You’ve been working at agencies for 35 years, in your opinion what are the biggest changes you’ve seen?

John Connors: I believe there are three layers of change in our industry that we must constantly manage and monitor.

As matters of diversity, equity and inclusion struggle to maintain the footing they seemingly achieved earlier this decade, some agencies continue to push them forward. The latest, independent marketing/communications agency Boathouse, is adding a supplier diversity program starting next week as part of expanding its diversity initiatives more widely.

Marketing professional Karen Baker shares her story of starting her own company at just 24 years old to leading the social impact practice at Boathouse Group and how family legacy of civil rights activism has deeply influenced her approach to business, underscoring the need for inclusive representation in the industry.

This week, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that will ban TikTok from US app stores unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform within a year. The new legislation was bundled into a foreign aid package.

Over the past year, the ad industry has witnessed a deprioritizing of DEI initiatives through a series of events: CMOs are back to focusing on hard-hitting business goals, brands are hesitant to use LGBTQ+ marketing and the data shows women make up 37% of the industry employees, still down from 50% before the pandemic.

John Connors, CEO and founder of the full-service independent ad agency Boathouse recalled two companies telling him in recent months they’d prefer to “protect the brand” and “keep the ball in the middle of the field” when it comes to marketing ideas.

John Connors, CEO and founder of the full-service independent ad agency Boathouse recalled two companies telling him in recent months they’d prefer to “protect the brand” and “keep the ball in the middle of the field” when it comes to marketing ideas.

By staying ahead of the curve, you can proactively adjust strategies and allocate resources accordingly. This may involve reallocating budgets, exploring alternative platforms, or investing in new technologies to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.