ASSEMBLY, A STAGWELL (STGW) AGENCY, EXPANDS SUSTAINABLE IMPACT INITIATIVES WITH PARTNERS FOR PROGRESS

Rhea-AI Summary

Assembly has launched Partners for Progress, an inclusive investment initiative to support minority-owned businesses in the creative and media industries. The program aims to infuse accountability and sustained investment within the media supply chain. Assembly is committed to dedicating 25% of primary research to diverse-owned suppliers and increasing overall media spend to 10% over three years. The initiative focuses on three key areas: updating brand strategies to include diversity, driving media investments towards minority-owned companies, and utilizing proprietary technology to enhance audience insights. This initiative aims to set a benchmark for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) across the industry, with leaders like Shannon Pruitt advocating for actionable changes that benefit underrepresented communities.

Positive

• Assembly commits to investing 25% of primary research through diverse-owned suppliers.
• Plans to increase overall media spend to 10% over the next three years.
• Aims to transform media operations in support of minority-owned businesses.

Negative

• None.

Assembly launches inclusive investment program to drive sustained transformation across all aspects of the creative and media supply chain

NEW YORK, April 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global omnichannel media agency Assembly today announced Partners for Progress, an inclusive investment program designed to directly support minority-owned and operated businesses by collaborating with clients to infuse accountability and sustained investment across all aspects of the creative and media supply chain. Through Partners for Progress, Assembly – Ad Age's inaugural Purpose-Led Agency of the Year– will serve as a partner for clients seeking innovative ways to scale and deliver on commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion goals while working across Assembly's supplier chain to ensure media spend is allocated to systemically underserved communities. Dedicated to delivering tangible outcomes, Assembly is committed to investing 25% of primary research through diverse-owned and operated suppliers and increasing overall media spend to 10% over a three-year period. 

"We need to move beyond intention and design standards and principles that truly support underrepresented and under-recognized communities," said Shannon Pruitt, Chief Content and Partnerships Officer for Stagwell Brand Performance Network. "Partners for Progress allows Assembly to leverage our sustained relationships with global brands to ask different questions, have different conversations, and find new ways to enable impact, investment, and opportunities for diverse companies and communities." 

Through participation in Partners for Progress, brands and industry associations will collaborate with Assembly to transform their media and marketing operations in service of enhancing investment in minority-owned media, principally across three categories: 

• Brand Strategy and Operations – Assembly will work with partners to update strategic briefs to ensure diversity is central to client campaigns and usher in diverse suppliers through memberships with organizations like the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC).
• Media and Marketing Investment – Assembly will partner with companies to drive internal commitments about dedicating media spend to minority-owned and operated companies and public declarations that ensure external accountability. Assembly will also partner on solutions to payment terms that minimize the burden on small businesses and alleviate the obstacles minority-owned media faces in reaching scale. And the agency is working on a solution aimed at reducing the pay equity gap within the creator community through partnerships with companies like Spotter, the top provider of creator-friendly growth capital.
• Research and Audience Insights – Powered by the agency's proprietary martech platform STAGE, Assembly will develop tools to access diversity and nuanced audience resonance across clients' advertising in-market and help brands fine-tune audience development with dedicated research and deep insights into diverse groups and the intersectionality wherein.

Through Partners for Progress, Assembly aims to influence other agencies across the industry to up the ante and fully integrate DE&I throughout their business operations. 

"Proper representation has measurable benefits in our industry and beyond, and it's critical that we continue to invest in and champion levers that advance underrepresented communities," said Rick Acampora, Global COO of Assembly. "We are committed to doing the work and welcome the opportunity to partner with like-minded companies to drive true progress. Our business depends on it." 

ABOUT ASSEMBLY  
Assembly is the modern global omnichannel media agency, bringing data, talent, and technology together to find the change that fuels growth for the best brands on the planet. Our approach connects big, bold brand stories with integrated, global media capabilities that deliver performance and drive large-scale business growth. Our work is powered by our proprietary, in-house technology solution, STAGE, and led by our global talent base of over 1,600 people around the world. We're purpose-driven at our core and pioneers in social and environmental impact in the agency world. Assembly is a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. For more information, visit assemblyglobal.com. 

PRESS CONTACT 
Jess Santini  
Jess.santini@assemblyglobal.com 

 

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SOURCE Stagwell Inc.

FAQ

What is the objective of Assembly's Partners for Progress program?

The Partners for Progress program aims to support minority-owned businesses and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the media supply chain.

What percentage of media spend does Assembly plan to allocate to minority-owned businesses?

Assembly plans to allocate 10% of overall media spend to minority-owned and operated companies over the next three years.

When was the Partners for Progress initiative launched by Assembly?

The Partners for Progress initiative was launched on April 17, 2023.

Who are the key people involved in the Partners for Progress program at Assembly?

Shannon Pruitt and Rick Acampora are key figures involved in the Partners for Progress program.

What commitment did Assembly make regarding primary research in the Partners for Progress program?

Assembly committed to dedicating 25% of primary research to diverse-owned and operated suppliers.