South Africa: Paper Calls for Increasing Age Diversity in Advertising Industry

Paula Sartini, a founding member and managing director of Espial Go-to-Market, has called on the South African advertising industry to apply the same diversity standards for the generational as it has for the racial divide. She argues that "a diverse workforce, both from a racial but also from an age perspective, makes for more effective communication that ultimately resonates with all possible target markets."

Among other things, she notes that the average age in advertising agencies is significantly lower than in traditional organisations. This results in not just A lack of experience, but a lack of emotional intelligence. Putting "unseasoned employees into positions of authority too quickly robs them of the opportunity to develop the emotional competencies that come with time and experience--competencies like the ability to negotiate with peers, regulate their emotions in times of crises, or win support for change."

Source: MarketingWeb "Managing age diversity in the advertising industry" (September 4, 2006)