A new diversity, equity and inclusion trade organization for the marketing industry is forming, and already touts the backing of executives from major brands and agencies such as Unilever, GroupM, NBCUniversal and Campbells, among others. 

The goal of BRIDGE, which was founded by former MMA Global executive Sheryl Daija, is to serve as an independent organization that can help members "bridge the gaps" that have created inequities for underrepresented communities, and hold the industry accountable for enacting change. All of this is expected to culminate in an agenda for all companies and to subsequently certify against its implementation and measure its impact, Daija said. 

Many other industry trade groups have DE&I initiatives, but it is typically not the sole function of these organizations. 

Born during Apartheid in South Africa, Daija wanted to create an organization that would provide its members with tangible resources in order to fix the inequities in the global marketing industry. 

“BRIDGE is here now to help companies create their own agendas within their organizations to help them implement real change,” Daija said. “It’s not just about optics.”

Marketers were two times as likely than those in other professions to report a lack of opportunity for people of color in 2020, according to a study by The Harris Poll. BRIDGE, an acronym for the gaps within belonging, representation, inclusion, diversity and equity, aims to target issues not only in the workplace but also the workforce and marketplace. 

To start, BRIDGE introduced its Voices of Inclusion research, which aims to produce “an industry assessment tool to be used by organizations to help determine their own gaps,” according to the group's website. BRIDGE will also be hosting a series of storytelling workshops that will teach companies how to overhaul their systems where gaps prevail. The goal of the workshops is to amplify the voices of individuals from varying backgrounds to quell underrepresentation. 

Related: How brands are approaching DE&I in influencer marketing

BRIDGE's board is composed of both chief diversity officers and chief marketing officers, including Jonita Wilson, chief diversity officer at Discover Financial, who will serve as chair of the board. Christine Escribano, senior VP, head of One Platform Marketing at NBCUniversal, will act as vice-chair. 

“When you say that diverse representation matters you can definitely see that on this particular board,” Wilson said. 

Other board members include Tish Archie Oliver, who is head of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Unilever; Leslie Waller, VP of marketing at Campbells; and Lukeisha Paul, head of diversity, equity & inclusion, GroupM.

To create change within markets, Daija wanted advertisers to play as integral a role in BRIDGE as chief diversity officers. 

Board member Jon Suarez-Davis, senior VP of marketing strategy and innovation at Salesforce, joined BRIDGE to improve the quality of the work produced by companies such as his own.

“We are supposed to be the voice of the customer,” Suarez-Davis said. “It’s actually incumbent on myself and every marketer out there to really address the situation we face with inequality.”

“When you bring in different perspectives, you bring in different skills, you bring in different experiences. That’s when the magic happens,” Suarez-Davis said.