\r\n
‘Don’t Duck It’\u2014 VCCP Vice Chairman, IPA President and BRiM Chairman Julian Douglas’ Message on Industry Assault and Harassment. <\/strong>Interviewed by Stephen Lepitak for Adweek.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nBritish agency membership body the\u00a0Institute of the Practitioners of Advertising<\/span>\u00a0(IPA) has a recently installed president, and in Julian Douglas they have someone who is straight speaking and realistic about the issues ahead following the impact of the pandemic. More importantly, Douglas is also vocal in the continuing battle to stamp out sexual assault and harassment faced by women in the industry.<\/p>\nThe advertising sector has so many problems to face, which is why Douglas, who also serves as vice-chair of agency VCCP, has chosen \u201cincrementalism\u201d as his \u201cenemy\u201d to battle during his 2-year term.<\/p>\n
Douglas, who was named the successor of Nigel Vaz at the IPA, chose to deliver his inaugural address to the British industry from his hometown of Manchester, despite the country being under complete lockdown at the time, allowing him to show his pride in his roots as well as making the point that there was more to the U.K. than London.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
In an interview with Adweek, he explains the reason for choosing \u201cincrementalism\u201d to focus on, having read the previous agendas from other presidents and deciding that he saw the same themes coming through around improving industry perception, trust in advertising and diversity.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cThere are these perennial problems that have always been there\u2026 I think we know what the issues are in within the industry and whatever we\u2019ve done so far, a lot of brilliant things have been done by people way better than me\u2026 the progress overall has been glacial,\u201d he says. He adds that during the Covid-19 lockdown he began to believe that now was \u201cthe biggest opportunity\u201d to create change.<\/p>\n
With the digital acceleration experienced by society during the pandemic, Douglas saw 10 years of technology adoption take place in the space of 10 weeks, during which he even saw himself talking to his parents through Facebook Portal and saw them using Google Pay to pay for groceries. But having seen the advertising industry overcome arguably its greatest challenge, he\u2019s now questioning why it\u2019s been unable to overcome the same issues it has faced for years.<\/p>\n
A can-do attitude<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u201cFor me, there was a sense of \u2018let\u2019s just get on with it,\u2019 so let\u2019s bottle up some of that spirit, that can-do attitude that we\u2019ve all proven that we can do collectively, we\u2019ve all changed our entire way of work our way of life,\u201d he continues, asking why the industry hasn\u2019t moved forward if it was able to achieve so much during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that rate of change, the improved number of Black people in C-suite positions will probably happen by 2080. Ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p> \r\n
\r\n Let\u2019s bottle up some of that spirit, that can-do attitude that we\u2019ve all proven that we can all do collectively. Julian Douglas, Vice Chairman of VCCP, IPA President and BRiM Chairman<\/cite> <\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n \t\t\t <\/div>\r\n \r\n \r\n \t\t
As an example, the self-described optimist also reveals that since he made his inaugural speech, the IPA has increased the numbers who have joined\u00a0the IPA MBA Essentials, a short online program set up by his predecessor to introduce more people to advertising and increase the value of the industry 10-fold after a \u201cpitiful\u201d initial response.<\/p>\n
Douglas also believes the pandemic has forced \u201ca new age of collaboration\u201d across the industry, something he wants to encourage by bringing industry bodies together to talk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He is also part of\u00a0Black Representation in Marketing\u00a0(BRIM), a cross-industry collaboration to create meaningful change at every level and improve Black representation.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople do want to change, but that has to happen from the top,\u201d he states, adding that at VCCP he had witnessed younger staff members being \u201cextremely active\u201d in demanding more change happen. \u201cThey are willing to put their shoulder to the wheel to do stuff about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pitching and talent retention are other concerns of the industry, with Douglas believing that clients must take more responsibility when reviewing, while the industry needs to unite to drive change rather than operate individually.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can get the big advertisers to say \u2018okay, we will reserve the right to pitch and have a roster\u2019 then once you\u2019re on a roster, you don\u2019t have to pitch again.\u2019 I want to get there but I haven\u2019t got the answer on this one\u2026 but that has to be a collective effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talent retention<\/strong><\/h4>\nHis top priority however is talent. With an eye on the growing interest by advertisers in\u00a0gaming, he hopes the industry can become more attractive to young recruits who might view it as an industry they can move into and work with brands on developing campaigns in the gaming field.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you grow up wanting to make stuff, well, you can do it all day, because you love it and you can get paid for that. And we can help train you up and make sure you don\u2019t get ripped off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
He admits that salary is another issue that is driving younger talent out of the industry but cites the obvious solution of paying people more when the margins are already \u201cso small\u201d as another issue that needs \u201ccollective thinking.\u201d He adds that \u201cit\u2019s not just about money,\u201d acknowledging that working conditions must improve while making employees feel rewarded.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u201cYour wellbeing is absolutely crucial and that is part of the full package.\u201d<\/p>\n
And one of the more alarming but prescient industry issues continues to be\u00a0numerous tales of harassment and assault, which is seemingly widespread and has been for decades. Douglas does not avoid the conversation and takes the invitation to send a message to IPA member agencies: \u201cDon\u2019t duck it!\u201d<\/p>\n
He advises agencies to create safer environments internally or work with industry organizations such as charity NABS or the IPA to have those conversations. And so that those who are affected have somewhere to turn that they can trust.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is also important it is on the agenda of the management team and that the management team talks about it. At VCCP we talk about it a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
He advises people not to be afraid to address issues, including\u00a0conversations around race, simply because they feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important thing is to take it on and create a safe space for everyone to talk about it,\u201d he says before adding his thoughts of anyone involved in criminal behaviour. \u201cWe should find them and sling them out and get them in front of the police,\u201d he vents in a moment of clear frustration.<\/p>\n
His reasoning for the lack of movement on the problem is \u201ca paralysis\u201d by the industry in knowing how to deal with it. But it begins by acknowledging it and addressing it, Douglas states.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are multiple bodies who are there either for the people in the organization or for management, but you\u2019ve got to put it as an absolute priority on your agenda. And you know, we got to sort that sort of stuff out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> \t\t<\/div>\r\n \t\t\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":54,"template":"","categories":[191],"class_list":["post-13805","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-agency-news"],"acf":{"author":false,"capability_ids":[],"client_id":"","hero_video":"","hero_image":{"ID":13809,"id":13809,"title":"Julian_Douglas","filename":"Dougie-website.png","filesize":1509012,"url":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website.png","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2021\/jul\/julian-douglas-message-on-industry-assault-and-harassment-in-adweek\/attachment\/dougie-website","alt":"Julian Douglas Headshot","author":"54","description":"","caption":"","name":"dougie-website","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":13805,"date":"2021-07-29 11:51:51","modified":"2021-07-29 11:52:20","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-300x113.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":113,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-768x288.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":240,"large":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-1024x384.png","large-width":640,"large-height":240,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-1536x576.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":576,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":720,"Header":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-1920x720.png","Header-width":1920,"Header-height":720,"Wide":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website.png","Wide-width":1920,"Wide-height":720,"Square":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-768x720.png","Square-width":768,"Square-height":720,"Tall":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-307x615.png","Tall-width":307,"Tall-height":615,"Mobile":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-768x720.png","Mobile-width":768,"Mobile-height":720,"Facebook":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-1200x630.png","Facebook-width":1200,"Facebook-height":630,"Grid-Item-Square":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-768x720.png","Grid-Item-Square-width":768,"Grid-Item-Square-height":720,"Grid-Item-Wide":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-768x384.png","Grid-Item-Wide-width":768,"Grid-Item-Wide-height":384,"Grid-Item-Tall":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2021\/07\/Dougie-website-307x615.png","Grid-Item-Tall-width":307,"Grid-Item-Tall-height":615}},"meta-title":"'Don't Duck It'\u2014IPA President Julian Douglas' Message on Industry Assault and Harassment by Stephen Lepitak in Adweek.","meta-description":"VCCP Chairman and IPA president Julian Douglas discusses some of the issues he hopes to help the industry tackle, stating views on how unity can overcome issues in pitching, talent retention and harassment","social-media-image":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2020\/12\/Julian-Douglas-col.jpg","news_id":"191","related_content_title":"You may also like","relateditems":false,"hide_related_items":[],"visible_on_home_page":["1"],"websites_to_publish":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dev.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}