Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
Omnicom Group*
FAIL
omnicomgroup.com
TYPE: Holding company
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Inc, State Street Corp, et al.
OWNER: Publicly Traded
SUBSIDIARIES: 180LA, 180NY, adam&eveDDB, Agency 720, Alcone Marketing Group, Alma, Allyn Media, AMCI, Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle, Annalect Group, AvreaFoster, BBDO Worldwide, Biopharm Communications, Clemenger BBDO, CLS Strategies, Cone, Credera, CPM, Daggerwing, DAS Group of Companies, Davie Brown Entertainment, DDB Health, DDB Worldwide, DDC, Designory, Digital Arts Network (DAN), Doremus & Co., FleishmanHillard, Flywheel Digital, GMR Marketing, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Grupo ABC, Hall & Partners, Harrison & Shriftman, Hearts & Science, Ketchum, LatinWorks, Lucky Generals, M/A/R/C Research, Manning Gottlieb OMD, Martin Williams, maslansky & partners, Media Arts Lab, Mercury, Merkley & Partners, MMC, NEBOKO, OMD, Omnicom Advertising Collective, Omnicom Commerce Group, Omnicom Health Group, Omnicom Media Group (OMG), Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, Omnicom Public Relations Group, ONC Worldwide, Organic, PHD, Pleon, Porter Novelli, Portland, Proximity Worldwide, Rabin Martin, RAPP Worldwide, Resolution Digital, Roberts + Langer, Rodgers Townsend, RxMosaic, Sellbytel, Siegel + Gale, Snow Companies, Spike DDB, TBWA Worldwide, TBWA\Chiat\Day, The Marketing Arm, TogoRun, TPN, TracyLocke, Tribal Worldwide, Uproar!@DDB, VOX, Wednesday Agency Group, Wolff Olins, Zimmerman, et al.
2024 REVENUE: $15.689 billion
U.S. HEADCOUNT: 77,000
437 Madinson Ave, New York, NY 10022
(or)
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
+1 212 415 3672
katie.beaule@omnicomgroup.com
+1 212 415 3600
From the perspective of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), federal law, and New York State’s Human Rights Law (NYSHRL, Omnicom Group's publicly stated DEI* policies and practices, led by Chief Equity and Impact Officer Emily K. Graham and overseen by Chairman and CEO John Wren, with U.S. HR operations under Chief People Officer Susan Catalano, while promoting diversity and inclusion, pose a significant risk of discrimination against White employees. Reflecting on Omnicom’s commitment to systemic equity, with initiatives like increasing diverse hires and leadership representation, CEO John Wren states, “As a global Fortune 200 company with 70,000+ employees, we know we can lead with our actions and make an impact through our work.” In 2020, Omnicom launched OPEN 2.0, an extensive action plan explicitly "designed to achieve systemic equity throughout Omnicom." It emphasized hiring and promoting BIPOC individuals (40% of U.S. new hires in 2021 were BIPOC, with 20% of executive/senior leadership roles held by BIPOC/non-White people). Omnicom Grou’s framework mandates that each Omnicom network has a dedicated DE&I leader reporting directly to their respective CEO. Omnicom's 2021 DEI Report unequivocally states, "We put diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at the center of everything we do." The company's strong emphasis on achieving specific racial representation metrics, such as the reported 41% of all new U.S. hires in 2023 being non-White, and the sustained high rate of non-White hiring, strongly suggests that racial quotas are being prioritized in recruitment, likely disadvantaging White applicants and establishing a "BIPOC vs. White" framework. Similarly, the focus on increasing non-White representation in senior leadership positions creates a high probability that promotion decisions are unfairly skewed in favor of non-White employees.
Mandatory unconscious bias training and discussions on systemic racism or privilege, as part of Omnicom’s DEI programs, may foster a hostile work environment for White employees by implicitly framing them as inherently privileged or complicit in inequity, potentially violating EEOC guidelines and NYSHRL’s prohibition on racial discrimination. The innovative supplier diversity program with the NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council), while aiming to support diverse content creators, clearly favors non-White businesses, raising serious concerns about discriminatory practices in contracting. Omnicom Group allocates resources like scholarships and employee resource groups (e.g., Black Together, Asian Leaders Circle, AcentÓ) exclusively for underrepresented groups, excluding White-specific support. Although Omnicom provides some public reporting, the data reveals a persistent disparity between overall non-White workforce representation and representation in senior leadership, indicating potential systemic bias against White employees in career advancement. To comply with the NYSHRL, Omnicom must cease DEI practices that result in racial discrimination in hiring, promotion, and contracting.
The overarching framework set by Omnicom leadership—which has over 60 dedicated DEI leaders across its various organizations—emphasizing "systemic equity," embracing “discomfort,” utilizing terminology like "BIPOC," tracking representation KPIs based on race, and establishing race-specific ERGs that exclude White employees, collectively paints a picture of a DEI program heavily focused on group identity and demographic outcomes. These approaches, driven by leadership beliefs and external pressures, demonstrably prioritizes race in ways that could reasonably be perceived by White employees as discriminatory, fostering resentment, or creating a hostile work environment, thereby aligning with the concerns regarding potential harassment and discrimination under EEOC and NYSHRL standards.
*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 Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Inc, and State Street Corp 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 Omnicom Group'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.
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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.