Mentors and Minority Advertising Students: A Survey of the 2017 Most Promising Multicultural Student Class

Abstract

US advertising agencies have struggled to attract and retain ethnic and racial minority talent for decades, and the absence of professional mentors has been cited as an issue in job satisfaction among minority employees in the advertising industry. University advertising programs are recognized as an important pipeline of prospective minority hires, especially for agencies. This paper examines a group of minority advertising college seniors in terms of whether they currently have a professional mentor, as well as their career preferences and perceptions of advertising industry employment. The role of mentorship for minority advertising students, as well as implications for advertising educators and employers who seek to diversify their advertising organizations, are discussed.