exempt status, and investigations by state and federal civil rights authorities.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of IPG’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.