Not-for-profit initiative Smelly Lunch Stories has partnered with Urban List to call on the industry to take part in DEI survey.
The survey is designed to take the pulse of where the industry really stands when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The short survey is open to people of all levels and backgrounds across the advertising, media, and marketing industry, from junior talent to senior leaders, and not just those from underrepresented groups.
It invites honest, lived perspectives that go beyond policy and rhetoric and the insights will help shape the upcoming Smelly Lunch Stories panel event and guide future programming and advocacy efforts aimed at improving cultural diversity in leadership.
Smelly Lunch Stories, launched in October last year, aims to challenge the status quo and elevate new perspectives, starting with honest, unfiltered conversations and now, data-driven insights.
Since its inception, Smelly Lunch Stories has heard powerful stories that reveal both progress and persistent pain points across the industry.
These stories have made one thing clear: meaningful change starts with understanding.
By pairing lived experience with data, this research aims to shine a light on the hidden barriers that ethnically diverse talent continue to face, and to focus collective efforts where it matters most.
Smelly Lunch Stories founders Graham Alvarez-Jarratt, Michelle Miroforidis, Linda Fagerlund and An Le said: “If we don’t measure it, we can’t fix it.
“This survey helps us move beyond anecdotal evidence to build a clearer, data-led picture of how inclusive our industry truly feels today, and what needs to change.”
Urban List, Smelly Lunch Stories’ founding partner, is proud to support this next phase.
“Creating lasting change requires more than stories, it needs evidence, accountability and momentum,” Jacqui La’Brooy, Urban List Chief Commercial Officer, said. “We’re honoured to help bring this research to life.”
Top image: Graham Alvarez-Jarratt, Michelle Miroforidis, Linda Fagerlund and An Le