Driving racial equality – our story so far

The power of our differences, and the strength of our togetherness drives growth and value creation. Employees want to be part of a company that encourages their uniqueness and is united in its values, purpose and commitments.

We want to ensure we are reflecting the rich tapestry of the diverse audience we serve both inside our own organisation and through our Brands. We are on a journey to drive this harder when it comes to racial representation and we recognise we still have work to do.

We recently saw the Global launch of P&G’s ‘Widen the screen’ campaign, an expansive content creation, talent development and partnership platform that celebrates creativity and enables Black creators to share the full richness of the Black experience.

More can be found on the campaign here: https://us.pg.com/widen-the-screen/

It is critical for people of Black and mixed heritage to see themselves equally represented and to have equal opportunities to succeed in a fulfilling career. This is an on-going journey and one that will require definitive and long-term change.

Our commitment to drive equality goes beyond achieving equal representation in our advertising, through to the partners we work with and the broader change we drive within our own workplaces and in wider society.

We are bringing this commitment to life through signature and implementation of anti-discrimination codes such as the Halo Code and The BITC Race at Work Charter. We are driving racial fluency amongst our leaders and intentionally investing in the career progression of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic professionals in the our workplace through the BBBA Talent Accelerator programme - an ethnic-minority specific leadership and career development programme that focuses on the experience of ethnic minority employees in the workplace and blends reflection, experiential learning, practical skills and inspiration to deliver a game-changing leadership programme that is designed to facilitate wider culture change through engaging stakeholders throughout the organisation.

We are committed to partnering with organisations such as such as Bright Network, SEO London, Kingston University’s Elevate programme and Warwick University’s Black Women’s Project that enable us to inspire and reach a more diverse pool of talent. Through these partnerships we can help equip the next generation of future leaders with the skills and opportunities they need to truly achieve their full potential. Our Brands play an important part in this work too.

Our Gillette brand has teamed up with Football Beyond Borders and Ian Wright to launch anti-racism educational programme ‘Game Changers’. The programme has been designed to provide the next generation with a richer education on British Black History. Over 250 students have benefitted from the programme to date in 16 schools across London and Manchester. Believing we all have a role to play in building a more equal society, Gillette is making a condensed version of the programme resources available for public download.

You can learn more about the programme here: https://www.gillette.co.uk/gamechangers.list

Olay have teamed up with Beauty influencer and Diversity advocate Dr Ateh Jewel’s Education Foundation to fund 10 students of Black or Mixed heritage background on their journeys to become Cosmetic Scientists, recognising a gap in diversity in STEM roles. Through the programme the students will receive the ‘rocket fuel’ they need to help them reach their full potential.

Find out more here: https://www.atehjewelbeauty.com/dr-ateh-jewel-education-foundation

Pantene Gold Series have teamed up together with Black Minds Matter and Project Embrace to end discrimination against Afro hair in the UK through the ‘My hair won’t be silenced’ campaign.

Learn more here: https://www.pantene.co.uk/en-gb

We are proud of the work we are doing, but there is still much more to be done. We all have a role to play to change the game, to end discrimination and level the playfield and we are committed to continue to play our part..