Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
IPG Media Brands
FAIL
ipgmediabrands.com
TYPE: Media & Marketing Company
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock Inc., and State Street Corp., Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, First Trust Advisors Lp, et al. (via owner IPG)
OWNER: IPG (Interpublic Group of Companies)
SUBSIDIARIES: IPG Media Lab, KINESSO, MAGNA, Mediabrands Content Studio, Orion Holdings, Rapport, Unified Retail Media Solution
2024 U.S. REVENUE: $6.5 billion
Headcount: HEADCOUNT
100 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
comms@mbww.com
Eileen Kiernan
Global Chief Executive Officer
growth@mbww.com
IPG Mediabrands' comprehensive DEIB strategy, influenced by leaders like former Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Heide Gardner (a Black woman), former SVP of Diversity, Equity* & Inclusion Laura Gentile, current Global Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer Channing Martin (also a Black woman), and overseen by CEO Philippe Krakowsky and Global Chief Culture Officer Hermon Ghermay (also a Black woman), is concerning. Race-conscious initiatives such as targeted financial investments in “minority-owned” businesses,** specific talent programs for Black and BIPOC*** individuals, and the establishment of ERGs for various racial “minorities” (like the Hispanic/Latino Business Resource Group) without a parallel group for White employees, indicates differential treatment in company resources and networking. The implementation of diverse slate hiring and training on systemic racism and implicit bias, while aiming for racial equity and increased “People of Color” representation in management (22%), lacks transparent safeguards to ensure equitable treatment of White employees. Mandatory DEI racial equity training, which may frame Whites as inherently privileged or complicit in perpetuating inequality, carries the risk of creating a hostile work environment under EEOC and NYSHRL standards, potentially being perceived as harassment. IPG Media Brands practice of splitting employees and the world into two groups, POC and White, is concerning as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment.
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 of parent company IPG likely serves as a significant driver for IPG Media Brands' 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. For more information on parent company IPG’s DEI initiatives, please see above.
IPG Media Brands 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.
**In 2025, non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, with several other states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona approaching majority-minority status. At an estimated 12.6% of the global population, White people are a global minority. IPG Media Brands was most likely incorrectly using the term “minority”, meaning to infer non-Whites people.
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 Media Brands’ DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
AGENCY PARTNERS INCLUDE: Adverity, 4A's Diversity Steering Committee, Acxiom, Asana, BIPOC Executive Search, Black-owned media outlets, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Gracenote (a Nielsen company), HBCU 20x20, Latinx-owned media companies, Marketing Council of The African American Museum of Philadelphia, MindGym, minority-owned media outlets, ReachTV, Scope3, She Runs It's DEI Advisory Council, The UK's Advertising Diversity Taskforce, UM Worldwide Media 101 Certificate Program (with Vox Media), Vudoo, Zefr, etc.
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.