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GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, today announced the expansion of its Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) to include a 5% pledge to allocate spend across Black, Hispanic, AAPI and LGBTQ+ owned and/or focused media.
The pledge invites brands to invest at least 5% of total annual media budgets across publishers that create, curate, and distribute content specifically for diverse audiences.
“As the largest media investment company in the world, we have a responsibility to accelerate growth through the next era of media,” said Kirk McDonald, CEO, GroupM North America. “That means making our industry more inclusive and equitable for all publishers. As well as, sharing brands’ products and services with audiences that are representative of the changing face of America in service of growing their businesses.”
GroupM said in its first 18 months, MII — an integrated strategy for directing investment in and creating opportunities for diverse media companies and content creators — “has outpaced the industry with a triple digit increase in client investments in Black-owned media according to SMI data.”
“We’ve seen increasing client support for our Media Inclusion Initiative since we first launched in May 2021,” said Matt Sweeney, GroupM US chief investment officer. “By providing an intentional way for brands to support diverse-owned media we can ensure our clients are providing a platform for diverse voices, ensuring inclusive representation and reaching broader audiences.”
Additionally, the group has hired Cynthia Morgan Jenkins as head of supplier diversity to develop and nurture relationships with diverse-owned media and content partners.