WPP and its agencies have collaborated with The Black Equity Organisation (BEO) which launched today with the aims of advancing equity and justice for Black people in Britain.
The new national and independent civil-rights organisation intends to drive economic empowerment, address unequal education outcomes, combat sources of racial discrimination within justice, immigration and human rights, and work to improve health and care outcomes for Black people.
WPP’s collaboration with the organisation will include a range of pro bono support, with its agency Landor & Fitch offering to develope BEO’s brand. H+K Strategies will also provide communications and PR support and GroupM and Mindshare are set to advise on media strategy, planning and investment.
Additionally Ogilvy will provide creative direction for BEO’s launch film along with its accompanying campaign.
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The partnership announcement follows the news that 15 leaders from across the big six agency were named in the global Empower Role Model Lists 2022 for driving inclusion for people of colour in business. The agency group also established a set of anti-racism commitments and actions in 2020, with aims of advancing support for minority ethnic talent.
WPP UK country manager and GroupM UK CEO Karen Blackett OBE is a founding trustee of BEO, alongside influential Black leaders from across the business such as McKinsey & Company’s Dame Vivian Hunt, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP, historian and presenter Professor David Olusoga, and artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE.
“To advance racial justice we need strong partnerships, allies and programmes that reach across business and all sectors of British society. I’m incredibly proud to be a founding trustee of The Black Equity Organisation which will act as a national, strategic voice for Black people in Britain, and of WPP’s pro bono support and funding that will help BEO to drive real change,” Blackett concluded.
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